{"id":46365,"date":"2025-11-20T18:49:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T18:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/46365\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T18:49:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T18:49:17","slug":"rider-brings-heartfelt-gifting-and-community-connection-to-park-slope-brooklyn-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/46365\/","title":{"rendered":"RIDER brings heartfelt gifting and community connection to Park Slope \u2022 Brooklyn Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"RIDER\t\t\t<\/p>\n

RIDER, an independent gift shop in Park Slope with two locations, offers unique, thoughtful gifts, cards and more. <\/p>\n

Photos courtesy of Chris Coe<\/p>\n

In the heart of Park Slope, where small businesses<\/a> help define the rhythm of everyday life, RIDER<\/a> has become a beloved local gem. Founded by Brooklyn resident Alma Lacour, the independent gift shop is not just a storefront, but a community space intentionally built to foster creativity and connection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lacour\u2019s path to opening RIDER is deeply intertwined with her personal story and love for Brooklyn. She first moved to Park Slope eight years ago, settling into the neighborhood groove just before her son was born. The early pandemic months only deepened her relationship with the people around her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the pandemic, I really developed a sense of community with the other neighbors in very close proximity to my own apartment and just felt like I was really dialed in and connected to the people in Park Slope,\u201d she told Brooklyn Paper.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"RIDERRIDER has two locations in Park Slope, one on 8th Avenue and one on 5th Avenue.Photo courtesy of Chris Coe<\/p>\n

After years of working in advertising and experiential production, Lacour began to reassess her career. When a dry cleaner just a half block from her home went out of business, she saw an opportunity she felt compelled to explore.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like I would be kicking myself if I didn\u2019t inquire,\u201d she continued. She found the place was extremely community-minded and helped her as a young mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The space\u2019s landlord \u2014 equally community-focused \u2014 embraced the idea of a neighborhood mom opening a gift shop. That support helped Lacour take the leap. Even the store\u2019s name reflects her approach to life and business. \u201cRIDER, the name itself, is based on riding the wave of life,\u201d she explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Inside, RIDER feels warm, whimsical and deeply intentional. Lacour has curated a collection of home goods, art objects, children\u2019s items and design-forward pieces that appeal across ages and interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really believe in the power of gifting in general,\u201d Lacour said. \u201cI try to think about objects that not only would create great gifts, but are also a great story that can be told.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The shop\u2019s curation prioritizes independent makers, especially those who are Brooklyn-based, woman-owned, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ or committed to sustainable manufacturing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"RIDER\"Lacour vets potential makers and vendors, prioritizing inclusivity in RIDER\u2019s products. Photo courtesy of Chris Coe<\/p>\n

\u201cI really try to seek out makers that I personally and philosophically want to promote and support,\u201d Lacour explained. \u201cThey\u2019ve already been vetted for the great creativity, but I also have to be able to support independent artists I believe in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The result is a store that feels personal, joyful and highly discoverable \u2014 where customers often by one gift for a loved one and one for themselves.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite often, I\u2019ll have customers that come in and they\u2019ll buy two things; one for themselves and one for someone else,\u201d she added with a laugh.\n<\/p>\n

That mix of intention and delight has resonated widely. Since opening RIDER\u2019s second location and expanding into the e-commerce space<\/a>, customer support has only grown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"RIDERLacour left her job in advertising to raise her son and build RIDER, which opened its first location in 2022. Photo courtesy of Chris Coe<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been incredible, honestly, I\u2019ve been really shocked at how embraced we\u2019ve been,\u201d Lacour said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RIDER now has countless regulars, many of whom live just blocks from the shops. Local kids know Lacour by name. Families treat the store as a safe, welcoming stop on daily walks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe accept dogs, strollers and kids of all ages,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re a safe space for a lot of different people in the community.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Personally, Lacour\u2019s journey in the small business sector has been shaped by motherhood, grief and a desire for fulfillment after her mother\u2019s passing in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"RIDERRIDER\u2019s Park Slope location. Photo courtesy of Chris Coe \"\"Lacour wants to expand her business with more community partnerships, workshops and more. Photo courtesy of Chris Coe<\/p>\n

\u201cMy old system wasn\u2019t working for me anymore,\u201d she reflected. \u201cI wanted to create something for my family where I could call the shots.\u201d RIDER has allowed her to spend more time with her now seven-year-old son and connect with the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Lacour envisions deeper programming, more workshops, community partnerships and even developing in-house products with local artists.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to the opportunity to build on what we\u2019ve done here as a brand,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

At its core, RIDER remains rooted in service. Whether it\u2019s providing a platform for artists or acting as a donation drop-off point, it continues to ride forward with purpose, one neighbor at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of people in need right now in our community. I just want as many people as possible to know that this is the way we operate,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RIDER, an independent gift shop in Park Slope with two locations, offers unique, thoughtful gifts, cards and more.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46366,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[26359,98,26360,26361,100,99,26362,26363,288,26364,26365,969,26366,26367,26368,9,24,12,63,8005,26369,26370,26371,26372,2990,14951,26373],"class_list":["post-46365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-alma-lacour","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-boutique-spotlight","tag-brooklyn-gift-shops","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-brooklyn-paper","tag-brookolyn","tag-business","tag-community-focused-retail","tag-gifting","tag-holidays","tag-independent-business","tag-independent-makers-brooklyn","tag-local-brooklyn-artists","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-news","tag-nyc","tag-park-slope","tag-park-slope-shopping","tag-park-slope-small-businesses","tag-rider","tag-rider-gifts","tag-small-business","tag-small-business-saturday","tag-women-owned-businesses-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46365\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}