By Madina Toure
Although it has nothing to do with its Feb. 14 namesake holiday, Valentine in downtown Flushing receives a lot of love from its customers who shop the store looking for unique, Korean accessories.
Located at 136-54 39th Ave., it was previously part of another store nearby called Small Magic, according to Chris Jang, 21, of Whitestone, Valentine’s co-manager.
It was established in 2007 after that store started deteriorating.
Valentine sells a variety of items, including clothing, makeup, toys, accessories, pens, pencils and jewelry.
Jang, who has been working at the store since she was 15 years old, said the shop’s appeal is that it offers authentic Korean items that cannot be found in other parts of New York City such as Manhattan and that its employees are friendly.
“They’re straight from Korea and most of these items are uniquely handmade, especially the accessories,” Jang said.
She also said the atmosphere is especially inviting, noting that the lighting and interior design are brighter compared to other stores in the area.
“It’s much more uplifting compared to the rest of the stores in Flushing,” she said.
The items cost anywhere from $1 to hundreds of dollars, with coats costing between $100 to $200 and the pens costing $1.99, the manager said.
“It’s not just one category of class,” she said. “Anyone can come here.”
Although many Koreans come to the boutique, Jang said people from a variety of backgrounds buy items from the store, with at least 500 people in the store per day.
They are known for offering nice gift wrapping services, she said.
“It gets extremely chaotic in the holidays because we’re essentially a gift shop,” she said.
Reviewers on Yelp echoed the manager’s sentiments.
One reviewer from California who visited New York in September was roaming around the streets of Flushing and the sparkliness of the boutique caught her attention. She said she loved the wide selection of “cute items.”
Another reviewer from Queens said she always goes to the shop once a year to get her scheduler/planner.
“They have a a very adorable collection which ranges from very plain and simple to ones with a lot of pictures or themes,” she wrote.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
