Living in Downtown Jersey City pretty much rocks… ask nearly anyone who lives here. We love Jersey City how folks in Williamsburg love their Brooklyn. We have Jersey City Pride. We’ve even got a t-shirt company that produces a shirt boasting “I F*&%ING LOVE JERSEY CITY“. We’re loud, we’re proud, and we love our city. I think there is a specific recipe that is conducive to extreme pride in the city in which you live. And it has everything to do with the perfect mix of community. We have an amazing community of small businesses, shops, restaurants, arts & culture organizations and we all seem to love to support one another. I really believe that Jersey City dwellers take buying and supporting local goods and services seriously. Even though we might pay more for something, we do it anyway because we love our community and the businesses that make it great.
A shop that exemplifies this mission statement of community is Kanibal Home.
Kanibal Home
213 Montgomery Street Jersey City, NJ 07302
Kanibal Home opened not long after I moved to the neighborhood and I’ve been a fan ever since. Kanibal Home stocks a well-curated shop full of vintage and modern curiosities, hand-made jewelry and goods, refurbished vintage furniture, clothes and accessories, and gift items. I’m always popping in when I need a birthday present for a friend, or even just to check out the jewelry selection that week as a present for myself. Their items are often one-of-a-kind, and they’re always adding new finds. It’s a treasure trove of the unique. So imagine my surprise and delight while checking out the handbags last weekend…
THEY'RE VEGAN!!!!!
That’s right folks. My favorite shop in downtown Jersey City stocks vegan handbags and shoes. I. Was. So. Excited. I had no idea… all this time had gone by and I never even thought to ask about their bags! It took that awesome multicolored handbag for me to even ask. And you bet your bottom dollar I purchased that bag right then and there!
I was able to stop in yesterday to chat with Kristen, the shop owner, a little bit more about her selection. While Kristen isn’t vegan, she does enjoy a mostly plant-based diet, which I think is a great thing. It was interesting to learn that she purposefully chose to stock vegan bags and shoes in the store. She said that nowadays there is a proliferation of vegan bag companies — distributors are even putting VEGAN or PETA FRIENDLY on their labels. She loves that the bags she carries are at a great price point (hey, me too!) and that even non-vegan customers are enthusiastic about the products. Around 80% of customers think that the bags are leather, so once they find out they aren’t, it opens a dialogue and helps people realize that it is possible to get high quality, affordable products that don’t harm animals. I also asked if she has a large vegan/vegetarian clientele, and she said that she does and is very pleased to be able to serve them as well as keeping within the aesthetic of the shop.
Spring & Summer shoes on the way!
As a vegan who loves handbags and purses, it’s so fantastic to know that I now have a place to go, LOCALLY, that stocks what I’m looking for. No more will I need to venture to Target and spend money on a cheaply made bag that will break in two months and probably made far, far away in crappy working conditions. I can now walk down the street, to a local store, and purchase an affordable, quality, vegan bag from Kanibal Home.
Jersey City Vegan 