Hudson Valley thrifting day trip: Shop secondhand stores for treasures
Dig for treasures at That Nothing Be Lost thrift and antique shop at St. Christopher’s Inn in Garrison. Credit: The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement / St. Christopher’s Inn
Newsday recently featured That Nothing Be Lost thrift and antique shop at St. Christopher’s Inn.
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Spring is a time of new beginnings. It’s also a time for new clothing and gear such as bicycles, tools and toys. Sure,
you could head over to your local big box store and stock up — or go online to do the same — but there’s nothing like
a thrift store to fulfill your wish list and save a little cash. In fact, one recent study by Capital One found that thrift
shoppers save an average of $1,452 per year buying secondhand and 93% of Americans shop online for secondhand
items.
The lower and middle Hudson Valley are good places to start your thrifting journey. These areas boast independent
and chain thrift stores that are chock-full of merchandise, said Samantha Davis, the owner of The Ultimate NYC
Secondhand Shopping Experience, a New York City thrift store tour.
Top secondhand stores in the Hudson Valley
“We are hard-wired to want to dispose of what no longer serves us, and society has taught us to do so regularly,
particularly with the messaging around spring cleaning,” she said.”Once temperatures are palatable and ‘spring
forward’ kicks in for an extra hour of light, homes get turned upside down and items are reviewed to keep, trash or
donate. If you’re on the lookout for one-of-a-kind finds and valuable items at a steal, you’re guaranteed to find more
treasures during and after spring cleaning season wherever you shop secondhand.”
Davis said all you need to do is make a list and get out there. She suggests checking smaller, mom-and-pop thrift
stores first since they are less picked-over. No matter where you end up, you can take the money you’re saving by
buying secondhand and use it to turn your weekend shopping trip into a mini getaway.
Rockland County
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 1 hour away
Nearby Rockland is a good starting point on your thrifting journey. Plus, if you begin in Rockland and head to
Westchester next, you can make it home in time for dinner. Or, stay over in Tarrytown and continue your trip the
next day.
If you’re looking for an old-school thrift option, try Grace’s Thrift Shop (10 S. Broadway, 845-358-
7488) in Nyack. The store was founded in 1968 by the city’s Episcopal Church to support a day care center, but today it funds more than 20 local charities.
The store is open Wednesday from 1:30 to 4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. The shop feels like a bit of a treasure hunt, and pricing is what you would expect from a thrift store. Since the
locals love Grace’s they are loyal and generous so there’s always new stock coming in. They get so many
donations that they often have to ask people to stop donating for a bit — something that happened this March. In
addition to clothing, look for home goods and vintage toys, children’s books and scarves.
Westchester County
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 1 hour away
There are dozens of thrift spots in Westchester County, including corporate options like Goodwill, Salvation Army,
Savers and Value Village locations, but there are a few standout independent options.
Golden Shoestring (149 Larchmont Ave., Larchmont, westchesteronthesound.jl.org) is run by the Junior League of
Westchester on the Sound. The store has been around for more than 60 years and is consistently named one of the
best thrift stores in the region. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Since the store is nonprofit — proceeds go to fund scholarships and community grants — you’re likely to find highend and designer clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories at reasonable prices. Think trendy items like Roller Rabbit
and Anthropologie.
Hard goods are available, too. Look for housewares like Depression-era glass and Lenox place settings. And since it’s
run by a women’s group, the presentation is more upscale boutique than dig-through bins — a plus if you just want
to browse.”Many of our items are new with tags,” said Debra Quintana, the store’s manager.”We even have people
who own thrift stores in Brooklyn coming and buying to resell.”
Your next two stops on the Westchester circuit are in Tarrytown. The Cherry Door and Pretty Funny Vintage are as
different as can be, but both are worth a look.
The Cherry Door Thrift Shop, in the Tarrytown historic district (36 Main St., 914-631-0470, thecherrydoor.org), is
run entirely by volunteers. All proceeds go to the Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. Open Tuesday through Friday
from noon until 3 p.m. and Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m., The Cherry Door accepts donations of antiques,
furniture, china, jewelry, books, upscale or vintage clothing, luggage, electronics, appliances, tools, art and
housewares. The store is packed, and you can spend an entire afternoon sorting through apparel and looking at art.
You’re just as likely to find a pair of UGG boots as you are a sterling silver bracelet or a vintage Coach bag. Prices
aren’t cheap, but the quality is high so there’s always that tradeoff.
Pretty Funny Vintage (80 S. Broadway, 914-631-3368, prettyfunnyvintage.com) is a short walk from The Cherry
Door. The store, set in an 1890s Victorian home, is filled with vintage finds. Everything you see has been handselected by its owner, Stephanie Leggio, who’s been curating antiques for more than 30 years.
This light and bright store has plenty of vintage clothing and upscale sweaters, jackets and accessories, but it excels
in its housewares and furniture offerings. Leggio stocks lots of one-of-a-kind items and the presentation is as
important as the items. The store opens daily from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and you’ll find new items, too, from bespoke
vendors, including soy candles, towels and quilts.
Putnam County
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 1½ hours away
That Nothing Be Lost in Garrison (16 Franciscan Way, 845-424-3635, stchristophersinn-graymoor.org) could be an
all-day shopping journey. The store is on the grounds of St. Christopher’s Inn, which provides residential services for
substance use treatment, and sits inside of a stone building. Everything for sale was donated to support St.
Christopher’s mission.
The store, sometimes called the St. Christopher Thrift Shop, has four floors of merchandise, including clothing,
furniture, art, appliances, sporting goods, jewelry, collectibles, toys and more. The men who are in treatment can be found
helping customers as well as repairing and restoring some of the store’s donated furniture.
While everything is priced reasonably — you’ll get jeans for under $10 and craft supplies for 50 cents — there are
even better deals to be found if you visit on a Thursday. That day, shoppers can take advantage of a pick-a-discount
promotion, which gives them 10% to 50% off on everything they buy.
By KJ Bannan
Special to Newsday
Originally published on Newsday, April 9, 2026
