The Shape of Lies
One of the last live/work artist store fronts in the East Village. Morphing from window art dioramas in the 80's they now showcase only local jewelry designers and artists along with their own museum replica jewelry and paintings. Screen door and original tin ceiling complete the authentic East Village look.
Surma
There are Ukrainian clothes, musical instruments, books, and other items for sale here.
M2M
A Korean supermarket. No, this is not just an ordinary Korean-owned fruit, vegetable, and convenience store, but a fair-sized supermarket stocked with Korean foodstuffs and catering to Koreans and to a lesser extent, Japanese. There is a set of tables for those who want to have a meal, snack, or drink inside. M2M stands for "morning to midnight," the store's hours.
Strand Bookstore
One of the foremost used bookstores in New York, reportedly housing over 18 miles of shelf space, all of it crammed to capacity. A recent renovation has opened up the space tremendously, though that will be a surprise to any newcomer, who will marvel at the wall-to-wall crowds.
Many souvenirs, articles of clothing, and new and used records are on sale on St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avs. in storefronts that open onto the street and indoor stores.
JAS Mart
There are two Japanese grocery stores in the neighborhood. JAS Mart, 133 2nd Av., 212 420-6370, is actually on St. Marks Place just west of 2nd Av. Sunrise Mart, 29 3rd Av. 2nd floor - accessible by elevator, 212 598-3040, is actually on Stuyvesant St. Both of these stores are extensively patronized by Japanese residents of New York.