these are the bay area's most beloved shops
50+ small businesses to shop for gifts IRL, crowdsourced from you.
Hello!
Thanks to everyone who upgraded to a paid subscription last week. We were able to donate $420 worth of food to the Berkeley Food Pantry.
Marché Holiday Market is this Saturday at the Oakland Bridge Yard. Hope to run into some of you! My game plan is to try on the Starling 14K gemstone signet rings, browse Ciao Lucia for holiday dresses and Freda Salvador for loafers, and say hi to Emma Rothkopf who makes some of my most-worn fall knits.
Today we’re kicking off gift shopping season with a comprehensive guide to the most beloved small/indie shops in the Bay Area.
It’s a crowdsourced list with your recs, many of which overlap with my personal favorites. (I’m not sure if it’s surprising or not that the Baggu store did not come up once…what does it mean??).
I wanted the guide to be useful and beautiful to look at, hence the hand-drawn illustrations by moi!
This gift guide is free for everyone—but it was a lot of work to catalog 57 shops, so please consider supporting The Molehill with a paid subscription if you’re able to <3
East Bay
*I tried my best to add the general neighborhood in the parentheses but I’m not familiar with every square block of the region so don’t drag me if something is “actually in Potrero, not Mission.” You have permission to drag me if I’m two zip codes off though.
Twotwo (Lakeshore)—This concept store/gallery is the epitome of Oakland avant-garde cool girl vibes. It was also the most frequently mentioned rec. Lots of indie fashion brands and niche perfumes. I met the owner, CC, last year at a fashion panel event, and she wore Noir Kei Niyomiya…impeccable taste, to say the least.
ReLove (Lakeshore)—Secondhand store with curated designer clothes. Where I got my green cashmere polo.
3319 Marché (Lakeshore)—Vintage and designer shop. They offer custom chainstitch embroidery done by Bria, a Molehill reader, which makes a great personalized gift or experience.
_cmdstudios—Local ceramic artist with vases and stoneware.
Spectator Books (Piedmont Avenue)—Indie bookstore with cute cards and stickers.
Soft Good Studio—Local jeweler Emilie Jehng makes pieces inspired by her Asian-American identity, like silver soup spoons and surname characters signets. She made my jade jellybean ring.
Oakland Puzzle (Eastlake)—Community-centered jigsaw puzzle makers. This puzzle called “Your Mom is so Berkeley” made me chuckle.
Aster Jewelers (Montclair)—A treasure trove for indie jewelry brands founded by an Oakland native. This was recommended by Danica Stamenic, so I know it’s good.
Ordinaire Wine (Lakeshore)—The beating heart of Oakland’s natural wine scene, with an excellent bottle shop.
Pala Ceramics—Berkeley-based ceramicist with pop-ups at places like West Coast Craft Fair.
Of All Places (Solano Ave)—Cutest place to buy your chicest food items. Owners are a super sweet and warm couple :)
Morningtide (Off Solano Ave)—Ceramics, gifts, and clothing (new + secondhand). Always hosting local food pop-ups, the shaved ice one is good.
Standard & Strange (Fourth Street)—Store with high-quality specialty garments mostly sourced from Japan, Europe and the USA. I have some jeans from W’Menswear and they are incredibly well-made.
Umami Mart (Oakland Broadway)—Bar and shop with sake and other Japanese goods. My friends introduced me to Tsure Ume and it’s one of the few alcohols I’ll have multiple cups of.
Maple Street Denim (Piedmont Ave)—Shop specializing in quality denim inspired by rock n roll and vintage Americana.
Moments Co-op (Downtown Oakland)—QTBIPOC bookstore and community space.
Womb House Books (Temescal)—Feminist bookshop selling new and vintage books.
Pretty Penny Clothing (Elmwood)—Vintage clothing from various decades, owned by Sarah who is the definition of a punk Gen Xer <3 Also carries vintage jewelry curated my friend Cecilia who runs Studio Second Sight.
Casa De Chocolates (Elmwood)—Magical shop carrying on Mesoamerican chocolate traditions with creative flavor pairings. The alcohol-infused bon bons are a hit with my family every Christmas. I love the tequila butterfly!!!
Amphora Nueva (Elmwood)—Infused olive oils and vinegars. Think Brightland but local and with more creative flavors like chimichurri and aged cara cara orange. It’s fun going with a friend and tasting samples until your stomach hurts.
Berkeley Potters Guild (West Berkeley)—Local ceramicist collective, open every Saturday. I’ve always been meaning to go but never have.
Tinsel Trading (San Pablo in Berkeley)—Whimsical store with ribbons, buttons and doodads…a magpie’s dream.
Cotton Basics (Elmwood)—Simple natural fiber basics for your wardrobe.
