Sharing the Best-Kept Secrets…To The Best Housewarming Gifts
So, you need a housewarming gift. Where do you start to look? Luckily, downtown Rochester has many stores with a variety of offerings to suit your giftee’s style! From a vibrant print for their walls to a fragrant floral arrangement, these are the places in downtown Rochester to find the best housewarming gifts!
Chocolate Oasis
Baking homemade goodies sounds like a good idea but who has time for that? Let Chocolate Oasis have your back for delectable housewarming chocolates! Luscious, silky-smooth chocolate in a variety of special candies and confections will grace the taste buds of your new neighbors. Not sure what will satisfy their sweet tooth? Chocolate Oasis’ boxed chocolates are a great housewarming gift option!
Chocolaterie Stam
Moving is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. If your gift receiver needs a sweet-treat pick-me-up after a stressful day of moving, Chocolaterie Stam offers just the right-sized gift! Choose from its Deluxe, Jewel, or Petite boxes, which are either pre-filled with a variety of delicious chocolate bonbons or you can customize your sweet offering yourself!
Collective Books & Records
A good book makes a great gift! And boy, does the Collective Books & Records have a selection! It could be a coffee table book like Jacques Cousteau’s The Ocean World. The Art of Southern Cooking or Pool Bar Jim's Frozen Drinks is a worthy read for a foodie! No matter the person’s interests, Collective Books & Records can help you find the right present!
Friends of the Library Bookstore
Another place to check out for books is Friends of the Library Bookstore in downtown Rochester. Search their vast collection of home repair or home decorating books for the perfect one to give! For an interactive welcoming present, give the gift of entertainment in the form of a puzzle, DVD or board game!
Hers (Skyway level)
While known for its fashionable clothing and accessories, Hers in downtown Rochester has chic housewarming gifts in store! A coffee connoisseur will enjoy a nice mug filled with a cleverly-worded kitchen towel! Is the new neighbor an outdoorsy person? The stylish-yet-sturdy Laurel Burch gardening gloves might be the perfect fit for them!
International Spices
More than just a coat of paint, your giftee’s kitchen will be in need of a little zest. Give the gift of flavor from International Spices! Stop in for seasonings you won’t find anywhere else in downtown Rochester! Take your housewarming offering to another level: purchase ingredients from International Spices and prepare a welcoming meal for them yourself. That way, they won’t need to locate a pot or pan still in a box...somewhere!
The Nordic Shop
No need to travel overseas for one-of-a-kind Scandinavian housewarming gifts; The Nordic Shop in downtown Rochester makes unique gift-giving possible! A staple of every home in Scandinavia is the environmentally-friendly Swedish dish cloth and mat, which doesn’t retain bacteria and leaves dishes with a streak-free shine. Perhaps a universal housewarming gift is the Danish double-heart iron candelabra: it can be transformed for any season! The Nordic Shop’s set of Swedish rocking glasses has been sold more than any other item in its store (i.e. that means it’s a great gift)! One of the few items the store has carried since its opening in 1974, these gently-rocking glasses at The Nordic Shop help aerate your favorite beverage to enhance the flavor.
Peacock Books & Wildlife Art
Find a distinctive gift at Peacock Books & Wildlife Art in downtown Rochester! For those families arriving with small children, keep them in mind when shopping for a housewarming gift; two kid-friendly book options include “Lightning Delivery!” and “Don’t Eat Bees!” When it comes to adorning their walls, look at the wildlife art canvas or loose prints! For a sweet treat, there’s nothing better than a sampling of maple walnut, peanut butter, and dark chocolate caramel fudge or truffles!
