New York Shopping
Aaron's Discount Designer Clothing
Aaron's in Fifth Ave offers designer clothes that are this season's stock, in tip-top condition, and still cut price! Stock ranges from sportswear to evening wear, coats, suits, dresses, sweaters, blouses, handbags, hats, shawls, scarves and jewellery.
Apple Store
Located in the large glass cube on Fifth Avenue, the Apple Store has a coolly designed basement full of their latest devices. There are iPhones, iPods, Macs and all kinds of techno wizardry here, with expert help on hand, including one-to-one personal Mac training.
Bloomingdale's
This smart department store prides itself on offering a "lifestyle" rather than a shopping experience. Whatever your consumer dreams - be they designer wear, make-up, jewellery, linen, shoes or more - Bloomingdale's can make them come true. At a price...
Century 21
Century 21 is where fashionistas meet bargain hunters. Scour the store for huge discounts - usually at least 50% - on designers like Armani, Gucci and Liz Claiborne, not forgetting the shoe department. Usually full with shoppers, Monday morning is the quietest at this downtown branch.
FAO Schwarz
FAO Schwarz, in Midtown, carries those hard-to-find and oh-so-expensive items such as Vespa scooters for older children, mini-luxury cars and serious karaoke machines. The giant piano keys made famous in the movie Big thankfully still remain.
GreenFlea
GreenFlea, on the Upper West side, aims to provide shoppers with an alternative to ubiquitous chain stores. Many of the store holders are selling their own, often handcrafted, goods ranging from art, furniture and clothes to china glass and music.
Hell's Kitchen Flea Market
Now combined with the old Annex Antiques Fair (formerly Chelsea), Hell's Kitchen Flea Market is filled with quirky and potentially valuable vintage goodies. Join the throng and haggle for a Buddha's head, an old violin or pair of antique diamante earrings.
Jimmy Choo
Oozing luxury, sex-appeal and glamour, the shoe designer favoured by celebrities and catwalks, Jimmy Choo has a Fifth Avenue emporium. Choose printed pony-leather sandals, silk stilettos or suede platforms, not forgetting accessories like leopard-print clutch bags.
Kiehl's
Going strong since 1851, Kiehl's flagship store in East Village retains its apothecary ambience. Its mammoth range of skin and hair products includes hand-milled soaps, fruity face cleansers and luscious hair care for men and women, with free samples galore.
Macy's
Busy Macy's in Midtown is billed as the world's largest store, stretching a mammoth ten floors and an entire block. Inside, there's everything from fashion labels, shoes and homeware to a restaurant and Metropolitan Museum of Art gift shop. Overseas visitors should bring ID for additional discounts.
Other Music
A haven for music fans avoiding the mainstream, Other Music in East Village specialises in underground, experimental and out-of-print CDs and vinyl. For quirky albums from around the world, the music-loving staff are there to help. Look out for occasional in-store gigs.
St Mark's Bookshop
St Mark's is one of New York's best-known book shops. Situated in the historic Lower East Side, it's an evocation of the heyday of New York's intellectual and literary culture. It's one of those book shops you never want to leave.
Tender Buttons
Tender Buttons has become a fashion byword in New York, raising the store from the humble status of "button shop" to that of an indispensable stop on any fashionistas visit to the city. The store has literally thousands of buttons to browse through, ranging in price from mere cents to hundreds of dollars. Anyone looking to replace a lost button or modify their threads with that distinctive touch needs to check it out.
The Dressing Room
Shopping just got a little edgier with The Dressing Room, a boutique-cum-bar courtesy of stylist and designer Nikki Fontanella, located in the trendy Lower East Side area of Manhattan. The emporium offers vintage clothing and fashion by up-and-coming designers.
The Market NYC
Housed in a church centre's gymnasium, The Market NYC in Little Italy showcases local young fashion designers. This is the place to come for one (or two) of a kind, including screen-printed t-shirts, reworked vintage dresses and quirky earrings.
Tiffany & Co
The Tiffany & Co jewellery store in New York is not just a silver-screen legend providing the great and good with jewellery to die for. Pass under the famous statue of Atlas to feel like you're walking into a different world...
rePop
Brooklyn boutique rePop sells well-chosen items, such as vintage lamps, Victorian frames, 1960s minidresses and suitcases. Most items are second-hand, with occasional new collections. Pop along to the first Friday evening of every month for in-store exhibitions by local artists.
