{"id":80344,"date":"2023-12-13T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?post_type=newspack_nl_cpt&p=80344"},"modified":"2023-12-13T09:54:32","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T17:54:32","slug":"places-to-get-unique-gifts-in-lb-to-overcome-that-shopping-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"newspack_nl_cpt","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/newsletter\/places-to-get-unique-gifts-in-lb-to-overcome-that-shopping-anxiety","title":{"rendered":"Places to get unique gifts in Long Beach to overcome that shopping anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
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Off the Clock<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Your time-off itinerary for things to do in Long Beach and beyond. Subscribe here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The East Village’s Make Collective offers unique gifts for the holidays in Long Beach, Tuesday Dec. 12, 2023. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last week, we took a little break from talking about the dreaded\/beloved holidays and instead, ate some breakfast (read about that here<\/a>). But since Hanukkah has already arrived and Christmas is barreling toward us, we\u2019re going to attend to some business today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re going to discuss holiday shopping and where to do it in Long Beach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first, we\u2019re going to address a condition that tends to hit some of us sideways this time of year: gift-giving anxiety<\/strong>. Often, this illness is managed one of two ways: You either finish all of your holiday shopping by November or you wait until the week of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past, I\u2019ve coped by using the latter strategy (ahem, procrastination). I\u2019d spend weeks agonizing over the perfect gift, and suddenly it\u2019s Christmas Eve<\/strong> and I\u2019m scouring the mall for anything that might ~ spark joy ~ on the big morning. I\u2019ve also fallen into gifting ruts. It started when I was 16 and saw how I\u2019d struck gold when my dad opened Led Zeppelin\u2019s \u201cMothership\u201d four-LP box set <\/strong>on Christmas morning. He was ecstatic. Over the next 10 years, he\u2019d unwrap a record on every birthday, Christmas and Father\u2019s Day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look, I\u2019m not saying this is always a bad thing (no complaints from my pops), but one of the things I\u2019ve learned over the years is how much people appreciate gifts that are unique and can\u2019t be found anywhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, without further agonizing, here are some of the places you can score gifts of the creative variety in Long Beach this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Night markets<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, check out this list of night markets<\/a>, compiled by my colleague, Jake Gotta<\/strong> (yes, the guy from Instagram).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gift giving can be something of a performance, especially if those presents will be opened in front of an audience \u2014 your family or someone else\u2019s. Sometimes, that\u2019s precisely why coming up with ideas for personalized gifts and executing those ideas can be a particularly terrifying experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this is a concern of yours, I\u2019ve got a solution for you. Holiday or night markets are the single best places to find impressive and super cool one-of-a-kind gifts: Candles, vintage clothing, plants, jewelry, handmades, books, art and more wares. Plus, they usually have food (and sometimes drink-drinks), so they’re way more fun than the mall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favorite local night market is one called Nyte Mrkt<\/strong>. It\u2019s often held in a warehouse that just barely fits dozens and dozens of makers selling a good range of giftables. Plus, they always have live music and local food vendors. The next one is this Saturday<\/strong> (Dec. 16)<\/strong> from 5 to 9:30 p.m<\/strong>. at 4321 Atlantic Ave. <\/strong>More information here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you found yourself feeling a bit peckish after shopping, you can hop over to the city\u2019s annual food-forward night market in Downtown<\/strong>, which is also happening on Saturday<\/strong>. The Long Beach Night Market<\/strong>, a ticketed event (starting at $7<\/strong>), will offer adult beverages and plenty of local food vendors from 6 to 11 p.m. along the Mosaic Promenade<\/strong>. More information here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A shopper browses a clothing rack at Goods on Orange in Long Beach on July 21, 2023. Photo by Kat Schuster <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shops, shops, shops<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If mining for goodies at a night market just sounds too exhausting for you, I\u2019ll make it even easier with these shops in Long Beach. At each of these places, you\u2019ll be able to find a whole smorgasbord of items suitable for gifting and impressing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n