The Center of Order and Experimentation

The Center of Order and Experimentation is definitely not a cult. And their website and signage out front will consistently remind you that they’re not. The West Town shop is a fantastically peculiar boutique that stocks “unexpected goods for unexpected times,” as their website states. Jean Cate and Julie Purpura opened COE, which looks like it’s been plucked from the mind of Wes Anderson, four years ago. Since then, it’s become a beloved destination for curious knickknacks and a go-to for excellent coffee (courtesy of the on-site Monday Coffee Co. outpost), and a focal point of the community’s vibrant creative scene. Stock rotates regularly, but the curation is based around helpful utility. On any given day, you might find designer pocketknives, scissors and flashlights presented alongside high-end Japanese stationery and an ornate, handcrafted cutting board for $409.