Howard Street runs just four blocks in Soho, from Mercer Street to Centre Street, so chances are lots of cab drivers don't know it. But it's a gem of a shopping area. Especially the part where Crosby Street begins. You can start your tour of Howard Street at the Visionaire Gallery, at Mercer and Howard, which shares a space with Visionaire, the publication, and V, the spectacular fashion magazine. This is a good time to visit because they currently have a fantastic magazine show up, featuring the rarest and most peculiar periodicals on the planet (including my own literary magazine, Bald Ego). It's a delightful and educational show, and many of the magazines are for sale.

Farther east on Howard, just east of Crosby Street, is E. Vogel, probably the best bespoke shoe shop in the city. Vogel is famous for their custom-made riding boots, which are notoriously light, comfortable, and flexible, but I actually learned about them from guys who stand around a lot. Several of my painter friends, who spend a lot of time on their feet, have their shoes made here and swear by them for comfort and durability. Next time I'm flush I plan to try a pair. Their samples are certainly handsome, too.

A few doors West of Vogel's you'll find the chic, discreet shop of Ted Muehling, one of the most interesting designers and accomplished artisans in the city. Several times a year I find myself hiking down Crosby toward Ted's door, hoping to find a gift for my wife as the clock ticks down toward our anniversary or Valentine's Day. Ted makes extraordinary jewelry that is both classical and contemporary, and he also designs incredible tabletops, glass, and porcelains. His amazing and rather pricey porcelains are manufactured by Nymphenburg in Germany, and often they express his fascination with nature. Around the shop and in his studio in back are scattered interesting branches, eggs, nests, shells, stones, and other sublime natural, found objects. I love the porcelains and I always have to remind myself that I have a six-year-old to avoid spending even more money. Ted also sells the designs of Lynn Nakamura, Stephen Allendorf, Lee Hale, and Gabriella Kiss, all of whom share a kindred sophistication and elegance.

My wife loves jewelry, and I think I enjoy her jewelry as much as she does. If I were rich I'd probably head up to Fred Leighton on Madison Avenue more often. I think that's probably the best collection of antique and estate jewelry in New York, but sometimes my good taste causes my jaw to drop there. But then I discovered another fantastic collection of antique jewelry and amazing objets d'art at De Vera, a sort of mini-museum of delightful things on the corner of Crosby and Howard.

De Vera is run by world traveler Federica De Vera, and it sells genuine antique jewelry as well as a collection of his own creations, such as necklaces made from ancient sigils and intaglios. There are also exotic boxes, cigarette cases, cufflinks, daggers, vases, icons, santos, opium pipes, Asian lacquers, artisanal glassware, watches, statuary, and oddities. It's not only a remarkable gift resource, it's one of the very best browses around.

If you have any money left after visiting these fabulous stores, you can walk a few doors up Crosby from De Vera and check out a great selection of Vespas. Vroom!