Hidden shops on Long Island worth visiting
Long Island Trading Post in Bellmore buys, sells, trades and accepts donations. Credit: Long Island Trading Post
Long Island is filled with under-the-radar shops but finding them takes an insider's eye. Here's where to look.
Island Roast and Toast
2001 Park St., Atlantic Beach, seacityvintage.com
Owners, Tom and Cassie Justice at Sea City Vintage in Atlantic Beach. The shop also features a cafe. Credit: Linda Rosier
Along with coastal curiosities and nautical finds, Sea City Vintage features Island Roast and Toast cafe serving coffee and avocado toasts. Staying true to its beach town roots, the shop specializes in nautical vintage, coastal curiosities, mid-century furniture, housewares, clothing and curated gifts from the 1950s through the '70s.
Debbie Perota, of Atlantic Beach, shops for clothes at Sea City Vintage. Credit: Linda Rosier
Beyond retail and coffee, Sea City Vintage has expanded its role as a community hub, hosting recurring vintage markets, pop-ups, workshops and creative events throughout the year.
Barntique Village
327 Montauk Hwy., Moriches, 631-878-4594
Tucked away on a patch of farmland sits a former post office, an old train station house and a mix of historic and newly built barns. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
It may look like a barn, but this mini village consists of antique, collectible and artisan shops. Set along Montauk Highway, Barntique Village is home to 23 vendors spread across its rustic outbuildings. Owners Lori Wood-Minardi and Gary Minardi, of Bayport, have run the complex for 23 years, though the site has operated as an antique destination for more than four decades. If you want the full experience with every stall open, Saturday and Sunday are when the energy is at its peak. Because the outbuildings are equipped with heat and electricity, Barntique Village stays open year-round.
Elise's Niece's Cafe
441 Main St., Farmingdale, 516-586-8443, backintimedecor.com
Jenna Tomeo, left, owner of Elise’s Niece’s cafe in Farmingdale, helps customers. Credit: Linda Rosier
An alleyway next to home decor shop Back in Time leads to Elise's Niece's Cafe and Schoolhouse Play & Cafe. Back in Time is a vintage shop selling home decor. Customers can find just about any kind of housewarming gift there, from kitchenware to pillows to soaps to antique furniture. Behind the vintage store is Elise’s Niece’s Cafe, ready to serve your sweet tooth.
Signs at the entrance to the School House Play & Cafe, Elise's Niece's Cafe and Back In Time in Farmingdale. Credit: Linda Rosier
The cafe experiments with homemade cookies and cakes and serves cappuccino, lattes and espresso. There is also a courtyard, outdoor Cobb’s Corner Bar and Schoolhouse Play & Cafe, which offers baby and toddler classes, open play and birthday parties.
Sprmrkt
75 N. Ferry Rd., Shelter Island, 631-749-0382, thesprmrkt.com
Anthony Peronace in SPRMRKT, a small shop inside the Shelter Island IGA. It features Peronace's streetwear brand of T-shirts, hoodies, hats and sweats. Credit: SPRMRKT
Most people who go shopping for groceries don't expect to find streetwear in the frozen food aisle, but at this market, you're in for a treat. SPRMRKT, a casual line of emblem T-shirts, sweats, hoodies and caps that launched in 2018, is sold at a snug shop tucked inside the IGA grocery store on Shelter Island. The vibe of the shop is easygoing and casual. Clothes are displayed on U-boat carts and milk crates and in coolers.
BesTea
41 E. Main St., Babylon, 516-519-2494, hitchlongisland.com
Participants mix soy candles with essential oils during class at Hitch. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
A connecting door inside niche gift shop Hitch brings you to the neighboring tea bar. The shops host DIY workshops, pop-ups and other events that turn the stores into community spaces.
Connected by a doorway, BesTea complements Hitch with its selection of flavored teas available for purchase or enjoyment on-site. Credit: Michele Kats
Joseph DeBello, owner of Hitch and BesTea, says his tea bar gives patrons something to do while they wait for a crafting session or after browsing the wares. There are seasonal menus and creative tea drinks, dirty sodas, lattes and espresso and a Swedish candy wall.
Wilson's Dry Dock
128 Shore Rd., Glen Cove, instagram.com/wilsonsdrydock
Antiques and vintage items for sale at Wilson's Dry Dock in Glen Cove. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
This antique shop is tucked inside Safe Harbor marina and named after Wilson's Garage in "The Great Gatsby." That cool stuff includes vintage Ralph Lauren apparel, Grateful Dead concert shirts, antiques, nautical decor and models, plus artwork.
Lumber + Salt
5570 Sound Ave., Jamesport, 215-704-6588, lumberandsalt.com
Craig Schneider, left, and Amanda Schneider sit at the cafe inside Lumber + Salt in Jamesport. Credit: Morgan Campbell
A treasure trove for repurposed home decor and furniture, there's also a cafe nestled inside. Co-owners Brooke Cantone and John Mazur are designers behind several signature East End projects. They offer an eclectic mashup of reclaimed lumber, architectural salvage, home decor, industrial finds, vintage artwork, lighting, repurposed furniture, candles, coffee, tea, local produce and baked goods.
Long Island Trading Post
2034 Newbridge Rd., Bellmore, 516-826-4483, ext. 2
Long Island Trading Post in Bellmore buys, sells, trade and accepts donations. Credit: Long Island Trading Post
Items run the gamut from leather tote bags to chandeliers. Profits support Long Island Family & Elder Care initiatives and services, and the store, nestled in a small shopping center, operates on a volunteer basis.
North Fork Parish Outreach
56025 Rte. 25, Southold, 631-477-6607
Head to North Fork Parish Outreach for vintage finds. Credit: Tom Lambui/Tom Lambui
The thrift/resale shop looks like a house, but bargain hunters can find donated clothing, vintage records and accessories. The volunteer-staffed thrift store, like its sister food pantry, is run by the North Fork Parish Outreach. Sales support the organization’s efforts to help individuals and families in need. Donated merchandise includes clothing, vintage records, homewares, sterling silver, jewelry and decorative lighthouses.
The Church Attic
47 Broadway, Amityville, 631-264-4555
Don’t be fooled by the name. Find home goods, jewelry and even a few free items while hunting for deals. The shop, in association with the First United Methodist Church, has run for 52 years. It carries a wide range of donated items including clothing and furniture.
The Andy Foundation Yard Sale Shop
195 Herricks Rd., Garden City Park; 516-739-1717, theandyfoundation.org
Jill Palmeri in front of her shop, The Andy Foundation Yard Sale Shop. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Tucked on the corner of an industrial, nonretail area, the store has knickknacks, Swarovski crystals and more. Jill Palmeri created the Andy Foundation in 2004 to help kids in honor of her son, Andrew. Expanding from its yard sale beginnings, the shop carries furniture, art, jewelry, glassware and other items. Proceeds benefit the foundation.
Hope Springs Eternal Second Chance Boutique
19 Chereb Lane, Port Jefferson Station, 631-509-1101
Marked only by a red sign, this boutique carries furniture, antiques, books, glassware, clothing, housewares, instruments, artwork and more for those on the hunt. Merchandise is donated and always changing.
