Candles, cults, and cultural cuisine... 

Under the radar with a bevy of devotional vibes, one can spend a tranquilized day in the city uncovering off-the-beaten-track haunts within less than a one-mile radius. Given cool winter air gently affording a pleasant day to walk, the streets of the East Village are alive with anomaly. 

The main attraction was the oldest occult store in NYC, Enchantments, as popular for novices as experienced practitioners. The draw of the shop can be found inside past their extensive selection of tarot card decks, spiritual bibliotech, and magikal apothecary, to the back where your request for a hand carved seven-day pillar candle will be fulfilled. It can beget for anything - a spell for true love, a charm to obtain that elusive raise, or to conjure grit melting those pounds packed on from the holidays. With a few personal details and a sweet offering of honey, your custom candle is presented with specific instructions for use with a promise of devotion. An added treat are the two resident black cats crossing visitors paths atop the counter, amid the bookshelves and underfoot.
You inescapably inhale the magic that wafts through incensed air...

Enchantments - 424 East Ninth Street, NYC

Candle instructions provided with each purchase

From pagan practice to pierogies... A short walk to the corner of East Ninth Street and Second Avenue, dote in some traditional Ukrainian food at Veselka, satisfying breakfast, lunch, dinner, a quick cuppa or even a midnight snack, open 24 hours for lucky locals. The short-rib pierogies with fried onions and applesauce were favorably flavorful, followed by a bowl-size cup of steaming cappuccino and slice of dense poppy seed cake. Absolute yum! The current mural by Arnie Charnick in crewelwork colors and motifs overhead is an added feast for the eyes. Fueled and fit to hit the pavement, the quest for out-of-the-ordinary continues.

Oddly enough, after a few diverging stops at neighborhood vintage shops, the path lead to Obscura on Avenue A, a brilliant mix of antiques and peculiarity in carefully crafted vignettes to catch a visitor's curious eye. A huge taxidermy ostrich figurehead looms in one corner of the shop amid indexes of surgical illustrations and aged photographs. Childhood remnants, fanciful imaginings - a chipped baby doll, nude proofs from a 1940's photography studio -  pack the tiny space, as if you stepped into a sideshow tent full of garage sale finds. Indeed an interesting tarriance, one not to be missed.

Buffalo gals, around the outside... 

Buffalo Exchange is a swank scene for many a thrifty lady and gent. From Anthropologie sweaters to legit Celine sandals, the buried treasure trove of style can fill your shopping bag on a good day. One really has to spend time looking through the numerous racks of dresses, sweaters, tops, pants and outerwear, not to mention the vast emporium of shoes. And the prices? Well, let's just say if you want to pop back over to Enchantments for a psychic reading, that could definitely be in the cards.

This East Side escapade supplied soulful satisfaction in more ways than one... xoxo-Sonya