Zen
Neighborhood: Bay Ridge
Type of Place: Gift Shops
Description:
As an inhabitant of Bay Ridge, I have had the pleasure of watching this neighborhood flourish. So many new eclectic stores are opening up, and those that have been here for years have changed in order to keep up with area's overall upgrade. Zen is one of those shops. Founded in 1984 as a basket and wicker furniture store with an Asian flair, it has morphed into a treasure trove of all sorts of items that appeal to today’s consumers – particularly those patrons that are, like many these days, attracted to the Eastern culture.
Zen is a gift buyer’s sacred spot. It is chock full of home décor including a full line of Yankee Candles (6 votives for 10.99) , dream catchers ($7 - $22), stained glass décor, chimes, scarves ($17), decorative boxes, silk flowers that you’ll have to touch to make sure aren’t real, a complete line of Asian-inspired dinner ware, fashion jewelry and more. I particularly love their banners which you will find hanging throughout the store. At $36 each, the scroll-like banners feature sayings on them including Chinese proverbs, Apache blessings, quotes by Mother Teresa and others. I have one hanging in my office featuring a quote by the Vietnamese Zen Monk: “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence”. The store also carries as many types of incense that you can imagine as well as bundles of sage (at $5.99 a bundle, I buy these as gifts and for myself all the time) which have been used for ages by Native American for the ritual of smudging, or burning the sticks in a space that needs cleansing of negative energy and spirit.
Worth mentioning is also their collection of tiny teapots. Made of porcelain-covered brass or copper, these teapots are not only cute, they will surely serve as a conversation piece to any home. At $37.99 each. They feature hand-painted designs, some of my favorites of which are a butterfly motive, a sunflower motif, and a depiction of Van Goh’s “Starry Night” as well as some other more abstract designs. I haven’t bought one yet, simply because I cannot decide on the one I like most.
You don’t have to be that “far-out”, however, to visit Zen. It truly is a pearl in the ever-growing sea of lovely boutiques found in Bay Ridge. If you are a denizen of this neighborhood, chance are you’ve visited this shop. If not, I strongly suggest you step in. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming. Don’t be surprised if you feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole once you’ve stepped in: it’s how I feel every time I visit.
- Janice Bevilacqua
Zen
7609 3rd Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11209
(718) 745-1455
Website
Map
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