Growing up, I loved visiting Vermont. Not so much for the skiing, but for all the general stores. Every time I went on a road trip with friends or family, we'd always stop at a roadside general store that sold an assortment of nice things: candy in glass jars, flannel shirts of all colors, tools of all stripes, apothecary items, and cider made right down the road. Maybe the general stores were aimed at tourists, but I didn't care. There weren't really any places like that in the Boston suburbs where I grew up, at least not by the 1990s.

Dry Goods on Atlantic Ave is a modern day interpretation of an old-fashioned general store. It's a fun place, with the slightly cluttered but carefully curated feel of many Brooklyn shops. A good portion of the products are imported from Europe, from brands and makers that have been around for generations. Scattered throughout the mix are a few vintage collectables from the shop's owners.

The big grooming section had something I had been eyeing for a while: Swedish Dream Sea Salt Soap. (You've probably seen this at a few other shops already, including bigger places like West Elm.) "People come in here and just stock up on these," said the woman working at the shop. Well, didn't I need to pick up more soap anyway?

Aside from the nice packaging, I'm really liking this soap so far. It has a faint lemony, mineral fragrance. With tiny bits of sea salt to help with exfoliation, it can be used for the face, hands, or shaving. As online reviews have said, it really does seem to leave the skin soft.  It also rinses clean without residue, something other bar soaps don't really do.

Plus, anything nautical-themed makes a cheerful addition to a tiny apartment bathroom. Now I can see why many places that stock this are often sold out.

Dry Goods
362 Atlantic Ave. (between Hoyt and Bond)
Brooklyn, NY
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