Via Rutkowski 
The Garden State is filled with plenty of internet lore that New Jerseyans have come to know and love. But in this little corner of Union City, a true trove of lore exists at 502 New York Avenue. Local Lore is a self-proclaimed “thrifty and gifty” shop that caters to those with niche interests in fashion, handmade jewelry, nostalgia, astrology, and metaphysical trinkets. The one-of-a-kind array of items is all sourced by the hands of local founder Elle Lensink, who has an eye for some of the most striking finds and creations around. Keep reading to learn more about Local Lore in Union City and the star behind it all.
How it Started
Founder Elle Lensink, who now resides in Jersey City, once spent her childhood in the cornfields of Illinois, right next door to the famed city of Aurora (where Wayne’s World was filmed). Since she can remember, thrifting (back then, it was swap meets and garage sales) across the Midwest as a way of life, rich with vibrant childhood memories. She was taught the art of “the hunt” at a very young age by her dad, who she referred to as an “OG thrifter.” Every weekend, Elle and her dad would wake up extra early, fuel up with breakfast, and hit the road for a day full of thrifting. Elle said her dad has a special way of finding the items you didn’t know you needed until you saw them, which is what made it seem like such a superpower. To this day, Elle’s dad still ships the occasional box of Midwest thrift goodies to her store in Jersey City.
Read More: A Guide to Vintage + Thrift Stores in Hudson County
After spending most of her childhood as “the new girl” attending five different high schools in three different states, Elle decided at the age of 17 that she would move solo to New Jersey to pursue the art of fashion, freedom, and self-expression she craved. After rerouting her dream to attend FIT in New York City, she took it upon herself to pivot, becoming a self-taught Adobe Photoshop and CorelDRAW expert.
Soon, Elle was able to flex her skills and landed a job as a sales and PR assistant at a small wholesale jewelry company. During her time there, she began studying the behind-the-scenes noise of the fashion industry. Elle observed and absorbed it all, from trend reports to creating micro-collections and presenting to buyers. Eventually, Elle worked her way up by advocating for herself and stepped into an open designer role at the company. Here she was able to manage her own accounts and travel overseas to shop for new collections and meet with production partners.
During her downtime, Elle would use discarded samples and jewelry scraps to create her own upcycled designs. She began hosting jewelry parties for her friends, and it sparked something in her. After honing in on her craft, Elle began working in high-end design, creating looks for celebrities like Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, and Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. show. She even spotted one of her designs on the cover of Elle Magazine, which she shares was a surreal pinch-me kind of moment. She eventually began selling her designs to mass market brands like Express. Hot Topic and Urban Outfitters, but felt restrained with her creativity, and ultimately, the corporate world just wasn’t her jam.
In 2016, she launched her own jewelry line, Originelle, which began at consignment shops and pop-up markets throughout Jersey City. During the markets, Elle slowly started adding in more than just jewelry and infused collections of vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories that began to catch on. She gave a big shout-out to Brittany Graziosi, the wonderful mind behind Jersey City Oddities + Twilight Estate Services, for giving Elle an opportunity to host a pop-up inside of Twilight Thrift store in 2024, which contributed to her growth.
During this time, Elle was also deepening her spiritual journey and began working closely with tarot, symbolism, manifestation, herbal work, and crystal work alongside her astrology practices — which all shine through in her jewelry and art. Then, in January of 2025, she finally found a physical space for her designs, which would be called Local Lore, which is an ode to her full name, Loren, and quite literally means the lore of Loren (Elle), herself, adding “Local Lore, is just that. The Lore of Elle, because I couldn’t be Loren without the Lore, and I couldn’t be Elle without either. IMO Thrifting is just that, lore. It’s all the items we once loved, and all the things we want to pass on, and that’s the experience I hope to pass on.”
Elle also shared that local Jersey City designer and friend Midge Blitz helped give her the nudge she needed to open Local Lore’s storefront and played a big part in helping things come together. Customers can also shop a select few upcycled vintage items from Midge’s collection at the Local Lore storefront.
Today, after less than a year, Local Lore is already leaving its mark on Union City as one of the few places that offer all of the things that Elle does under one roof. From vintage shopping to jewelry repair and astrology readings, Local Lore houses all things mystical and magical, making it the ultimate “thrifty and gifty” destination.
What to Expect
Walking into Local Lore is like stepping into a mystical time machine. With everything from oddities, spells, crystals, candles, matches, and astrological trinkets to secondhand clothing, vintage media (like books, DVDs, and retro video game consoles), to handmade jewelry and way more on the shelves. Local Lore is the kind of store that is small but mighty. Customers could spend hours sifting through every treasure, and like a true treasure chest, it’s packed to the brim with gift-worthy items and must-have nostalgia. When team HG stopped by for a visit, we were able to get a great grab of gifts for three friends for under $50.
Speaking of price points, shoppers can find everything from $1 friendship bracelets to a $400 acoustic electric guitar. Within the lineup of goodies, there is clothing that ranges from $8-$80 (including jeans in the $10-$50 range), jewelry from $8-$100, and printed matchbooks, which are 2 for $5. While there is (literally) too much lore to list here, we have to mention another stand-out feature of Local Lore: the Tarot Roulette Readings invented by Elle herself. For $13, you can sit with Elle and over a board of various tarot cards, then you roll three dice (representing astrology, numerology, and planetary symbols). Where they land reflects the message of your tarot reading that Elle will then interpret for you.
Elle has been studying astrology for over 20 years and participated in an 80+ hour course where she was able to dig even deeper. She holds an entire library of reference material books on everything from lunation to aspect patterns to rising sign oracles, with over 100 saved charts that she compares and cross-references in her work. She also conducts natal chart readings upon request and conducts 30-minute virtual sessions for $60. Elle taught us that even businesses can have astrological charts, sharing that Local Lore’s store is a Capricorn sun, Aries rising, Libra moon, and Pisces in Venus.
See More: A Guide to Thrift Stores + Antique Shops in Montclair
Visiting Local Lore
Local Lore is located at 502 New York Avenue in Union City, just over the Jersey City border, just blocks away from Washington Park. Elle shared with HG that “Often, when someone stops in, they will say how excited they are for this area to have a store like Local Lore, stating that it is just what UC needs, which makes me feel like, once again, the universe gives you what you want – when the time is right.”
The store is open from Tuesday to Friday from 11AM-7PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 12PM-5PM. For more, be sure to follow along with Local Lore on Instagram or Facebook for information about upcoming pop-ups and events. Plus, to take a sneak peek at some special merch, visit Local Lore’s Depop shop, Mercari, and Etsy shop for some more exclusive pieces.
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