(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
One of the newer shops to have joined the stationery world is Yoseka Stationery. Starting with pop-up shops in 2017, owners Daisy and Neil first opened their brick-and-mortar store as a way of introducing Asian stationery to the US. Originally located in the Sunnyside neighborhood in Brooklyn, Yoseka recently moved to the Greenpoint area in 2020 and is currently located at 63 West Street, Brooklyn.
I have ordered from their site multiple times and I really enjoy their posts and videos on Instagram too. So I knew I just had to visit their shop during a recent trip to NYC, even though I knew I didn’t have a lot of time (this is what happens when you get on the wrong subway train, but I digress) …
The shop itself is fairly small but also spacious at the same time. Pieces of antique/vintage furniture alongside the clean lines of bookshelves and lots of wood everywhere - all of it gives you a sense of warmth and coziness and modern organization.
Look at this gorgeous cabinet filled with goodies from the Traveler’s Company!
There are shelves on both sides of the room with a variety of stationery goods and accessories including washi tape, hourglasses, stamp pads, letter sets, stickers, pouches and more. Display samples are available in front of many of the items so you can feel the texture of the paper or see how a pen case opens.
Desk accessories in all shapes and sizes.
I have been on a washi tape buying ban but it was hard to resist some of these cute tapes!
The main focal point of the store is in the middle of the room, where a long table is lined with writing implements of all kinds. There is room and paper for you to try out their pens, markers, and yes, fountain pens and inks too!
Finally saw 3 of the 4 Pro Gear Slims from the Sailor Sound of Rain series.
The staff was approachable and helpful, periodically checking in to make sure I didn’t have questions or needed help, without being pushy or overbearing. It really made shopping there a calm and chill experience. In the end, my willpower was mostly intact, though I did break my self-imposed washi tape ban, haha!
A bottle of their exclusive ink and washi tape of Esther’s paws - I just HAD to!
So if you’re ever in or near New York City, make the trip to visit Yoseka and give yourself plenty of time to explore this wonderful little store. And if you can’t get there, check out their website - there are a lot of gems to be found, including 3 or 5ml ink samples in their adorable glass vials or this cherry blossom washi tape set from Bande. I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to visit again, so until then, I’ll be doing some “research” on their site too!!
