| Founded | October 2005 |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Phoebe Cates |
| Headquarters | New York City, USA |
| Website | www.bluetreeny.com |
Blue Tree is a boutique in the Upper East Side of New York City, which was opened by actress Phoebe Cates.
The store contains a wide variety of merchandise, some of which is priced for affluent customers, such as a 19th century Fred Leighton enamel and pearl necklace which costs $35,000, and some of which is affordable to people of average incomes, such as a floating ball game for children which costs $4.50. The store sells jewelry, clothing, antiques, perfume, candles, art, photography, books, vintage LP's, and stuffed animals.[1]
The New York Times referred to the store as "a version of Elizabeth Street for the Carnegie Hill crowd, a little oasis of downtown aesthetic at Ladies Who Lunch prices," and said that "the celebrity boutique is a way for famous people to admit the civilian into their universe; it is a presentation of their self, their likes and desires, their preferences—and does not require them to step in front of a camera."[1]
Cates feels just as happy working at the store as she felt when she was making movies. She stated, "I always wanted to have a general store." Cates also said that some of her customers tell her that she looks like Phoebe Cates, and that she responds to them by saying, "I get that a lot."[2]
The name of the store was suggested by Cates' husband, Kevin Kline. The store's name is a reference to the blue trees in Fauvist paintings—with the idea being that just as blue trees seem out of place in a forest, a store like Blue Tree seems out of place in the Upper East Side.[2]
One popular item at the store is a talking Abraham Lincoln doll. Although it was created as an educational tool for children, it ended up being a popular gift among seniors.[3]