Shopping - New York City Free and Dirt Cheap - page 145

Village, 245 W. 10th St., btw. Hudson and Bleecker sts. 212/352-1618. Subway: 1 to Christopher St. Hell'sKitchen, 732 Ninth Ave., btw. 49th and 50th sts.
646/963-2665. Subway: C/E to 50th St. SoHo, 130 Crosby St., at Jersey St. 646/786-1200. Subway: B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette St.; N/R to Prince
St.; 6 to Spring St. TriBeCa, 119 Chambers St., btw. W. Broadway and Church St. 212/732-0584. Subway: 1/2/3 or A/C to Chambers St. BrooklynHeights,
Brooklyn, 122 Montague St., at Henry St. 718/237-0521. Subway: R/2/3/4/5 to Court St./Borough Hall. ParkSlope,Brooklyn, 266 Fifth Ave., at Garfield Place.
718/636-2271. Subway: R to Union St.
The Vintage Thrift Shop Most items here are in good enough shape to make this feel more like a boutique than
a thrift shop. Vintage glasses, glassware, prints, clothes, and more can be found, with a certain amount of self-
awareness evident in the pricing. There isn't room for much furniture, but what's here is priced to sell. 286 Third
Ave., btw. 22nd and 23rd sts. 212/871-0777. www.vintagethriftshop.org . Subway: 6 to 23rd St.
Finds & Relations
Just don't call it a thrift store: The East Village's NoRelationVintage prides itself on well-preserved vintage picks spread
out amid row upon row of $10 duds. NYU kids and tourists ransack the rapidly changing stock for armfuls of soft horse-
hide jackets, glittery '60s party looks, '70s prairie dresses, button-downs, jerseys, and screen-printed T's. As a bonus,
they'll let you reach even further back with low-priced furs from the '50s. Women plunder purses and round-toe heels while
guys who fondly remember America's awkward years score Air Jordans and Levis E jean jackets. (To the dismay of the
staff, this is also the official source for hideous Christmas sweaters.) The near-limitless stock makes squeezing into the
shoebox-size dressing room and the smell of formaldehyde worth it. I crave high-quality vintage dresses, but with their
explosive popularity, most surrounding boutiques mark their buys up too much. Here I can dress myself head to toe for
$30 and avoid being a walking fresh-from-the-East-Village-boutique cliché. 204 First Ave., btw. 12th and 13th sts. 212/
228-5201. www.ltrainvintage.com . Subway: L to First Ave. For sibling vintage retailers.
—Ashley Hoffman
Elsewhere
Angel Street Thrift Shop Angel Street does an impressive job of keeping its recycled goods au courant . The
clothes are in good shape and most don't scream “bought at a thrift shop.” Some unused ringers like sealed
sheets and electronics sneak into the bric-a-brac and bedding sections. 118 W. 17th St., btw. Sixth and Seventh aves. 212/
229-0546. www.angelstreetthrift.org . Subway: 1 to 18th St.; F/M to 14th St.; L to Sixth Ave.
Beacon's Closet Hipsters delight in the well-stocked palaces of the three locations of Beacon's Closet. As a cloth-
ing exchange, this store buys garments off its customers, with no appointment necessary. Clean out your closet
and turn it into cash. Pick up 20% more by getting paid off in store credit and putting all those newly empty
hangers to immediate use. The stores can be picky about what they'll take, but that just makes for a better selec-
tion for shoppers. All three locations have extensive collections of stylish clothes and shoes, although the high
quality begets somewhat higher prices. 10 W. 13th St., btw. Fifth and Sixth aves. 917/261-4863. www.beaconscloset.com . Subway: L/N/Q/R/
4/5/6 to 14th St./Union Sq. Other locations: ParkSlope,Brooklyn, 92 Fifth Ave., at Warren St. 718/230-1630. Subway: R to Union St. Williamsburg,Brooklyn,
88 N. 11th St., btw. Berry St. and Wythe Ave. 718/486-0816. Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Cure Thrift Shop The cure in the name is for diabetes, which affects the founder, along with 24 million other
Americans. While you're helping a worthy cause, help yourself to deals on furniture and high fashion. Designer
dresses start at little more than $10, and skirts and scarves can be found for $5 or less. Students, seniors, diabet-
ics, followers of the shop's Tumblr, and the shop's Facebook friends lower their clothing tabs by a further 15%
Mondays through Wednesdays. 111 E. 12th St., btw. Third and Fourth aves. 212/505-7467. www.curethriftshop.com . Subway: L/N/Q/R/4/5/6 to
14th St./Union Sq.; L to Third Ave.
Rags-A-GoGo It's a rare thrift/vintage shop that hits the trifecta of good selection, good condition, and good
prices the way RAGG does. This Chelsea charmer succeeds with rack after rack of cool pants, T's, sweatshirts,
and button-downs. Dusty stuffed animals survey the scene, increasing the atmosphere of quirkiness essential to