New York City Shopping

New York City, the city that never sleeps is a ‘complete’ destination in more ways than one, as it offers numerous sightseeing, entertainment and dining opportunities. For those tourists who love to shop on vacation, New York City also has much to offer even though the city does levy a hefty sales tax 8.875% on most items (the tax for clothes and shoes under $110 is currently 4.3% though the exemptions of sales tax on clothes and shoes under $110 are set to return in 2012).New York City offers various kinds of shopping experiences and you can find almost every item or product in the city’s many department stores, high-end upscale boutiques, vintage and antique stores and permanent flea markets.

The 34th Street Shopping Precinct
This shopping district stretches along 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan with a large concentration of stores between Fifth and Seventh Avenues. Almost all the major American clothing brands like Gap, Victoria’s Secret, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Footlocker, Forever 21 have a presence in this district which also includes the gargantuan Macy’s flagship store that stands on Herald Square and is the world’s largest store that has been declared a National Historic Landmark. Macy’s at Herald Square additionally offers a discount card to out of town visitors which entitles them to a rebate of 11% on a variety of products. The Macy’s visitor’s card which is valid for a month from the issue date is available from Macy’s Visitor Center which is located on the mezzanine floor of the store though you have to show your passport or some other form of id in order to procure a visitors card. Around the corner from the 34th Street shopping district, between 38th and 39th Streets stands another iconic New York City department store, the flagship store of the upscale Lord and Taylor chain which like Macy’s is known to attracts hordes of visitors annually for its elaborate holiday window displays. The Fulton Street Mall in Brooklyn and Queens Boulevard which hosts the Queens Center Mall and the Queens Place are similar shopping districts in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens respectively.

The Soho Shopping District
The chic shopping district of Soho includes the area that lies south of West Houston Street and north of Canal Street and has Broadway and Sixth Avenue as its eastern and western limits. Soho is home to some of New York City’s best shops, bars and restaurants and it is accordingly filled with tourists who seek to experience a bit of old world New York City magic on the cobblestone streets of Soho which are populated with ancient, cast-iron fronted buildings that house some of the most expensive highly coveted loft residences in New York City.

Soho is a shopaholic’s paradise for it is filled with department stores, boutiques, art galleries, arts and crafts stands, vintage clothing stores, wholesale stores which easily cater to every price point. Stores like Bloomingdales Soho, J.Crew, Scoop, Topshop, Uniglo, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Muji, Pearl River Mart , the Moma Store, Kenneth Cole, Kirna Zabete, H&M, Intermixx, Ted Baker, Longchamp, the Apple Store all have a presence in this hip and trendy neighborhood of New York City. On weekends Soho is especially lively as its streets are filled with street performers who entertain the hordes of shoppers and browsers while artists set up stores on the street in order to hawk their handcrafted, unique wares. For a complete listing of stores and galleries that are located here do visit the official website of the Soho partnership.

Luxe Shopping at Fifth Avenue
The stretch of Fifth Avenue from 38th Street to 59th Street hosts some of the most up market and renowned stores of New York City. Located here are truly luxe department stores like Bergdorf Goodman (the only department store that is truly New York centric for it has no other outposts in the country), Henri Bendel and the flagship store of the Saks Fifth Avenue chain. Tiffany and Company, H. Stern, Van Cleef and Arpels, Harry Winston, Bulgari, Cartier, and designer stores like Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Dior, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna are some of the other ritzy stores that are located here though the district also hosts less expensive shopping options in the form of stores like Gap, Banana Republic, Zara, H&M, Nine West and more. Apple’s flagship New York City store is also located on Fifth Avenue at 59th Street as is the legendary toy store, FAO Shwarz which should be considered a ‘must-do’ on the list of visitors vacationing in New York City with children.

Posh Shopping on Madison Avenue
Madison Avenue from the 40s to the 80s is home to every known luxury designer brand in the world. This stretch of Madison Avenue hosts some of the most expensive shopping in the world located here are stores like the uber-stylish Barney’s department store, the Channel Boutique, the Giorgio Armani flagship store, the Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store, the Dolce and Gabbana store, the Brooks Brothers flagship store, La Perla, Johnston and Murphy, Georg Jensen, Calvin Klein, Mulberry and many more.

Avant-Garde Designers in New York City’s original bargain district
The Lower East Side which extends east from the Bowery to the East River Park and lies between Houston Street and Canal Street and East Broadway is New York City’s historic Jewish neighborhood which has seen waves of immigration over the years. Today the Lower East Side is regarded as a hip and trendy neighborhood of New York City which is in the throes of gentrification and is home to students and young professionals. As a result of which the Lower East Side is populated with many stylish bars and restaurants as well as many hip stores and boutiques like Kaight, Suite Orchard, Skunkfunk, Frock that sell retail stylish new and vintage apparel and accessories for both men and women.

Discount Shopping
However not all the shopping options in New York City are super expensive and posh, the city also offers cheap and cheerful souvenir and discount shopping at the many stores that line the streets of Manhattan’s Chinatown. Further bargains can also be had at New York City’s premier flea markets like the Brooklyn Flea which is held at two locations on every weekend. On Saturdays the Brooklyn Flea is held outdoors and features 150 vendors while on Sundays it is held indoors at the Skylight One Hanson which is a hall located within the Williamsburg Savings Bank Building in Fort Greene. Both these markets remain open from 10 am to 5pm though during the colder months from November to March, the Brooklyn flea usually moves completely indoors at Skylight One Hanson. The market features vendors who retail vintage and new clothing, antiques and collectibles, jewelry, handcrafted wares by local designers and much fresh food.

New York City’s other prominent flea market is Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market which is held on the weekends in the neighborhood of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ on West 39th Street and 9th Avenue and it similarly features vendors of vintage clothing, ethnic arts, antiques, jewelry, knick-knacks, collectibles, food and much more.