Cap City

Another store tucked into Washington Heights. Cap City sits on St Nicholas Avenue between 178th and 179th Streets, keeping the block stocked with basics and occasional treats since 1946. Bags of coffee beans queue up next to bags of rice and beans, and the soda cooler hums through the afternoon rush.

Find Cap City at 1469 St Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10033. The shop carries shelf-stable goods, household cleaners, toiletries, and a rotating selection of Latin-American snacks that locals grab on the way home. After dark, the sidewalk lights flicker off the awnings and the aisles narrow behind the register.

Need something specific? Call 212-928-1080 and ask whether they’ve got it in stock. A map is the quickest way to confirm before you head up the hill: directions. The Heights hums loudest after 8 p.m., when the trains roll through the tunnel below Fort Washington Avenue.