Stationery Shopping in New York City
🚕 The curated guide - home game edition.
We are in a journaling renaissance
and the stationery shops are booming. Two new shops have opened in New York City this month, so it’s time to update my stationery shop map!
The original (above) JournalingDan stationery shop map is a walking tour of my design. Starting and ending in Union Square, the route requires less than 3 miles (5km) of walking, and allows you to visit 7 shops, each one unique to New York City. This walking tour in video form (now 2 years old on TikTok1), is also in need of a refresh! Consider this Substack post the precursor to the revised and expanded video tour of my favorite stationery shops of New York City.
Shop Small!
I love finding local stationery shops in every city I visit, and since I live here, I make it my personal business to visit and keep up with every stationery shop I possibly can2. Small businesses are what make New York, New York, and so this guide (like all my guides) will only cover shops that are locally owned and operated. The only exception on this list is Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore chain with 17 US locations3. The Bryant Park location has a massive selection of Japanese stationery, and very unique curation of items I just cannot ignore, and so I have chosen to include it on this list. I will not however, be including the 5th Avenue Muji store, or the Blick in the Flatiron. While I love these stores, they can also be found in Portland, or Chicago4, and so need not be included on a New York City specific guide.
The shops in this guide meet the following criteria:
Must be a locally owned and operated (unique to the city).
Must have at least 60-70% of its inventory dedicated to stationery. Some shops toe the line between stationery shop+ small gifts, and gift shop that happens sells some cards, we’ll be focusing on the former. When considering a gift shop, they should stock at least 3 of the below 7 categories to qualify as a stationery shop in my book:
Cards
Stickers
Stamps
Office Tools
Fountain Pens
Inks/paints
At least 2 notebook brands other than Moleskine/Leuchtturm
Some shops only sell one thing (eg: Casey Rubber Stamps), if that one thing is a stationery item, it’s a yes from me!
Must have “frills.” to further curate this guide, I’ve limited the selection of shops to the ones that are…fun! Since NYC real estate isn’t primed to house too many big-box stores like Staples, there are a number of small, neighborhood businesses that serve the same purpose. While they often stock some of my favorite items (like Pigma Microns and Tombow Dual Brush Pens), they’re also the kind of places locals might pick up a bunch of legal pads, or a box of BIC Pens. The shops in this list are not designed for utility, but rather, are playful, and whimsical. If I wouldn’t send a tourist to the shop5, then it won’t be on this list.
I want to visit cool, independent, stationery shops but I don’t live in New York!!
I’m constantly updating my world map of independent stationery shops, which is always accessible via my website: journalingdan.com.6
This post is the second of the series: Stationery Shopping in _____, a city-by-city guide.
The first installment can be found here: Stationery Shopping in Paris
The master list (v easy for copy+pasting) of 16 NYC shops in this guide, a bonus selection of shops, + the New York City specific Google map can be found beyond the paywall. But the full list of my favorite shops are free +accessible in longform below. Let’s begin the tour!
Manhattan
Greenwich Letterpress (Greenwich Village) - 15 Christopher St
Now famous for its sticker-roll wall (pictured), Greenwich Letterpress actually specializes in greeting cards! The delightfully pink interiors are lined with a maze of greeting cards, many of them designed by local artists, or printed on-site with the letterpress. I always buy a few whenever I stop in, the weird and wonderful designs prove to be irresistible! + it’s always good to have a birthday card on hand.
The shop is run by two sisters and third generation printers, whose love for pop-culture, stationery, and whimsy can be felt when browsing each corner of the shop. It’s hard to walk out without a little trinket or at least a sticker sheet. +yes they do custom!
Casey Rubber Stamps (East Village) - 322 E 11th St
John Casey is sort of a celebrity in the East Village (at least to me) as the owner of Casey Rubber Stamps. Like the shop itself, Casey is a fixture of the neighborhood. I’ve never visited the shop without seeing him there, along with his calico cat, and a team of 2 or 3 people in the back making stamps the old-fashioned way.
The closet-sized shop is outfitted with floor to ceiling shelves stocked with rubber stamp designs you won’t see anywhere else. Casey prides himself on sourcing unique, vintage designs, made of real rubber (according to Casey, the synthetic stuff just isn’t as good7). A rubber stamp of a smiling carrot, an NYC sewer plate (a personal favorite of mine), even an x-rated stamp section can all be found in this hole-in-the-wall-only-in-New-York shop8. On a busy day, you may have to wait outside while 2-4 people finish shopping inside, but it’s worth it. John Casey is an absolute master of the craft, and he’s happy to share his knowledge with you.
If none of the 10,000 designs in the catalog speak to you, custom orders are available. A simple email to the shop with your design pdf and size specifications will render the perfect custom rubber stamp. I’ve had one made for myself, and 2 others as gifts—the process is seamless!
