How two iconic New York City shops remain timeless and thriving

The blocks of New York City are universes unto themselves, each telling a unique story. Shops and their owners give neighbourhoods and streets their distinct identities and are part of what makes NYC great. Despite the city shifting around them, two shops – one in Bedford-Stuyvesant and another in Curry Hill – have remained constants in their neighbourhoods, carriers of culture and history. Kalustyan’s and Peace & Riot share some of the values that have helped them thrive over the years in a changing city.

Peace & Riot: The gift shop for everyone

In the heart of Bed-Stuy, on the corner of Tompkins and Jefferson, Peace & Riot, a home design and gift shop, has been a fixture of the community for more than 10 years. Owned by Achuziam Maha-Sanchez, who was born in Brooklyn to West Indian and Nigerian parents, the shop reflects her rich heritage and sharp eye for design. 

Gentrification and rising costs often put independent shops out of business and Achuziam’s neighbourhood of Bed-Stuy has gone through dramatic shifts in recent years. 

So how does the shop thrive despite the changes in the neighbourhood? 

Achuziam knows her neighbours and regulars: “I’m part of the neighbourhood. The convenience stores know us; we’re regulars. We also have an understanding of what’s where and what’s missing. I think there’s an energy in our shop that makes us Bed-Stuy.”

Achuziam has seen neighbours come and go during her lifetime in Brooklyn, and she made the decision a long time ago that her shop would be a welcoming place to them all. She curates her shop to appeal to everyone – the old neighbours and the new. It doesn’t matter who you are – there’s something for you in Peace & Riot.

She stays nimble and adapts: “I’m flexible. I try not to get attached to anything for so long that I’m not listening to what my customers are telling me,” explains Achuziam. “I want everyone to be able to see something of themselves in the products that we carry because that’s what the neighbourhood looks like.”  

Because the neighbourhood is still changing and still evolving, Achuziam experiments with the products she stocks in-store and says, “I think that that’s probably why people like to shop [here] because, when they come in, they’re seeing new things. There’s probably something new in the shop every week.”

She works smarter, not harder: As the neighbourhood has changed, so has Achuziam. Now a mother to a young boy, she doesn’t have the time to travel to far-flung trade shows to discover new products for her shop. So she looks to Faire to source a diverse array of goods from different vendors around the United States.

I’m always trying to be with my son as much as possible. So Faire gives me that opportunity to hunt down and research all kinds of brands that I would never see. I just surf through Faire and put stuff into my bag. It’s been a powerful tool for us here.

Achuziam Maha-Sanchez, Peace + Riot

Kalustyan’s: The spice source for chefs and home cooks

On the other side of the East River, in a Manhattan neighbourhood affectionately called Curry Hill, there’s Kalustyan’s, a legendary spice shop since 1944. Sandwiched between an Indian restaurant and a sari shop, the 600-square-metre shopfront is a go-to for every spice, seasoning, nut, coffee or tea one can imagine. Traversing its aisles is a sensory experience, and the manager, Donna Abramson, is a walking encyclopaedia of spice knowledge. 

But how do they stay relevant in such a crowded market? 

A wide selection and deep expertise: “What makes Kalustyan’s different than probably any other place in the country is the vast array of products we have, both by country and then fine-tuning that down to the varieties of those products within those categories,” says Donna about the place that’s been lauded as best grocery shop in America. Kalustyan’s offers more than 300 spices from every corner of the globe and supplies chefs, bartenders, restaurateurs and hoteliers across the country.

“In addition to home cooks, some local restaurants use this as their local grocery shop, and we see them here two or three times a day. Either they want to just try a small amount of something, or they need a speciality item. They know they can almost always find it here.”

They listen to their shoppers: At Kalustyan’s, the shop has had to reinvent itself time and time again to keep up with a changing culture. “When people ask for something that we don’t carry, first of all they’re really excited that they stumped us. And then I’m like, ‘Oh, is there a recipe I missed?’ So I’m always looking at recipe and food blogs to see if there’s a product that we might not carry that people would be interested in.”

Whenever a customer has her “stumped”, that’s when Donna opens up Faire. She often orders spices based on demand from her shoppers. Listening to her customers and paying close attention to their needs stops the shop getting into a rut. 

Faire has helped us find newer products that are locally made in the New York area or women-owned or from smaller companies that really align themselves with our values and the products we sell.

Dona Abramson, Kalustyan’s

Preserving New York City’s personality

These shops have stood the test of time because they never lost sight of their customers. Not only that, they’ve become the backbones of their communities. Kalustyan’s and Peace & Riot are places where New Yorkers and everyone else can come together and feel like they belong. Because of this, they’re an essential part of their neighbourhood’s DNA.

In a city that never stands still, the stories of Peace & Riot and Kalustyan’s remind us of the enduring power of community and the importance of staying true to one’s roots. They aren’t just shops – they’re cultural anchors. With the help of platforms like Faire, they continue to evolve while keeping the essence of what makes them special. As New York City continues to transform, these small businesses prove that, even in the face of change, some things remain timeless.

If you’re new to buying on Faire, check out our retailer’s guide to buying on Faire. It includes all the tools and tips you need to stock your shop like these passionate pros.