Most New York souvenirs follow the same arc. You buy a magnet, a keychain or a shirt on the way back to the hotel, it rides home in the bottom of your bag, and within a month it's in a drawer. Nothing wrong with a magnet. It just doesn't do much to remind you of the trip.
A better souvenir does two things. It gets used, so you see it more than once a year. And it's specific to the place, so when someone picks it up they ask where it came from. Here's what that looks like in practice, with pieces from our New York gifts and souvenirs collection.
Something for the kitchen: a skyline serving board
If you only bring home one thing, make it something that ends up on the table. The New York City skyline serving board is solid bamboo, 17 by 5.25 inches, cut in the shape of a wine bottle. The skyline is engraved into one face with the city name under it, and the engraved lines come out anywhere from warm brown to nearly black, so each board looks a little different.
It works as a cheese board, a bread board or a narrow tray for drinks. Hand wash it, towel it dry and give it a little food safe mineral oil now and then, and it'll outlast every T-shirt you've ever bought on vacation.
Something for the coffee table: coasters
Coasters are the souvenir people underrate. They're out every day, they're right where guests put their drinks, and they get noticed.
The Empire State slate coaster set pairs the outline of New York State with the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline, plus "The Empire State" and "EST. 1788," the year New York ratified the U.S. Constitution. You get one coaster or a set of 4, 6 or 8, 4 inches across, round or square. The slate is a quarter inch thick with hand chiseled edges, so each coaster in the set is a little different, and there are four foam pads on the back of each one to protect your table.
If you'd rather have something lighter, the same design comes as a cork coaster set. Cork is 3/16 inch thick, grips the table on its own and handles a hot mug as well as a cold glass. Slate has more weight and looks at home on a bar cart. Cork is lighter and easy to live with every day.
Something for the tree: a skyline ornament
A Christmas ornament is the one souvenir with a built-in reminder. It comes out of the box every December, and every December you remember the trip.
The New York City skyline slate ornament is dark natural stone with the skyline engraved in light, in a 3 inch or 4 inch size, with a hanging string included. The wood version is pale and warm, 3.5 inches across, with a twine hanger already tied on. Same skyline on both.
Something for the wall
For a bigger reminder, there's the New York City skyline wall sign: 10 by 10 inches, leatherette, with the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, One World Trade and the Brooklyn Bridge engraved across it. It has a sawtooth hanger on the back, so it goes up on a single nail. On the blue sign the engraving comes out a pale silver grey. On the brown one it's close to black.
Something that goes everywhere with you
If the person you're shopping for is more of a commuter or a hiker than a host, the New York 32 oz water bottle carries the same Empire State design as the coasters. It's insulated stainless steel, and the design is engraved down to bare steel rather than printed on, so there's nothing to peel off. Hand wash only.
Not everyone's New York is Manhattan
Plenty of New York is nowhere near Times Square. If your trip took you upstate, or you're buying for someone from there, the state designs make more sense than a skyline. Our New York slate coaster set comes in a range of state designs, from a clean outline to "Home Sweet Home" and NY initials, and Buffalo has its own skyline pieces. The whole range is in one place on the New York collection page.
A practical tip: buy it after you get home
Nothing on this list has to fit in your carry-on. Everything is made to order: your piece is engraved once the order comes in and ships within 1 to 5 business days. So you can take the trip, see what you actually loved, and order when you're back.
One thing to know if it's a gift: coaster sets ship in a white gift box, so they're ready to hand over.
The best New York souvenir is the one you still use a year later. A board on the counter or a set of coasters on the table will get there. The magnet probably won't.
