Visit Omoi
Located in historic Old City, Philadelphia.
41 S 3rd Street
Phila PA, 19106
on 3rd Street between Chestnut & Market Streets
Hours
11AM – 7PM
Mondays through Saturdays
12PM – 5PM
Sundays
HOLIDAY HOURS
- Dec 24: 10 AM - 2PM
- Dec 25: CLOSED (Christmas)
- Dec 26: Normal Hours
- Dec 31: 11AM-3PM
- Jan 1: CLOSED (New Year)
- Jan 2: Normal Hours
Special hours will be listed on Google.
Last minute hours will be posted in our Instagram Stories.
Call
1-215-454-6910
Socials
@OmoiOnline
Accessibility
There is a very small, rounded step at the bottom of our front double door. We do not have a ramp, but we will be happy to assist you over it.
Though we typically keep one door open, we can quickly open both doors. You can call ahead and let us know you'll need both doors opened, or you can give us a holler from the door when you get here.
There are no stairs to climb and the store is spacious for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers.
There is one wire chair with arms for sitting.
We sometimes burn incense or scented candles.
There is one nearby handicapped metered parking space, towards the corner of Chestnut on 3rd. Sometimes construction obstructs a clear pathway from that spot to our storefront. If this is a concern for you, we advise calling ahead to confirm the situation.
Please know that there are old notched sidewalks before and after our storefront that can be difficult for wheelchair and walker users to navigate, and in general slippery in cold wet weather.
Pandemic Precautions
Updated December 3, 2024.
As of this date, OMOI staffers don KN95 and surgical masks, while some go without.
The pandemic official state of emergency has long been declared over, and it seems a majority of our customers shop unmasked, although we notice this fluctuates with new variants and spikes in cases.
We provide masks upon request.
We do not require masks to shop.
The Neighborhood
Old City
OMOI is located in a historical district known as Old City, where Lenapehoking became early colonial Philadelphia, just a few blocks from what is now called the Delaware River.
We are 3 blocks from the Market Street Blue Line's 2nd Street stop and 5 blocks from the 5th street stop, as well as a block or three from SEPTA bus routes 33, 57, 42, and 21.
On-street meter parking in the immediate area is available at most times.
There are lots of public historical sites, museums, galleries, boutiques, small public parks, bars, cafes, and restaurants in the immediate vicinity.
Pick up our Recommended Short Trips Guide in-store for spots worth visiting outside our immediate neighborhood, many within a 20 minute walk.
TRAVELER'S COMPANY Partner Shop
A beloved creative life organizer.
OMOI is an official TRAVELER’S COMPANY (TRC) Partner Shop.
Makers of the original TRC TRAVELER'S Notebook, the company produces a leather cover journaling system in 2 sizes, with various format notebook inserts and accessory items.
Its versatility appeals to a variety of creative needs, from planning to wallet to watercoloring.
As a Partner Shop, OMOI is a reliable source for everything TRAVELER'S, including rare items available only in-store at Partner Shops worldwide.
We'll be happy to meet you, traveler!
"thinking of you"
About OMOI
OMOI is a life goods select shop operating in downtown Philadelphia since 2006.
We offer a selection of items that we like, use, and believe in, with an emphasis on thoughtful design, purpose, and a sense of humor.
If you like stationery, staff-selected books, cool accessories, and useful things for your daily life, we invite you to stop by.
History of OMOI
Celebrating 17 Years in Business!
OMOI first opened in a much-loved, very cozy, 500 square foot storefront on 1608 Pine Street, tucked along the edge of Philadelphia's posh Rittenhouse neighborhood.
The year was 2006, and the plan was to run a retail experience the likes of which you'd feel shopping in Japan. We had a good, long tenure on Pine Street, selling raw denim and then-hard-to-find brands like Hysteric Glamour and MIDORI, toy cameras and vinyl toy blind boxes, and jewelry lines and artworks from the local talent who would hang out in the shop.
Around 2008, we launched the first version of our e-commerce store, which put a spotlight on the many then-rare stationery items we sold. This was before the prominence of Am*zon, Instagram, influencers, and direct global shipping.
In 2015, wanting to experiment with selling more homewares and larger goods, we opened up shop in the historic Old City district. This was the '2 locations' era. Then in 2017, a huge fire on our block closed the Old City location for almost 6 months! When we reopened, stationery was introduced in full force.
By 2021, after 12 months of working through the pandemic, we bid a fond farewell to the Pine Street store and centralized operations at our spacious Old City location, where we continue to thrive today, thanks to our fabulous customers!
For more on this topic, visit our blog for A Brief History of OMOI series, along with store tours, interviews, and other happenings.
「おもい」とは？
What does OMOI mean?
OMOI is pronounced like oh boy and is a Japanese word that can translate to thoughts, ideas, feelings.
Our name is originally a nod to the many amazing Japanese boutiques of the late 90s and 00s, with evocative names and incredible atmospheres. These places planted the seeds of inspiration that led to our existence.
OMOI today is a place with a "take care" and "thinking of you" sentiment. We express our thoughts and ideas through the tools and treasures of our product selection. We hope this inspires our customers to explore and connect with their own omoi.
In this heavy world, we're all we've got!
—
For the so-inclined: When learning Japanese as a second language in the US, the first “omoi” you often learn is “heavy” 重い , followed by the more general “thoughts” 思い (from the verb omou “to think” 思う ). And if you go sing karaoke, you'll often see omoi written as 想い , hinting at a nuanced type of thoughtfulness.
Shop Staff
The Team by Liz
Liz Sieber
Founder & Proprietor, HBIC
Monk R.
Online Team Director
Jess
Online Team
Tyara
Floor Team
Shaipreeah
Merchandising / Floor Team
Hughes
Shipping / Floor Team
Adrian
Online Team
Min
Floor Team
Nina
Manager / Floor Team
Brought to you by
Liz Sieber • Monk • Jess • Shaipreeah • Tyara • Hughes • Adrian • Min • Maithri • Rose • Ash • Nina
OMOI is run by a jaunty crew of creative Philadelphians.
We give a welcoming hello when you visit.
We pack and wrap your orders with efficiency and care.
We strive to be helpful and informative when you call.
We're genuinely enthused about what we sell, and enjoy telling the stories behind the makers, manufacturers, and artists who produce the items on our shelves.
We love to talk stationery!
We pride ourselves on making your experience with us a good one, and hope you shop with us again and again.