You can shop the catalog of existing designs, or request a custom order via their website here.
Nico Neco Zakkaya (East Village) - 263 E 10th St
Nico Neco Zakkaya started as an online retailer + purveyor of Japanese stationery, opening their brick and mortar location in the East Village in 2019. This teeny tiny shop has now charmed seemingly everyone in the city with its dainty displays of stamps, watercolors, inks, washi tapes, ephemera, notebooks and greeting cards. I find that the best shops really convey a sense of place, and a great atmosphere, and Nico Neco Zakkaya feels like walking through an artist’s cozy studio. Unique offerings at this store include exclusive stamps and enamel pins in collaboration with artists and designers. After you enjoy the little things, bakery From Lucie is just next door —the recipe for a perfect afternoon9.
East Village Postal (East Village) - 151 1st Ave.
As the name suggests - this is a working post office, + a FedEx/DHL/UPS counter (they do it all)! Stationery in this shop is arranged by color on a table in the center, with gifts and other knick-knacks on the left side. Their curation is excellent, and I’ve found some of my favorite washi tapes here. More than a shop, East Village Postal also a community space. The PO boxes lining the walls are fully functional, and local residents regularly walk in to check their mail. The only shop on the list where you can buy a friend a gift and a card, and mail it to them right away at the same counter. 💌
Goods For The Study (Greenwich Village) - 50 W 8th St
A real stationery shop for real stationery lovers. Goods For The Study is a series of sister shops from the same team behind the McNally Jackson Bookstores10. As master curators of books and magazines (highly recommend visiting any McNally Jackson location in the city), it’s no surprise that excellent taste extends to their stationery shops as well (seriously can I meet the buyer, because their taste is well-traveled, and impeccable11).
This particular location of Goods for the Study is a longtime favorite of mine. Just north of Washington Square Park, this shop stocks diverse collection of notebooks and planners from a large number of niche brands. They recently hosted a Louise Carmen pop-up (a French brand with a cult following), and now stock their notebook refills for devout LC users12. Pencil packs from Roman stationer Antica Cartotecnica are available, as well as other brands from around the world13. Can’t decide between a Moleskine, Rhodia, Leuchtturm, Midori, Penco, Hobonichi, Traveller’s, Shorthand, Notem, Rollbahn or Rivoli? You can open, feel, try, each model out before committing to your new notebook (or planner)!
For pen heads, the pen wall (and counter) are to die for, and the staff will gladly help you try out fountain pens from the glass case. Pen swatching is encouraged, with inviting strips of paper laid below the pen displays. This is the kind of place you might find a bespoke office gadget for your boss, or that Japanese glue stick you saw online. A real stationery shopper’s paradise. If you’re going to visit one stationery shop in New York, this is the one.
Goods For The Study (Nolita) - 234 Mulberry St
Each location of Goods For The Study is so perfect, they’re each getting their own entry. The Mulberry location is split in two, with one storefront dedicated to pens and art supplies, and the other to paper goods and office supplies. Again, the displays, and curation here are wonderful! This is a Goods For The Study stan account.
Goods For The Study (UWS) - 2019 Broadway
The newest location of Goods for the Study (opened January 2025), and I’m so happy to see them expanding, especially uptown14! I have never seen such complete collections of notebook models available for each brand, with grid, dot, lined, and blank versions of Moleskine and Leuchtturms available in every size and color15. The back of the shop is a leather notebook corridor, a collection rivaled by no other shop in the city in my opinion. I stood there for a long time. The built-in pen counter is gorgeous, and the selection is just insane. The UWS location might be my new #1….plus it’s close to my favorite AMC..
City Papery (Flatiron) - 23 W 18th St
This is the least frilly, yet still a bit frilly (look at the ribbons) shop on the list. Lots of square footage, high ceilings, and we-sell-everything type beat. City Papery is like a mom-and-pop Michael’s with a print shop. The sticker sheet wall, ribbon wall, rolls of paper (like Paper Source), and towers of gift boxes are just some of the displays to explore here. The focus on gift wrapping makes this an excellent stop every December (they have every gift box size and shape), but the aisles of stamps and scrapbooking paper keep me returning throughout the year. A solid workhorse of a shop, with just pinch of sparkle, a short walk from Union Square.
Kinokuniya (Bryant Park) - 2019 Broadway
You might have a Kinokuniya Bookstore in your city, but the NYC location’s basement has one of the largest selections of Japanese stationery I’ve ever seen16. If you’re a Studio Ghibli fan, there’s a dedicated section to Ghibli merch, and that includes officially licensed Ghibli stationery! Japanese washi tape, origami paper, stamps, paper, calligraphy pens, office and school supplies can all be found in the tightly packed aisles that rumble when the F train goes by. The cafe on the third floor offers respite, and has a view of Bryant Park!
