We were reading a NYT article, “800 Very Unsquare Feet” about this “Free City” store in a Malibu strip mall. It sounds neat, selling custom tepees, bikes, and original tshirts. The store also gives away free orange juice and oranges.

Store owner and conceptualizer Nina Garduno says, “It’s about the experience. I’m interested in having someone walk out of Free City and having had an experience. That’s what matters. They could buy a cheaper bicycle or T-shirt anywhere.”

That got us thinking. What real-world store gives you the most satisfying experience? Makes you feel good when you walk out the door into the world?

We like the candy shops in Chinatown. All the goods are in their clear plastic wall bins and there’s a tiny plate with samples sitting in front of every single one of those bins You can go around and sample sample sample while tingtongy music plays in the background, it’s ever so much fun. — BEN POPKEN

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