Best Chinatown Kitsch Superstore

It's the place locals go when locals want to go to a really touristy souvenir shop. Situated a little south of the border between Soho and Chinatown, this three-floor megastore is tucked safely away from the sensory bombardment of Canal Street but stocks anything you might find on that notorious avenue and then some. For 40 years, the emporium has been importing clothing, furniture, textiles, toys, food, and every knickknack imaginable. Products include flimsy throwaway slippers and waving Maneki-neko cat figurines—a staple of any legitimate takeout establishment—as well as many quality goods not found at your average corner gift shop. Its wide variety of paper lanterns, for instance, is twice as chic and half the price of those sold in other home-goods stores, and one of its gorgeous hand-painted silk tops was recently featured in Glamour. We could only be talking about our best Chinatown kitsch superstore, Pearl River Mart. Looking for a musical instrument? Check the place out. Us, we've got our eye on the snakeskin banjo. 477 Broadway, 212-431-4770, pearlriver.com (10013)

Source: The Village Voice

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