Welcome to Broadway Stages’ Spotlight, where we feature local shops, restaurants, organizations, individuals, and venues. During the month of December, we encourage you to support local establishments — shop, dine, pamper and, be entertained locally. This week we continue our focus on a few of the local businesses that have been featured in our weekly spotlight series throughout the year.  

It’s gift giving season and we all have that someone that is tough to buy for.  Might we suggest a trip to Sweetbrook Nursery & Garden Center on Staten Island?  Not only do they have a wealth of products and services available, from wreaths, Christmas trees, plants, flowers, and other items, but you can also shop for plants and schrubs online from the convenience of your home.  From landscaping and hardscaping products to holiday wreaths and more, Sweetbrook is your local one-stop-shop for gardening and fun gift ideas.  You can read more about them in our spotlight and follow them on Facebook.

Looking for something to warm you up as the weather gets chilly? Why not stop in and visit our friends at Miss Lily’s 7A Café in the East Village! This renowned Caribbean Rum Bar & Jerk Shack has lunch, dinner, and possibly one of the best weekend brunch offerings in the city. The great staff at this restaurant is dedicated to making sure you leave with a full belly and a smile on your face. Moreover, Broadway Stages loves that they support the Rockhouse Foundation. This organization transforms the places where Jamaica’s children learn and support the great people who teach them. Find out more here and keep up-to-date on all that is happening on Facebook and Instagram.

A great gift idea is a year-long unlimited gaming and VR package at the PALEYGX Studio! This package includes two adults and up to four children. Best of all, this gift supports the Paley Center for Media. The Paley Center for Media is the leading nonprofit 501(c)(3) cultural institution whose mission is to preserve our media history and explore media’s powerful shaping influence on our culture and society. If you are looking for something more seasonal, you can visit PALEYLAND, a magical holiday experience! It is an experiential holiday extravaganza for families and friends of all ages! PaleyLand is a must-see destination with 4 floors of holiday fun and winter wonderland magic just two blocks from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and Radio City Music Hall. Enjoy free hot chocolate, delight in special photo moments with Santa and holiday characters and discover the magic of a classic model railroad display. Make sure to follow the Paley Center on Facebook and Instagram for great events and offers throughout the year!

Look your best this season with a little help from the artists at Filthy Rich Barber Shop. Big Sean and Flo Rida can vouch for the talent at this one-of-a-kind Barber Shop.  With locations in both Queens and Brooklyn, you will receive the elite styling that has garnered attention from NBC News and The New York Post. If you are looking for a good stocking stuffer, we suggest a gift card.  Click here for a gift card for the Queens location and here for one from the Brooklyn location! Read our original post and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Books!  They are the door to information, experience, knowledge, and imagination.  Mil Mundos founder María Herron looks to bring a thousand worlds’ worth of ideas and stories to her hometown of Bushwick. Mil Mundos is more than a bookstore, it is also a space where Black, Latinx, and Indigenous heritage can be celebrated and empowered through literature, workshops, language classes, clothing swaps, and general celebrations of culture — la Raza! Best of all, their nonprofit division Mil Mundos en Común works in partnership with Bushwick Ayuda Mutua. They work to bring essential goods, internet installs on the NYC Mesh network, and greater access to literature to the community of Bushwick. You can follow the active listing of events on both Facebook and  Instagram. Or read more about them in our original spotlight here!

Broadway Stages is proud to support and promote local businesses and we hope we have encouraged you to shop local during this holiday season and throughout the year.  Watch for next week’s spotlight as we focus on the nonprofit organiations that provide much needed services and programs to our neighbors in need.