Housing Works Thrift Shop

Small space is efficiently utilized. Extremely reasonable prices on quality pieces, and the staff are friendly and helpful. Good selection of coats and professional wear for both men and women. They have shoes, books, housewares, etc.

Adorable little boutique /​antique store in Upper East. I walked by thinking it’s too expensive but they’re actually extremely reasonable. Necklaces for under $ 15, earrings around $ 8, leather boots for $ 55. I found a really comfy side chair for $ 50! Unfortunately they don’t deliver. They also take donations!

2^nd Ave Housing Works is a great stop for lunchtime break. I dropped off donations and was helped by a very pleasant staffer. Other staff were equally so. I tried to get out without shopping, but ended up having to purchase a little nick nack. Saw a couple furniture items I would have loved to purchase, if I weren’t 3000 miles from home.

There wasn’t a huge array of clothing to look at. This place doesn’t cater to my personal tastes. The selection was pricey. Will not go back.

I have been in this store many times to donate some excellent clothing and household goods. The last few times, I have found that the staff actually seems irritated to be getting merchandise (some audible groans and a few eye rolls have happened), so I now go elsewhere to make contributions. That said, some of the merchandise seems
to be of high quality and the small size of the shop makes it easy to scan quickly.
Prices are higher, atmosphere is better, selection smaller, overall quality better than at the nearby Goodwill store. Housing Works is a wonderful organization and I wish
they could persuade select members of the staff that donations are what make this
store viable.

This is not a thrift store. This is a vintage shop. Thrift stores don’t carry clothes with $ 130.00 price tags.

It’s small and not a lot of selections, but the items were in good condition. A bit pricier than goodwill, but more pleasant to shop. I got a beautiful Theory cardigan and Anthropologie dress for fall for $ 15 each! They both were in almost new condition.
I didn’t find any furniture or home stuff I liked, but will definitely come back.

It’s the thrift shop that doesn’t look like it. The front window displays are always beautifully done and I make sure to walk by just to see the set up. The merchandise is great quality and nicely organize I’m not much for thrift shops but it’s a great cause and I like to donate but have to say for a thrift shop, this place is not too shabby and for the creative minds there t tons of things you can find to decorate, the refurbish n to do interior design. A treasure chest for the right eye!!!

I got a sundress by Tocca here. I only recognized the label because I had recently shopped at a dept store. A good strategy for finding good deals, shop at the fancy place first and then go to affordable shops. I noticed however that some things are priced too high here for what they are. You have to know what you are looking at and be your own judge. It’s a bit too much thinking. They also have certain days when things are an extra 30% off and such and so if you go often you realize that you could have saved a bit by shopping on another day. Again too much… coordination. It is not worth the scheduling and going back.

Hopped on over to Housing Works after going to nearby Goodwill and it was like a breath of fresh air. Small and cute boutique-​like feel. The people here were friendly and two of them when i walked in appeared to be genuinely happy to greet people hello. Maybe it was a slow day, but it was nice.
Clothing selection was small. I think this particular location probably focuses more on furniture/​household items which all looked great. Dresses were half off and the dresses I saw we’re labeled at $ 15 – 30. Half of that is reasonable, but unfortunately there was nothing in my size. The suit jackets were all $ 5 today — again great if there was something in my size, but as there wasn’t I dismissed the rest of the clothes believing I’d find nothing to wear from here.
The purse selection was cute. I ended up leaving with a little cross body woven purse for $ 5. I’m happy with that. There was a wicker one I was eyeing to use for decoration, but couldn’t justify $ 15 for that.
Overall, I would come here again if in the neighborhood, but I wouldn’t make a special trip just for that. This was my second visit here and I thought the same thing last time. If the selection were better it’d be great, but unfortunately I don’t think they have the space for that.

A couple of my friends and I were batting around the idea of a ‘Yorkville hipster’ the other day, trying to really define if such a character exists in real life, and if so, where does he or she shop, eat, and hang out? Coming up with very little evidence, all I can think of is the Yorkville location of the Housing Works Thrift Shop.
The books for sale are pretty decent, at $ 5 for larger hardcovers, and usually the type of thing the NPR crowd would read. Even though its a thrift store, if I ran the place, I’d jettison the huge volume of CDs (generally Matchbox 20, Nickelback, etc.) that have somehow accrued in the store and just use the space more efficiently.
The clothing for sale is hit or miss, and I’ve never really found anything that great inside. I’ve actually had better luck with the Brooks Brothers and comparable clothing for sale in the Goodwill at E 89^th down 2^nd Avenue. Sometimes there are decent ties in Housing Works for $ 5 each, or 5 for $ 20. The problem is, you probably won’t find 5 worth buying.

This Housing Works location is clean, fresh-​smelling, organized and well-​curated. There’s not an overwhelming amount of any one type of item (books, DVDs, housewares, chachkas, jewelry, scarves, bags), and there’s room for patrons to browse without being in each other’s way. There are only a few, gently-​used pieces of furniture. The one thing there’s a lot of is clothing, much of it designer. Compared with other thrift stores I frequent (mostly in Williamsburg) I think the clothing is overpriced especially when you figure in the necessary dry-​cleaning. I would only buy clothing on a sale day, unless the item is really special and I can justify it by reminding myself that my purchase will benefit the homeless and people living with AIDS.

Just so expensive that its hard for me to buy anything when a used Charles Tyrwhit shirt is more expensive then the actual price of the product. My girflfriend on the other hand is making a killing in here with the clothes she is getting at the quality and price… So i guess its working at least for her…

This is a pretty nice thrift shop with a good variety of merchandise. I ended up getting a nice full-​length Ralph Lauren overcoat here for about $ 75.00 during a sale. I’d say the store is probably best for accessories, jeans, or small housewares. The selection is not as large as the UWS location, but the quality of the finds here is usually a lot better.

