A couple of blocks below Nom de Guerre—I mean further downtown, not in the sub-sub-sub-sub-basement—are some really great stores. Whenever I'm in Florence I go to Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, a truly fabulous institution. It's a pharmacy, founded in 1612, that sells its own fragrances, candles, herbal remedies, tonics, liqueurs, and such. You may have seen it in The Silence of the Lambs, it being one of the favorite haunts of Hannibal Lecter, that creepy connoisseur. You'll never find a more atmospheric store than this one, run by nuns for almost four centuries on Via della Scala. Where else are you going to find the four-hundred-year-old anti-hysteria remedy Acqua Anisterica, today known as Acqua di Santa Maria Novella? Well, actually now you can get much of what you'll find in the Florence Store at Santa Maria Novella of New York on Lafayette Street between Houston and Prince. It's no renaissance storefront, but it is a very handsome place, loaded with wonderful products ancient and surprisingly modern—such as their line of ceramics.

This is one of the best gift sources in New York. If a man had mistresses he could buy them all different scents here. My wife and I just pretend we have multiple personalities, and so it comes in handy to have the bathroom cabinet stocked with Acqua di Colonia in Tuberosa, Potpourri, and Melograno (pomegranate). There are wonderful scented candles, great shaving products, and accessories. When you're downtown, check it out.

Also, I'm loathe to recommend antique shops because… what if they get popular? You won't find the good stuff anymore. But I will mention Paula Rubenstein on Prince between Lafayette and Crosby for one good reason: I've never bought anything there. I've come close, but let me explain: I have way too much stuff. I love looking in the window there. I never walk by without looking to see what oddity has been added to the floor-to-ceiling stock. You'll see rare pieces of mid-century modern furniture, twisted folk art, rustic bespoke furnishings, utterly peculiar amateur oil paintings, vintage photos of sailboats, antique commercial signs, huge balls of string, industrial and commercial furnishings of bygone days, and an amazing collection of quilts and blankets. Almost everything is a curiosity of some sort, and absolutely everything has patina. I'm sure Ralph Lauren envies this little spot.

Related: The GQ 100: Our continually updated archive of the best stores for men in America.