Shopping in Carteret

Founded by Arthur L. Carter in 1987, The New York Observer combines behind-the-scenes reporting and insightful commentaries to keep the people abreast of the latest goings-on about town. Published every Wednesday, the weekly's features delve into national and citywide politics. Columns such as Kevin Baker's politically focused Shrinking Brain and Nina Burleigh's women's-issues-based The Bombshell take a more opinionated approach to the headlines. The Wall Street section examines the market's recent ups and downs, Betabeat profiles the figures behind the tech industry, and the real estate pages reveals the newest occupants of popular city properties. As GalleristNY chronicles the New York art world, the rest of the culture section offers takes on art exhibitions, theatrical productions, concerts, films, and up-and-coming pigeons in the park.

Time Out New York laces informative articles and reviews of the city's hottest concerts, spas, nightclubs, restaurants, and events with a signature wit. Its rolodex of lists opens readers’ eyes to each neighborhood’s entertainment, touching on the Best Brunch Restaurants, Best Downtown Rock Clubs, and Best East Village Drinking Spots. Issues also indulge in a dash of dating advice and shopping tips, mixed into a raft of feature stories that flesh out the city's cultural, political, and social life. The weekly print and digital magazine's editorial content shares page space with skillfully framed photos that capture the people, places, and trained bears that keep all of New York running.

Inside Ashley Furniture HomeStore’s sprawling warehouses and showrooms, friendly staffers stock plush beds, sturdy end tables, and stylish home accessories. Expert designers craft these dwelling fillers, testing raw materials' durability and basic arithmetic skills before transforming them into classy furniture items that mesh with any decorating style. They build many tables and chairs to meet eco-friendly business standards, using recycled engineered wood to reduce landfill waste and slow down deforestation. Ashley also stocks nonwood items, including a selection of state-of-the-art body-cushioning mattresses from brands such as Sealy and Simmons.

For an additional charge, Ashley Furniture HomeStore transports its furniture using its own fleet of semi trucks and fighter planes, which ensure that comfortable couches and slick dining-room tables are never damaged and always fresh smelling. Each location is locally owned and operated, meaning staffers are friendly residents who know which couches best complement regional design trends and indoor weather patterns.

The floral family working behind the scenes of Wild Orchid Flower prepares fresh arrangements made from delicate blossoms sourced from around the world. Roses, lilies, and lilacs arrive to the shop daily from premium flower growers before they’re assembled into beautiful bouquets for weddings, birthdays, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other special occasions. Delicate rose and tulip petals comprise soft arrangements for her, and arrangements for men include fruit baskets and decorative cacti, which dudes like almost as much as footballs wrapped in bacon.

Designer Stephen Seo, known for outfitting the cast of HBO's Entourage in custom-fitted suits, specializes in bespoke tailoring techniques, individually cutting, stitching, and finishing each garment by hand. After ordering his first bespoke suit from Savile Row in London, Stephen Seo marveled at its construction and decided to open his own atelier where he could hone his suit-making craft. His work has since been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times. Fully customized to the client's measurements, bespoke clothing is created without a preexisting pattern.

A Brooklyn fixture since the early 1980s, Mr. C's Bicycles attracts enthusiasts of all stripes to its two-story, Seventh Avenue bike boutique. Professional bike fitters Carlos Valentino and Alessandro Matteucci maintain a fitting studio where they measure cyclists and analyze results to match them with their ideal handle-barred steed from manufacturers such as Cannondale, Trek, and Schwinn. The shop's daily crop of visitors can turn up serious cyclists training for the Tour de France as well as tourists renting bikes for a unique way to tour the boroughs or train to drive the family back home to Topeka in a rickshaw.