The Best Gifts for Someone Who Misses New York City

The best gift for someone who misses New York is one tied to their own corner of it: their borough, their neighborhood, their regular order. Generic skyline souvenirs are for visitors. A former New Yorker wants proof that you know which New York was theirs.

Find out which New York they miss

Eight million people live in the city and no two of them live in the same one. Before you buy anything, pin down the details:

• Which borough? This matters more than outsiders expect. Getting it right is half the gift.
• Which neighborhood? The name alone can carry a decade of memories.
• What was their routine? The coffee order, the walk, the bench, the bodega.

If you do not know, ask a mutual friend, or just ask them to tell you about their old neighborhood. They will be glad to. That conversation is a gift too.

Neighborhood-specific gifts

Anything that names their exact place beats anything that says "NYC."

• A print or map of their neighborhood. Look for original illustration or a map by an independent artist, with their old street on it.
• A book about their borough. History, photography or fiction set on streets they know.
• Something with the neighborhood's name on it. A mug, tote or tee with simple, original lettering. This is the idea behind our New York designs, now in design: place names and honest drawings, with no borrowed logos.

One caution: steer clear of unofficial merchandise using team logos, transit symbols or famous trademarked slogans. It is often poorly made, and the people who own those marks have not been paid.

Gifts you can eat

Ask what they cannot get where they live now. For many ex-New Yorkers the answer is immediate and strongly held. Some city bakeries and delis ship nationwide, so a box from a place they used to go can arrive at their door. Check delivery times before ordering anything perishable.

If shipping is not possible, a good cookbook from a New York kitchen is the next best thing.

Everyday things that keep the city close

The gifts that get used are the ones that fit into ordinary life:

• A tote bag. New Yorkers carry their lives on one shoulder, and the habit does not leave when they do.
• A proper mug for the coffee they now have to make themselves.
• A subscription to a New York magazine or a local newsletter, so the city keeps arriving.

If you are choosing printed clothing, our guide on how to judge a print-on-demand T-shirt will help you avoid a shirt that fades by the third wash.

When the gift is for a different city

The same approach works anywhere. If your friend is pining for somewhere else, see our guide to gifts for someone who has left London, or the general method in how to choose a gift based on someone's hometown.

The short version

Be specific. One thing from their actual neighborhood beats five things with a skyline on them. And include a note that says you remembered.