Market Hall (Rockridge)—Specialty foods emporium. My mom loves their Mariage Freres teas. Bougie cheeses that will impress at a party.
Oaktown Spice Shop (Multiple Locations in SF and East Bay)—High-quality small batch spices. You might run into Samin Nosrat here.
Preserved (Rockridge)—Fermentation specialty store. I like their ume and shiso syrups for mixing with sparkling water at parties (#equallyattractivenonalcoholicbev).
San Francisco
Gravel & Gold (Mission)—Store with high-quality workwear and other indie brands. I browsed the site and I love these French undies.
Heath Ceramics and Newsstand (Mission)—I always stop by when I’m eating at Tartine Manufactory because it’s right there. A Heath mug or bowl is always a welcome gift. And the newsstand carries all the indie magazines.
Evan Kinori (Mission)—For the deeply obsessed fashion hoes who love quality fabrics. There’s a philosophical purity in his approach that makes Kinori the Alice Waters of Bay Area fashion designers, in a sense.
Presidio Post (Chinatown/Nob Hill)—Carries Baserange, Cawley, No. 6, Paraboot.
On Waverly (Chinatown)—Cozy shop and creative space that highlights AAPI artists.
Earthen (Lower Haight)—Ceramic studio and shop rooted in folk craft and modern design.
Rare Device (Alamo Square)—Artist-focused gift store and art gallery.
Perish Trust (NOPA)—Modern day general store with home goods and the local handiwork.
SF76 (Japantown)—Japanese homeware store, very minimalist and neutral curation.
Johnson Leathers (Polk Gulch)—They design and make leather jackets, belts and other custom garments, all in-house.
Needles and Pens (Mission)—Artist Books, zines, gallery, jewelry.
Foggy Notion (Inner Richmond)— Eco-conscious toiletries, candles and secondhand goods.
Green Apple Books (Inner Richmond)—”fiercely independent” bookstore with wide selection of books and magazines.
Park Life (Inner Richmond)—Unique home goods, cool art books and attire. Shirts that say PBS and Abolish ICE.
Nest (Pac Heights)—Home decor and other whimsical knick knacks. I’ve been here a few times, they go all out with their holiday window displays.
Aggregate Supply (Mission)—Boutique with indie brands like Rachel Comey, Henrik Vibskov, and Bellerose.
McMullen (Inner Richmond)—Concept shop with luxury and emerging designers. Maybe the closest thing the Bay Area has to a capital F Fashion industry shop. Rachel Scott of Diotima is doing an event there on the 22nd.
Spanish Table (Inner Richmond)—Specialty cookware and spices.
Maido (Japantown Mall)—Stationary galore!!!!
Yarrow Goods (stocked at Park Life, Nest, SFMOMA)—cute vintage-y graphic tees.
Bernal Cutlery (Mission)—If you’re looking to buy a nice kitchen knife IRL, this is the place to go. Also curated kitchenware and foodstuffs.
Post Script (Pac Heights)—Gift shop with a focus on cute stationary and cards.
Abacus Row (Chinatown)—Jewelry shop with in-house designs. Lots of colorful fine jewelry, this jade fortune necklace caught my eye.
Nettle Studios (Potrero Hill)—Slow fashion brand with inclusive sizing approach.
Mud witch—Local ceramicist who makes colorful mugs. I’ve met Viviana, they’re so cool!
lilclaygrl—Local ceramicist who designs with cute motifs like bunnies and cursive fonts.
Paxton Gate (Mission)—a modern take on a Victorian curiosity shop. I’ve never been but I’m morbidly fascinated by the wares…rocks, crystals, and a $600 “ethically sourced Papa Gator taxidermy doll.” And they say subculture is dead!
Cliff’s Variety (Castro)—Hardware/home supply store, but there’s a second store attached with nicer home goods, crafts and gifts.
Wooly Rascals (South San Francisco)—Sheepskin slippers & leather products made at a workshop that’s been around since the 80s.
Fleetwood (Inner Richmond)—Home goods and SF apparel of snowy plovers riding skateboards.
Ei Home (Marina)—Candles, fragrances, and home goods.
Ministry of Scent (Mission and Pac Heights)—The promised land of niche and independent perfumes.
I’m sure I missed some replies as more were trickling in as I was finalizing this post. Please share in the comments, or plug your own small biz! More gift guides coming soon, and I’m trying to incorporate an illustration in each one :)
xo viv
Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe pieces and recs are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;) I may earn a small commission from purchases made through affiliate links.
Thank you so much for this! I’m moving up to the east bay from LA in January and it’s so reassuring and exciting to know there are so many lovely spots to discover 💗
The Finerie on Fillmore is a women’s boutique but they also have a very intentionally curated collection of contemporary and vintage glassware and home goods that make the best gifts