What to give a New York City party host(ess)

By Jennifer Laing | December 1, 2015 - 8:59AM

For the social New Yorker, the holiday season presents countless opportunities for meeting and greeting, moving and shaking. Many of these gatherings are likely to be in someone’s home, where coming empty handed is simply out of the question. Here, our picks of the perfect gifts for the NYC host/hostess:

A bottle of wine is always appreciated but it’s guaranteed to look extra tempting served up in one of West Elm's cotton/linen drawstring wine bags ($8), printed with a cheeky slogan like, “Wine Not?” and “The Only Gift Worth Giving”.

With notes of dwarf pine wood, smoke and birch, D.S. & Durga’s Portable Fireplace Candle ($60) simulates the scent of a home hearth—making it an especially appropriate gift for the 99 percent of New Yorkers not living in apartments with functional fireplaces.

Just because your hostess only has a single bathroom doesn’t mean it can't be as elegant as a five-star hotel’s. A monogrammed soap will make even the tiniest one feel a little more Relais & Chateau-worthy. This trio of triple-milled vegetable soaps can be personalized with three initials or a name or saying of up to 12 characters. Go traditional with a monogram or family name, or get creative with something silly or funny.

If someone is having you over for a holiday fête, chances are they enjoy spending time in the kitchen, which makes a cookbook a no-brainer of a gift. This one—New York à la Carte: Recipes and Stories from the Big Apple’s Best Food Trucks ($18)—combines a current trend (food trucks!) and a decidedly local focus.

What true New Yorker doesn’t start their day with a cup of coffee? The Hario cold brewer ($25) takes the experience to new, trendier heights. Set your hosts up for the next day’s caffeine fix by adding a pound of local-roasted coffee (City of Saints? Brooklyn Roasters?) to boot.

Commuting by subway is part of virtually every New Yorker’s daily experience/nightmare. Give you hosts a pair of Vignelli Diagram Map Latte Mug (in "Brooklyn" or "Manhattan" versions, $12 each) and they can contemplate new—and hopefully more time-saving—routes to their destinations over their morning joe.

Street sounds, raucous neighbors—NYC apartments can be noisy and sound-proofing prohibitive. Give your hostess a silent night with a pair of these glam tasseled earplugs ($14) modeled on the pair worn by the patron saint of girls about town, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

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