The last few days I've been on a quest to find the perfect house warming/birthday present for a friend. I've never shopped much in SoHo, but it seemed like a good place to find something interesting and unique. However, after repeated trips nothing was catching my eye. Or if it was, it was ridiculously expensive -- like a $500 glass blown lamp. So at the last minute I turned to my handy "Not For Tourist" guide to Brooklyn. Surprisingly, I found a shop called Swallow, which is just a couple block from my apartment. Ironic that I've been looking all over Manhattan when I could have just walked right down the street in Carroll Gardens. Photo above is of a very odd display I saw at SoHo jewelry store.