I actually trekked over an hour to get to this thrift store, so I was hoping for a lot more, but left quite disappointed. I usually find a decent stash of like new to new designer clothes at Housing Works but this one’s merchandise seemed rather old and not worth the high price tags that they were slapping on here. The best find I saw was a black Theory cocktail dress, size 0, for $ 45 — but $ 45 is kind of steep for a thrift store.
Housing Works often does sales — this time I saw women’s gloves for $ 2.00, and books were 30% off. But… gloves? They better be new (and you never know with thrift stores).
Also, the guy with the multiple piercings at the front is extremely insistent about the outside shopping bags so… better not anger him! Give him your bag!
The size of the store also bothered me — the small interior was mostly clothes, with the back of the store a small furniture, books, and housewares section. The clothes and shoes were both men’s and women’s — but like I said, most of the items seemed like they’ve seen a lot of years already. I was not impressed.
But for some reason there were quite a lot of people in this store on the Saturday that I visited, and people were shoving to and from to get around the store – that’s just how small it is.
An uncomfortable experience combined with mediocre merchandise makes me wonder if this place is worth another visit again from me – probably not.

Having wandered throughout the upper east side looking for major thrift store finds, this one had many exceptional pieces. Although not as well priced as some of the others, it still went to a good cause, which is why I walked out with a black Moschino long coat for $ 130 and a black Calvin Klein leather motorcycle jacket for $ 105.
Great place, great cause, nice staff.

A step up from the Goodwill store a few blocks down, but both are there for a good cause. Usually carries a nice selection of gently used clothes, jewelry, and furniture among other bric a bracks.
Mostly resembles a higher end thrift store that can get pretty crowded on weekends. Sometimes you can catch special sales days, and clearances on summer and winter items.
Very clean and organized. Designer clothes can be found here, and some that look hardly ever worn. Some I have seen with tags still on them! I have also seen some quality furniture here, and whoever sets up the windows for them does a great job to show off the merchandise.
But as with any second hand store it can be hit or miss. Best to drop in for multiple visits to get a feel of what might be in stock.

This housing works is located on my block and I was so excited to see it when I moved in last summer. The things they have here are great… however I can not get over how incredibly RUDE the staff are.
I am not mean, I am friendly and every time I go here, I feel like they are bothered to ring me up or even take my donations.
Good Will is on the next block, who now receives all my donations. I have ALWAYS, ALWAYS donated to housing works… I just can’t get over the rude staff. really!
The staff at 77^th and third are so much nicer. I wish they’d all get on the same page because I support their cause.

Fantastic selection of women’s clothes. My all-​time greatest thrift store purchase was from here — a brand-​new J. Crew dress for $ 20. It was a lovely dress, perfect condition, with the original tags and all.
In other news, found some great Banana Republic and J. Crew skirts for $ 3 each (they were on sale, though I would’ve bought them at the full price of $ 6 each). Plus a nice velvet blazer for a Halloween costume.
Make it a point to stop by!

One of my favorite stores in this city is not a giant department store or a Soho boutique. It’s not a chain discount retailer or a pop-​up shop. It’s Housing Works Thrift Stores.
Now wait a minute, you say. You’re living in the shopping mecca of our country and you favor a thrift store above all else?! But you have to stop and pause a moment because the queen of finding good deals must be on to something. And in fact I am.
I wandered into the Yorkville outpost on 2^nd Avenue and 90^th Street shortly after I moved to the area and I cannot walk by without at least peeping in and doing a once over. You would hardly know this place was a thrift store. Clothes are neatly organized in racks according to pieces — dresses here, skirts on the bottom and blouses on the top, jeans in one section and blazers over there. Housing Works only accepts high quality donations. You will find many designer duds, some brand new with the original tags still on. They also have an amazing selection of books, jewelry, furniture and other household goods. The store is also exceedingly clean and lacks a certain mildewy scent which wafts through the Goodwill Store down the street.
In addition to the already ridiculous prices you might find on the racks, the stores have random flash sales — 25% off all clothing today only, 40% off all books (when paperbacks are already only $ 1 a pop), and my most recent favorite, All Pants $ 3. Yes, that means I bought 4 pairs — 1 Theory jeans, 1 Brooks Brother’s capris and 2 Italian designer ankle pants — all for $ 12. It’s ok to be jealous. I can’t even count the number of items of clothing I’ve taken home from Housing Works, but one of my best finds was a new pair of Stuart Weitzman sandals for $ 35. Also, twice a year they hold a summer and a winter clearance sales where you can find runway styles from top designers at additional markdown prices. I find it best to go on a weekday so as to avoid the crowds.
The reason I write about this fabulous store today however is because of my earlier post-​work-​pre-​gym pop-​in. The Yorkville store currently has a full rack of amazing designer pieces (With their original tags! I’m not sure how they do it!) from the likes of Geren Ford, Miguelina, Betsey Johnson, Magaschoni, Ali Ro and Y Yigal. Most dresses were marked down to $ 90 and tops where anywhere from $ 35 to $ 60. Also, through the end of July, you will get an extra $ 25 off your entire purchase if you show an old Housing Works receipt. So buy a book for $ 1 and then use that receipt to scoop up the remainder of your summer wardrobe.
Housing Works is a non-​profit organization that is committed to ending homelessness and AIDS. The stores are run by volunteers and the organization provides quality services for those in need across the city and beyond. So even when you feel your wallet cringing when you can’t decide between four dresses, you can still feel good knowing your money is going towards a good cause. Face it, it’s a win-​win-​win.
You can check out their website to find a store near you and check out their online auctions and future sale announcements. Happy shopping!