Holiday Shopping Guide: Amityville goes big on variety

Holiday happenings in Amityville begin at 11 a.m. on Dec. 3, when the Junior League of Amityville hosts a Holiday Home Tour in the village. The tour of five decorated homes runs until 3 p.m., culminating with tea and cookies at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church; tickets are $20 at amityvillejuniorleague.com.

At 5 that evening, a tree lighting takes place in the village gazebo, at Park Avenue and Broadway, with caroling, a holiday dance performance and visits with Santa.

“They close off the street,” said Richard Zimmer, president of the Amityville Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a lot of fun. All the restaurants are open to get a bite to eat.”

A menorah will be lighted each night beginning Dec. 18, the start of Hanukkah.

You can learn about the village’s history at the William T. Lauder Museum (170 Broadway, 631-598-1486), which also has a gift shop.

Follow the past into the present at Losi’s Corner, formerly Amityville General Store (170 Park Ave., 631-848-2313). “It’s just a very historic corner,” said Jackie Herzog, who owns the shop at Park Avenue and Ireland Place. Losi’s Corner “was a country store back in the early 1900s and it became a general store in the 1970s when my parents purchased the corner.”

Open Thursday to Sunday and by appointment, Losi’s has vintage artwork, china, primitives, antique advertising, and glassware. There are antique crystal cake plates, Bing & Grøndahl collectible plates, antiques from the 1800s and items, like hand-carved birds, just a couple of decades old. You’ll also find old chests and farm equipment, nautical pictures, carved boats, hand-painted animals, Theorem stencil paintings, Asian artwork, candlesticks, reverse painting on glass, Fostoria glass, antique quilts and needlepoint, vintage porch sleds and miniature trees with ornaments.

From crystals to tarot cards, Amityville Apothecary (174 Park Ave., 631-464-4589, shopamityvilleapothecary.com) has got metaphysical needs covered. The store’s vast assortment of crystals includes towers, spheres and geodes. “The intention of a sphere is, because there’s no fixed points, it sends the energy out in all directions,” explained Vincent Querrero, who works at the store.

Out back is a patio whose focal point is a 5,000-pound, 4-foot-tall amethyst geode.

“You can come and sit in the amethyst chair,” said co-owner Danielle Martin. “It’s highly purifying and meditative.”

A 21-year-old student from Ridge, Brit Vincent frequents the shop for crystals and books. “The staff here is definitely one of the friendliest I’ve been to, and they have really good prices,” Vincent said.

The shop also carries knit caps, bath products and herbs, works of local artists, Clipper Tea Co. tea, make-your-own spell jars for love, protection and luck, and ritual oils, which, Martin explained, “You can wear as perfume, add to candles or rub on objects and spaces to use as anointing oils.”

At the apothecary, you’ll find “unique gifts you’re not going to find everywhere that are going to make you feel good,” said Dina Rosenberg, co-owner. (Atheneum at Amityville Apothecary, an annex next door, carries spiritual, metaphysical and personal development books, tarot and other spiritual cards, and custom-made candles.)

Before she opened Flipflopogram (186 Park Ave., 631-464-4949, flipflopogram.com), Kathy Cruthers had an online shop. “When I started it, it was a website for sending flip-flops,” Cruthers said. And flip-flops still figure prominently. “They’re out 12 months a year.”

Browse the shop — which has clothes and accessories for all ages — for loungewear with fun sayings like “Dogs steal your heart, then your bed,” along with camisoles, slacks, fuzzy house socks, sweaters from Z Supply, Flying Monkey jeans, totes, handbags, costume jewelry and leather and vegan shoes.

“She has really trendy, fun clothing at a great price point,” said Mary Demert, 56, a shopper from Brightwaters who retired from a career in finance. “I bring my 16-year-old and she shops here, too.”

And there’s more:

Wrapping It Up (180 Park Ave., 631-598-4400, wrappingitup.biz). A one-stop shop for gift baskets and candy platters, the shop also carries Willow Tree figurines, Melissa & Doug children’s toys and puzzles, Thymes artisan-crafted candles, lotions and soaps, a selection of teas from Tea Forte and Mud Pie baby and toddler clothes.

High Fidelity Records & CDs (141 Merrick Rd., 631-264-0524, highfidelitycds.com). Used and new vinyl and CDs, and new DVDs and cassettes, in genres ranging from blues and jazz to heavy metal hip-hop, punk and reggae, movie and live concert Blu-rays and DVDs, and a wall of collectible 45s.

Anchor Coffee (215 Broadway, 631-350-1769, anchorcoffeellc.com). A haven for coffee lovers that offers Anchor Coffee T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies, espresso cups and mugs, and SerendipiTea products. Baskets include gift cards, clothes, coffee, coffee mugs and tumblers.

Bella Maison (182 Park Ave., 631-598-8830, facebook.com/bellamaisonamityville). A home décor store with Birch Den candles, vintage Christmas decorations, snow globes, wreaths, ornaments, Nora Fleming serving platters, coasters, pillows, signs, pitchers, napkin holders, custom-made candles, and picture frames, as well as Julie Vos costume jewelry, baby gifts, and accessories.