Perhaps you've walked by Reminiscence and wondered, "What is that place?!" a beacon of pink and green neon across the street from The New School and steps away from Union Square, Reminiscence is the kind of quirky store that shocks you with its viability to stick around an increasingly commercialized part of town.
Reminiscence is part vintage store, part costume shop, part gift shop, part craziness. It's truly a hodge podge of creative fun that harkens back to what the Village must have been like when Manic Panic was an actual store and St. Mark's wasn't overrun by Chipotles and Pinkberrys (Sounding like a crotchety old New Yorker yet?). Inside really feels like a trip through time, which is probably the goal. -It is called Reminiscence, after all!
74 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
A few things that make Reminscence unique:
- The plethora of items! They have true vintage pieces, novelty gag gifts, costume pieces, costume rentals, wedding items, props, etc. If it's quirky and unique, it's probably hidden somewhere in this store.
- Because of the mass amount of costume items, it's like having a Halloween store open all year round, great for theme parties or around Halloween time when you want to avoid holiday mark ups.
- Decent price point, most items falls between $20-70.
- This place really has been around for a lonnnng time! Previously a staple of 23rd street, it moved down to Union Square around 2013.
- Dressing rooms!
Do note, not everything is secondhand/vintage. Some of the costume pieces and gifts are new, so if you are trying to exclusively shop secondhand, do your due dilligence while shopping. It's also a tight shop with a loooot of security, if having eyes on you makes it uncomfortable to shop, I would suggest weekend afternoons for a visit, when it's a little more packed. If you don't mind, I would suggest weekday afternoons when it is a little emptier, so you can move more freely throughout the store.
I would position Reminiscence as a great store for people in the arts or those looking for costume or themed pieces, for everyone else, some of these items may feel a little too charactery for everyday wear.
Just something to think about!