where to shop for gifts IRL in the bay area
50+ beloved small businesses, 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!
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).