{"id":353460,"date":"2026-09-22T12:26:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T12:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/353460\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T12:26:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T12:26:47","slug":"where-simi-muhumuza-shops-eats-and-recharges-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/353460\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Simi Muhumuza Shops, Eats, and Recharges in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n Photo: Courtesy of Simi Muhumuza\n <\/p>\n

Scrolling through Simi Muhumuza\u2019s Instagram<\/a> \u2014 or her TikTok<\/a>, Youtube<\/a>, or Substack<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s immediately clear she\u2019s a woman of taste. From outfit pics in tiger-print Jean Paul Gaultier and cerulean Christopher John Rogers to vacation vlogs in Miami, Mexico, and Ghana, you\u2019re hit with the familiar feeling that\u2019s come to describe the digital age: You feel influenced, whether it\u2019s to double-tap, hit \u201cFollow,\u201d or try the self-care tips she uses to get her inside-out glow. Muhumuza is originally from Atlanta but moved to New York City in 2020 and currently lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where she spends her days writing and hunting for hidden gems. Naturally, she\u2019s a Rolodex of the city\u2019s best places to shop, eat, and recharge \u2014 and luckily, she\u2019s not one to gatekeep the spots she has saved in her Google Maps.<\/p>\n

What are your go-to stores for clothes shopping in NYC?
I really like Arete Studios<\/a> in the Lower East Side. It\u2019s a showroom of global designers, and a lot of their items are really cool and, in my opinion, New York friendly. By that I mean the pieces can be layered, and there are unique accessories you wouldn\u2019t find at the average store. Another place with great variety is March\u00e9 Rue Dix<\/a> in Crown Heights. It\u2019s a Senegalese, Black-woman-owned store selling African-inspired, eclectic clothes and accessories, but it also has a caf\u00e9 and beauty salon for nails, hair, and skin treatments. It\u2019s one of the coolest places I\u2019ve been to.<\/p>\n

But if I\u2019m shopping for designer pieces, I go to the RealReal<\/a>. I know people have thoughts about the RealReal, but it has never let me down. I\u2019m also not going there to buy the most expensive thing that needs authentication; I\u2019m going there to buy something that catches my eye. For my birthday, I found Bottega Veneta<\/a> apple heels that were brand new, in my size, and a fraction of the original cost.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always admiring the background of your mirror selfies \u2014 you\u2019ve curated a great selfie-scape. Where do you go for your home d\u00e9cor and furniture shopping?
I adore Amano Brooklyn<\/a>. They have really cute home d\u00e9cor and tiny things to accessorize your apartment \u2014 candles, vases, matchbook sets, mini bowls to hold your jewelry. I bought really cool candlestick holders there. They have nice recipe books, not just for cooking, but for bar-making and charcuterie boards. I go there literally whenever I want to add a little vibrancy to my apartment.<\/p>\n

\"Simi <\/p>\n

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\n From left: Photo: Simi Muhumuza\/Simi MuhumuzaPhoto: Courtesy of Simi Muhumuza\n <\/p>\n

\n From top: Photo: Simi Muhumuza\/Simi MuhumuzaPhoto: Courtesy of Simi Muhumuza\n <\/p>\n

When you\u2019re in a creative rut, where in the city do you go for inspiration?
First and foremost, I take a long walk in the park. Prospect Park is one of my favorite parks of all time. I know Central is, like, everyone\u2019s favorite park \u2014 the cool park. But Prospect Park is underrated in my opinion. People don\u2019t realize how big it is and how much it has to offer. Whenever I feel off, I\u2019m like, Oh, that\u2019s because I didn\u2019t take my walk today.<\/p>\n

Where are you and your girls going for cocktails on a Friday?
I love Crane Club<\/a>. It\u2019s out of the way since I live in Brooklyn, but it\u2019s my favorite place to get a cute, upscale meal. Closer to me, we recently went to Doris<\/a> in Bed\u2013Stuy and had delicious tequila drinks. Kissa Kissa<\/a> and Friends and Lovers<\/a> in Crown Heights are also really fun nice. When we want a place a little more chill, we really like Fritz<\/a> in Fort Greene.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Courtesy of Simi Muhumuza\n <\/p>\n

What about a wellness or beauty spot when you need a refresh?
My favorite spot for treatments and facials is Atelier Confidence<\/a>. It\u2019s Black-owned, and they also sell their own supply of beauty items. It\u2019s small and quaint, the service is top-tier, and my skin has never looked better. The founder and owner really takes her time listening to you about what you want and figuring out a treatment plan. I go for laser or DiamondGlow facials every month. It\u2019s my little secret.<\/p>\n

\"Simi <\/p>\n

\"Simi <\/p>\n

\n From left: Photo: Simi Muhumuza\/Simi MuhumuzaPhoto: Simi Muhumuza\/Simi Muhumuza\n <\/p>\n

\n From top: Photo: Simi Muhumuza\/Simi MuhumuzaPhoto: Simi Muhumuza\/Simi Muhumuza\n <\/p>\n

What about for fashion inspiration in the city?
Soho is the easiest place to name, but to me, that\u2019s more direct styling inspiration \u2014 there, you\u2019ll literally see people wearing cool clothes. The way I get inspiration is more indirect. I don\u2019t attempt to replicate outfits I see other people wearing; I pull from my lived experiences. For me, what works is going outside, living my life, and finding inspiration through those moments. I recently saw a play at Cherry Lane Theatre<\/a> in the West Village \u2014 the cutest theater I\u2019ve ever been to \u2014 and afterward, we went to this close-by bar. I wasn\u2019t even looking at the people in the room, but I left that night feeling so inspired. Little experiences like that give me permission to slow down, and when I do, I\u2019m inspired to explore my closet. Instead of I need to find an outfit. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Oh my God, I can play with my clothes, actually enjoy what I have, and put an outfit together without feeling rushed.<\/p>\n

This is a controversial question, fair warning: Do you have a take on which New York neighborhood has the best style?
The real cool kids, in my opinion, are between Harlem and Bed\u2013Stuy. And when I say Bed\u2013Stuy, I mean the Sincerely, Tommy<\/a> of it all.<\/p>\n

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