Methodology Producing this list began with identifying criteria against which stores would be judged, including inventory, curation, proprietorship, customer service, ambience, location and payoff — would visiting be worth it, even if nothing was bought? After scouring recent and archival shopping coverage in The Times, and seeking recommendations from Styles reporters, editors and contributors, nearly 90 stores across the five boroughs emerged as contenders.
A team of eight Styles reporters and editors first eliminated stores that did not meet the criteria. Then, over months of deliberation, we whittled down the rest by visiting them all in person, sometimes more than once. The 25 stores chosen were all visited by reporters and photographers. No businesses paid for promotion or inclusion.
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