Shopping in West New York

As the recession deepened, Metro Art & Frame owner Bo Okuyan found that demand never slackened for one market of art collectors: parents. Mr. Okuyan's business savvy caught the attention of the New York Times' Michael Winerip in 2010, who noted that a steady supply of finger paintings and crafts had caused Bo to rethink his definition of art. “All kids are artists, that’s how we look at it now,” he said. Whether upgrading fridge-hung stick-figure portraits to a permanent gallery or framing a more traditionally priceless painting, Mr. Okuyan and his staff begin with a complimentary consultation, tailoring each project to fit home or office aesthetics and personal style. Metro Art & Frame's acid-free mats center photographs, oil paintings, or post-modern puddles of spilled milk in an ornate, gold-leafed frame or elegant black one. Five types of glass and two flavors of plexiglass guard sensitive paintings from light damage with UV protection, and the shop's selection of contemporary and classic prints lets patrons fill in the gaps in their home galleries.

In more than 1,112 stores worldwide, Edible Arrangements' Fruit Experts arrange pieces of premium fruit in stunning displays for all occasions. Customers can customize their order to suit any occasion, receiving chocolate-dipped fruit such as pineapples, granny smith apples, and juicy strawberries that, unlike the sodas found in most mummies' crypts, don't contain any preservatives. Fruit Experts can dip fruit in gourmet semisweet or white chocolate. For birthdays and anniversaries, chocolate wielders can personalize bouquets with gifts such as plush teddy bears and mylar balloons.

Since 1993, AKO Design Center has outfitted homes around the world with quality, brand-name furniture. AKO can furnish any room or hidden laboratory in the house with sleek, contemporary items ranging from beds and recliners to office desks. The store's design team works with customers in their design studio to help create sophisticated looks for the home or workplace, and they also collaborate with manufacturers to produce stylish pieces that complement each other when purchased as a set or that add decorative accents to already existing design schemes.

The meticulous tailors at Custom Men handcraft scores of made-to-measure garments for both men and women. Each tailor possesses a minimum of 10 years of experience and uses traditional methods of design and construction, such as hand-stitching buttonholes and using an old-fashioned tailor’s tape measure instead of the newfangled ones made out of lasers.

Master tailor Salvatore Cristiano has honed his eye over more than 40 years in the clothing industry, crafting custom outfits while staying abreast of the latest fashions. Working with quality fabrics from such designers as Dormeuil, Holland & Sherry, Scabal, and Loro Piana, Cristiano and his staff create bespoke suits ranging from simple, elegant jackets to three-piece ensembles. All garments adhere to clients' precise measurements, ensuring a sleek fit around their shoulders, waistline, and second set of mechanical arms.

Hoboken Premium Cigars was conceptualized during a satisfying smoke session in the Dominican Republic. The owners, staying true to that moment, specialize in imported Dominican cigars, all rolled by hand. A complex bouquet of coffee, oak, and bourbon drifts from shelves, where broad, cocoa-colored leaves surround cigars from brands including Churchill, Robusto, Pyramid, and Toro. Each encircled by a band bearing a complex seal or personalized message, the stogies beg to add refinement to a party or add terror to a party with dry scarecrows. The band patterns range from depictions of pinup girls to portraits of famous Civil War generals, and the shop’s owner rolls some cigars in house. Around him, humidors, ceramic tobacco jars, and other accessories complement the sampler cases and individual spirit-infused cigars.