Now that Goodwill is Closing, Here’s Where to Donate and Shop for Secondhand Goods

Housing Works is one option for people donating or buying secondhand goods.

By Michael McDowell

As we reported earlier this month, the Curated by Goodwill location on 217 W 79th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam is closing on December 17. According to an employee, the store will in fact be moving to 103 West 25th Street, at 6th Ave, where a Goodwill presently operates. It’s unclear when that location will rebrand—or if it will rebrand—but the employee I spoke with said the new store could open as soon as December 18, or in the first few weeks of January 2019.

The closure of the West 79th Street Goodwill leaves Upper West Siders with one less place to shop for affordable secondhand goods, or donate clothes, books, kitchenware, and other household items. Although secondhand stores may not be as plentiful in the neighborhood as in years past, there are still many places to donate things on the Upper West Side.

This Goodwill on 72nd is staying open.

The Goodwill location at 157 W 72nd Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus, has no plans to relocate. Donations, with the exception of household linens (such as sheets and bedspreads) and furniture, are accepted.

Housing Works operates two locations on the Upper West Side, at 306 Columbus Ave, between 74th and 75th Streets, and 2569 Broadway, between 96th and 97th Streets. These locations accept most household items, and furniture pick-ups can be arranged; electronics are accepted on a case-by-case basis. Proceeds from items sold at Housing Works stores in part fund the efforts of the organization to support those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, and to fight homelessness.

I was unable to reach a representative of The Salvation Army, at 268 West 96th Street between Broadway and West End, but a recording lists donation hours as Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4 PM. Readers are advised to confirm this information prior to bringing donations to the store; on Yelp, a number of reviewers who had sought to donate report being turned away as a result of arriving outside of donation hours, which may be subject to change.

Unique Boutique, a thrift store at 487 Columbus Ave between 83rd and 84th Streets, also accepts clothing, books, kitchenware, and other household goods, or “pretty much everything you see in the store,” an employee said.

Each of the Upper West Side’s Greenmarkets offers clothing collection. Those seeking to donate “clean and dry clothing, paired shoes, linens, handbags, belts, and other reusable textiles,” have three options: the 97th Street Greenmarket, which takes place on Columbus Ave on Fridays between 8AM and 2PM; the 82nd Street Greenmarket, which takes place on Columbus Ave on Saturdays between 9AM and 2PM; or the 79th Street Greenmarket, which takes place on Sundays between 9AM and 1PM. Fabric rolls or scraps of any size, as well as rugs, carpeting, pillows, comforters, and luggage, are not accepted. Donations are tax deductible.

The St. Francis Thrift Store, at 217 W 96th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, is not accepting donations, as the store is currently shuttered for renovation.

Though options may have dwindled, charitable Upper West Siders and neighbors in search of a reasonably priced cardigan, unusual book, or spare drinking glass for the cupboard are far from bereft of choices.

For those who have a specific item which they would like to donate or who are in need of secondhand goods, donateNYC is an excellent resource. The site has a searchable, citywide directory of thrift stores and charities; users may search by type of good and address.

According to its website, the JCC will not be holding any donation drives this year, but does have a useful list of local organizations that are currently accepting goods for donation.

Are you aware of a local charity accepting donations? Is there a great thrift store missing from this list? Please chime in and share below.