Small Spaces

Best presents for tiny NYC apartments

By BrickUnderground  | December 2, 2015 - 8:59AM
image

It's hard to be a giver—or a receiver—of gifts in this city, where space is at such a premium deciding which of our belongings to keep or let go is a near-daily practice. (Spring cleaning? Who has room to wait that long?) But you're in luck: We've scoured shopping sites for presents at various price points that not only have small footprints, but will please the pickiest of New Yorkers on your list. 

Leave six-packs for last-minute types who don't know what to gift. Instead, this bottle opener ($19) from Brooklyn's A&G Merch lets your craft-beer-loving friends know you've put some thought into their present—and their small apartments. 

A handpainted Brooklyn tea towel (By Brooklyn, $20) almost sounds too twee for the often-twee borough's own good, but these by local artist Kate Wilkes are downright pretty, and practical, too! Also, all it needs is a stove handle to hang from, and you're good to go. 

'Tis the season for pies, and a gold-tipped pie server from Anthropologie ($20) adds a swank touch to a dessert table. 

Can one ever really have enough reusable bags? This one by Maptotes ($20) features doodles symbolizing neighborhoods in the five boroughs and comes in a handful of colors. If you're cramped for storage, you can hang it on a hook and use it to hold towels, tablecloths, or other bags—or anything else that fits, for that matter. 

We'll get behind any gift that gets you a deal in this expensive city. Brokelyn's Cocktail Book ($25) gives recipients two-for-one deals at more than two dozen watering holes. 

A personalized mixed-tape doormat ($38) won't take up room in your apartment at all, and will help keep your place clean. Privacy-minded New Yorkers may not want their name plastered all over it, in which case we suggest opting for a funny phrase instead. 

The AuraBox Clock Speaker ($65) tells time, yes, but also alerts you to incoming calls and texts. Plus, it notifies you of social media updates—we have no idea how, but science!—and functions as a Bluetooth speaker.  Best of all, it fits in the palm of your hand. 

The Cold Bruer drip coffee maker ($81.99) makes a mean cup of coffee (up to 20 cups a go, per the manufacturer) and is about half the size of a Keurig. 

Related:

What to get the NYC families you love

Tipping the building staff: BrickUnderground's 2015 guide

 

Brick Underground articles occasionally include the expertise of, or information about, advertising partners when relevant to the story. We will never promote an advertiser's product without making the relationship clear to our readers.

topics: