Time for a Quickie? Two Must-See Shops in Nyack, NY

Nyack is a Saturday destination for many New Yorkers who arrive to bike, hike, and shop in this charming hamlet, located snug up against the western bank of the Hudson River. You can make a day of it, but, if you’ve only got an hour or so, hit up this dynamic retail duo on Broadway: The Chocolaterie and Pickwick Book Shop.

The Chocolaterie, 6 S. Broadway

Shop owner Annette Van Loon is originally from the southern Netherlands near the border with Belgium. Her imported chocolates are dark, delicious, and beautiful. It seems a shame to bite into them, but, hell, it’s chocolate. Order a spicy chili pepper hot chocolate then sip, browse, and drool.

Pickwick Book Shop, 8 S. Broadway

Independent bookstores were killed off by the large chain stores, correct? Wrong. Pickwick is one of the survivors and I highly recommend losing yourself in the toppling stacks. Take advantage of their frequent sales – I recently contemplated bankrupting myself on a 50%-off cookbooks promotion.