People’s Food Co-op
Stock your gift receiver’s kitchen with goodies from the People’s Food Co-op in downtown Rochester! First off, celebrate their new abode with La Riojana Wine, a People’s Food Co-op exclusive that is also co-opped with a family of more than 500 growers! This fair-trade wine is delicious so they’re sure to enjoy it and it’s at a price point you will like, as well. In the chaos of moving, a home cooked meal is not always in the cards. Pick up a meal for your new neighbors! The Co-op’s Own™ is clean, fresh food made every day on-site. Find these delicious eats in the deli, bakery, and meat departments. Moving also means an empty pantry and fridge. A gift card People’s Food Co-op helps your recipient to stock the pantry with staples and the refrigerator with fresh veggies, making it a perfect welcome-to-the-neighborhood present!
POPPI Italian Leather
This downtown store is unique: all its products are from Italy, so you know your gift will be a specialty! POPPI Italian Leather’s staff travel to Italy twice a year to stay current on cutting-edge gifts. The top recommended gifts from POPPI’s are its hand-blown Murano glass wine stoppers, Nesti Dante Triple Milled soaps and body wash, and hand-painted Murano crystal bowls, which are great for condiments!
Renning’s Flowers
Fresh flowers or a potted plant are the quintessential welcoming gifts. These lively greeneries brighten the room and bring the outdoors in! Present the new homeowner with a bright or blush pink and white arrangement of fresh flowers, a blooming plant or succulents, or a gourmet fruit or candy basket!
Rochester Framing & Fine Art Printing
Deck their halls and walls with a gift from Rochester Framing & Fine Art Printing in downtown! The store carries high-end decorative art merchandise like Motawi Art Tiles, which can be hung on a wall as-is, framed, presented on an easel, and displayed on a flat surface. The gallery features an eclectic mix of framed art prints and originals from local to well-known artists, so shoppers are sure to find something fitting and distinctive for their housewarming gift. Not quite sure what is your new neighbor’s taste in art? Arrange a fun and rewarding session with a Rochester Framing master! The gift’s recipient can choose what he or she would like to frame or work up a print design project with on-staff digital artisans. Some ideas include a special artwork, family photos, keepsakes and heirlooms; the possibilities are endless!
SEMVA Gallery
What better housewarming gift than something handmade! Local SEMVA artists pour heart and soul into a work to transform it into a gift truly distinctive and special. One example is the stained-glass window ornaments, an array of brilliant colors melded into glass. Elaborate pottery bowls provide a pop of color to display in any room. When celebrating the new dwelling and the congratulatory beverages come out, the slate stained-glass-esque coasters make for a good gift to protect the newly-purchased coffee table! There’s an artsy gift for every budget to be found at SEMVA Gallery!
Tangerine at Wildflowers
If unique is what you seek, head over to Tangerine at Wildflowers in downtown Rochester! Make your giftee’s garden the envy of their new neighbors with a Push Garden: a hand-picked selection of perennial wild flower seeds. All they need to do is pop it open, let it grow and a pollinator-friendly garden patch will appear! Looking to brighten up their home? Try a Rainbow maker to hang in the sun-filled window and watch the bursts of color saturate the room! For a more traditional gift, a creative-saying towel and Twist Whisk (a trendy kitchen utensil that whisks as you push it down) will do the trick!
Tessa’s Office: Wine & Spirits Boutique
Cheers the new homeowner! Celebrate with a little adult beverage from Tessa’s Office: Wine & Spirits Boutique! Highly recommend is the refreshing-and-not-too-sweet Minnesota-made 5 Lemon Ginger vodka; mix it with fizzy soda or strawberry ice cubes. Or pair it with sherbet for a summertime-like treat. Aperol is all the rage in Europe (especially as a spritz), so bring it over for your new neighbor! It pairs well with champagne or soda water; just add a slice of orange and voila: the perfect drink! Pop some bubbly and toast to a new home! Tessa’s Office has many bottles of champagne to make it a perfect way to celebrate!
Use #DowntownRochMN on Instagram to share your downtown Rochester housewarming gift treasures!
Disclaimer: Although every effort was made to provide accurate information, each place has a right to change its products without notice. Please ask your sales associate to ensure the product is still available. If yours is a place listed in this blog and anything needs updating, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@rdowntownalliance.com. Thanks for reading and happy shopping!