New York Secret Gems

From posh shopping to fancy cocktails, there are a million ways to keep busy when you're a girl with keys to a Park Avenue pad.

A carefully edited selection of women's clothing, which tends towards seasonally trendy, loose styles in both bright colors and earth tones, plus shoes and accessories, can be found at Jumelle. Owner Candice Waldron favors trendy French designers like A.P.C. and Paris-based Erotokritos, a rare find in the States, but doesn't buy exclusively from France. Look for her showroom selections from Los Angeles-based Development and Grey Ant, amid many others.

Jumelle
148 Bedford AveBrooklyn

NY 11211Phone: (718) 388-9525

Because there's no sign on this unassuming Nolita storefront, it takes some customers a second to register that they've stumbled into one of the hippest stores in town. Upon entering the white-walled Provencal-style boutique, the first thing you'll notice is the now-trademark scent: a Votivo red currant candle that burns day and night. Soaking in the sweet fragrance are fashionable young ladies who don't blink an eyelash at the upscale prices, much like their fellow Mayle fans Courtney Love and Sofia Coppola.

Mayle
242 Elizabeth StNew York

NY 10012-3529Phone: (212) 625-0406

There's something about a restaurant or bar with a secret location that makes it especially alluring. From the infamous speakeasy Milk and Honey to secret sashimi in midtown, later in my blog I'll pull back the curtain and reveal more of the city's hottest hidden spots.