New York Shopping: The shopper’s paradise
New York City is a shoppers paradise! Even people who do not like to shop will find themselves shopping, you just can’t help it. Hell, it’s New York the city that never sleeps and you can buy almost anything from the very latest designer fashions to flea market bargains in addition to foods and goods from every corner of the globe.
There is no tax on clothing for any item under $110 in New York so tourists with Euros, Aussie Dollars and Sterling pounds can get even bigger discounts, as the dollar is so weak against these currencies.
Where does one start to talk about New York Shopping, it’s really an impossible task to list all of the shops in New York even just the famous ones would be an extended list. There are just so many.
Well, let’s start with getting a bargain. We all love a little discount, so start by checking out Century 21, the place where they have last seasons designer gear at greatly reduced prices. It’s a very popular store and usually packed with shoppers.
Top End
If you have mega $$$$ and want to splash out on him, her or it in your life, then you have come to the right city as New York has everything you can imagine and more.
The most expensive stores are located on Madison Avenue, where flagship stores from all the fashion houses of the world are located. If you cannot find what you are looking for on Madison, head on to Fifth Avenue where you will find more world-famous labels.
Famous department stores
Saks Fifth Avenue
Macy’s, Herald Square,
Bergdorf Goodman, 58th and 5th
Bloomingdales, 1000 Third Avenue, at 59th Street
Soho
Rich in history, Soho has undergone a transformation over the last 100 years and even in the last twenty has seen changes people could only dream about.
Soho or South of Houston is a special place, having a more European feel to it than American, with its shops and buildings reminiscent of London’s Covent Garden with low rise buildings and high-end fashion designer stores, art galleries and antique shops as well as many cafes, bars, and restaurants.
The East Village and the Lower East Side
Street and cutting-edge fashion this is where you will find the young and not yet too famous designers. The area is full of vintage shops, music stores, more designer boutiques as well as several discount stores selling American made items, like Levis. Etc.
Flea markets
No city is complete without its markets
There are numerous ones around the city to appeal to bargain hunters such as the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg
The Annex / Hells Kitchen Flea Market,
Also known as the 26th Street Flea Market, on Sixth Avenue.
Started back in 1976 and now entering it’s thirty-first year, this market has become a magnet for designers, tourists, artists, celebrities and residents who have flocked to the Annex for antiques, collectibles, ephemera, vintage clothing, decorative arts and more.
Hells Kitchen Flea Market has over 150 stalls every week, so you are sure to find something to spend your money on.
Open on Saturday and Sunday from dawn to dusk. The best bargains are vintage clothing and fine linens. Many green markets, selling locally grown produce, freshly caught fish, desserts and breads, are located around the city, the most central of which is at Union Square, opening on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM.
Shopping hours depend on the neighborhood. Business areas, such as Wall Street, open as early as 8 AM, while shops in areas such as SoHo and East Village a little later.
Hell’s Kitchen
Everyone has heard of this area, a neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan, running from West 34th to West 59th Streets, and from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River. For more info see here.
Another useful site for New York Shopping is NY.com