Over the last few days I have walked  three main shopping arteries – Seventh Avenue, Fifth Avenue and Smith Street – for various gift guides that I am working on and I can tell you that there’s just about everything you need on your shopping list right here in Brooklyn.

Truly, it is amazing how much gorgeous stuff there is around here. For one thing, there’s plenty that’s made and designed in Brooklyn. But there’s also an excellent selection of the best of the best from elsewhere in jewelry, accessories, home design, toys, food items and more for  your holiday gifting.

For me it was fun to check out Smith Street. I haven’t been there in a few years. It was very nostalgic for me to go into Refinery, which opened 14 years ago, and was surely one of the first of the new shops in the “groovy reinvention” of Smith Street that slightly preceded the “groovy reinvention” of Fifth Avenue.

Refinery was the first shop  to design and carry 718 t-shirts. She also was one of the first to do beautiful handmade purses carryalls, pouches, etc. out of gorgeous fabrics (see photograph above). Refinery’s bags were definitely THE Brooklyn bag for many years, well-designed, attractive, sturdy (great for city life). I know it was MY bag for a few years.

It was great to see that the shop is still alive and well and filled with great stuff including colorful clogs, lithograph pendant necklaces, loads of bags, beaded bracelets and toys.