Along Main Street: Port Washington
Purple, a consignment store, on Main St. in Port Washington. (Dec. 22, 2013) Credit: Barbara Alper
Port Washington's Main Street boasts several diners, pizza parlors and high-end restaurants, but there's more to do here than just eat. There are plenty of clothing and gift shops to help you wile away an afternoon.
Adjacent Port Washington Boulevard has more shops, but Main Street exudes a certain charm, and is more walkable.
"There's a lot of great restaurants and interesting little stores," says Tom Cavallaro, who is a 30-year resident of the community. He says he did much of his Christmas shopping on Main Street, including finding some perfume bottles for his wife's collection. "It's very diverse here, and everybody gets along. There's a respect for each other's culture."
At the east end of Main Street, the Port Washington Public Library (1 Library Dr., 516-883-4400) is worth a stop. An art gallery on the lower level features local artists, and there's even a self-serve coffee bar in the lobby.
1. BLUETIQUE
25 Main St., 516-734-1002
A very cool shop for young adults, teens and kids, with clothing not found in a typical department store, such as a cropped camouflage top with an open back ($28) and a green army jacket with gray sweater sleeves ($64). There are lots of well-priced bracelets and rings, too.
2. SHIN NARA JAPANESE FOODS
169a Main St., 516-883-1836
An entire grocery store stocked with Japanese foods. There's fresh hand-rolled sushi in the back, but also Japanese cooking vegetables and herbs, such as lotus root, daikon radish and taro. There is also a small collection of Japanese DVDs.
3. ATTELIA BABY
184 Main St., 516-883-0088
This upscale baby store with unique products has a sweet and friendly vibe.
Named after the owner's daughter, the shop caters mostly to whims for babies and toddlers. There's a modern take on the classic doll house (more like a duplex) complete with furniture, for $199. Blade & Rose leggings from England are $21, and adorable painted wood banks, -- in the shapes of whales and other animals -- are $24.95. "We try to choose things that are eco-friendly and high-quality," says owner Yi Wang. "That's our goal."
4. CHRISTINA CHENG
158 Main St., 516-883-5184
The owner of the store, for which it is named, travels around the world to find interesting items. "It's very curated," says her daughter Chantal Berendsen, 22, of Port Washington, who works in the store. "Shopping here feels like a well-traveled woman's closet where you get to pick what you like."
One-of-a-kind sterling silver pieces -- necklaces, rings and earrings -- range from $38 to $2,200. You'll also find interesting scarves, men's ties and cuff links.
5. PURPLE
41a Main St., 516-767-7670
A high-end consignment shop, it's a place to look for top couture brands -- Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana.
Since consignment shops usually have only one of each item, there is no way to know what's there each day. Recent finds include Hermès scarf for $240, and a Fendi large leather hobo bag for $525. Chanel bags, a big seller, start at $1,000 and go as high as $3,000. There are clothes, shoes and jewelry, too.
Two percent of every sale benefits the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Clothes that don't sell after three months are given to the coalition, too.
Third in an occasional series showcasing Long Island's most walkable downtowns