Bookstores in Manhattan with Good Stationery Selections:
I find that the venn diagram of Stationery Lovers vs Book Lovers is a circle, so here are 3 bookshops that feature excellent stationery selections that are unique to NYC.
McNally Jackson (Soho) - 134 Prince St
McNally Jackson Bookstores are a fixture in NYC, and every location is simply exquisite. This is the same team behind Goods for the Study, so the stationery selections available are impeccable (albeit, smaller than the dedicated shops). When McNally Jackson Soho announced its move from 52 Prince Street a few years ago I was worried, but the 134 Prince Street location is gorgeous, and dare I say….better? The stationery section here is relatively large, and occupies the street facing window. One of my favorite stops in Soho.
McNally Jackson (Seaport) - 4 Fulton St
Reasons the McNally Jackson Seaport rules:
This location has a cafe inside!
Comfy leather armchairs to read in on the second floor.
Stationery corner on the 1st floor with that Goods For The Study curation.
Nothing beats a beautiful day in Seaport. I adore this location of McNally Jackson, + a walk on the waterfront afterward!
The Strand (Union Square) - 828 Broadway
The Strand is a known, longtime bookseller (and tote bag store), but I think their stationery stock is always worth perusing. The columns in the store serve to display souvenir stickers specific to the store, or NYC! A personal favorite of mine are the “Q Train” stickers and any sticker depicting The Strand, like the outdoor book carts. The dedicated stationery section wraps around the staircase on the ground floor, with mason jars displaying Zebra Mildliners, Stabilos, and Le Pens. Notepads from Shorthand, greeting cards, to-do lists, and more can be found here. The gift section in the back (near the merch) has sticker books, giant pencils, and more fun things for Stationery Lovers. + The additional stationery selection on the second floor (near the art books) is great!
Brooklyn
The Analog Stationer (Prospect Heights) - 621 Vanderbilt Ave
The newest stationery shop in Brooklyn celebrates the analog in the form of stationery and art supplies. It’s easy to see where notebook loyalties lie here, Leuchtturm is available in all models and colors: dot grid, blank, lined, squared, extra thick 120gsm (instead of the standard 80gsm), and even the Bauhaus editions. There is a shelf dedicated to Traveler’s Company products, and a chandelier made to look like windswept letters hanging over pen selection. A robust collection of desktop planner pads are found here, for anything from to-do lists, weekly plans, to grocery lists. I was happy to find the Bubble Letter Stamp set I’m constantly asked about here, (by Yellow Owl Workshop17). It’s fun to find cute things I have at home out in the wild - it’s a sign that this is exactly my kind of shop! I walked away with a couple things in a superbly packaged envelope, perfect for junk journaling later.
Yours Truly (Atl. Ave/ Barclays) - 680 Fulton St
A sweet little shop stocking a selection of mostly Japanese stationery, esp. memo pads, greeting cards, and small gifts. I appreciate the full Pigma Micron and LePen displays, and novelty items like pizza shaped magnets in a pizza box, and a miniature set of colored pencils. I walked away with several stickers by a few different artists. A great place to replenish your sketching supplies, and maybe a host gift and a card.
Yoseka Stationery (Greenpoint) - 63 West St
Another longtime favorite of mine, Yoseka Stationery’s owners (Daisy and Neal) are passionate about bringing stationery from Asia to the US. The store layout features a long pen testing table in the middle, inviting shoppers to try before they buy. (It worked, I got my Zebra Sarasa Grand because I randomly tried it.) Taiwanese stationery is a specialty here, as co-owner Neal grew up in a stationery store in Taiwan (2nd generation stationer)! I absolutely love the curation here, and Yoseka seems to always have an exciting collaboration on the docket, whether it’s a limited edition pen, original ink, or exclusive stamp. This is the only shop in NYC that’s an official Traveler’s Company partner, so you can walk in with your notebook and ask for the shop exclusive stamp to be added to one of your pages!
2024 was the inaugural year of the Yoseka Stationery Fest, held in the space next door, featuring vendors from around the world + local artists!
Measure Twice (Cobble Hill) - 225 Court St
Measure twice, cut once is a reminder to be thoughtful - and a lovely name for a shop with rolls of ribbon and beautiful wrapping paper next to the register. An extensive selection of greeting cards line one side of the shop, with stationery on the other, and gifts in the middle. All manner of trinket dishes can be found here, along with design books like How to Live with Objects, and Cobble Hill branded mugs. Borders on gift shop, but the selection of office tools + a glass case for fountain pens cements this as a proper stationery shop for me!
Beyond the paywall: the exclusive Google map, walking tour routes, and bonus shops!
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