Shopping
Do I even need to tell you that New York City is one of the premier shopping destinations in the world?
The real fun is found in the shops we don’t have “back home”: designer flagship stores, cutting-edge boutiques, eccentric little shops, unusual gifts, eclectic home furnishings, high-end consignment shops and funky thrift shops, music, books, bridal, chic pet supplies, sample sales, jewelry … just reading the index of a shopping guide is overwhelming!
Let me get you started on your NYC shopping adventure. In this section, you will find:
- An overview of Manhattan shopping neighborhoods (see below).
- Links to more detailed shopping info for Lipstick Getaways Favorite NYC shopping neighborhoods: Upper East Side, Midtown, SoHo, and Nolita. You’ll find favorite store listings, web addresses, and suggestions for where to take a break.
- Finally, I’ll refer you to the best resources for more info on NYC shopping. If you need specific or comprehensive listings, these resources should help you find whatever you need.
Manhattan Shopping Neighborhoods: An Overview
Upper East Side: Manhattan’s toniest area.
The Upper East Side, particularly Madison Avenue between about E. 57th to E. 79th, makes for a very pleasant, relaxed shopping stroll.
The goods are almost exclusively luxury and high-end. Most of us will just be window-shopping, perhaps en route to lunch or the museums.
You will find international designer couture, fine antiques (many shops open only to dealers or by appointment), books, art galleries, as well as some fun boutique drug stores (worth a visit) and a few excellent resale shops. Barney’s, everyone’s favorite edgy uptown department store, is on Madison @ 60th St.
Click here for my Upper East Side shopping guide.
Upper West Side: Lively Residential and Commercial Area.
While the UWS is a dynamic “real New York” residential neighborhood with good restaurants and shopping, I must admit that other than Lincoln Center and dinner, I have not spent much time on the Upper West Side and don’t really consider it a “must-do” for Lipstick Getaways shoppers. (But I could be wrong … let me know!)
The main UWS shopping is on Columbus Ave. , north of Lincoln Center (@ W. 65th St.) to about W. 84th St; also on Broadway and Amsterdam Aves.
The new Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle is a luxury shopping mall, restaurant, hotel (the Mandarin Oriental), and condo complex. Shopping is on the first three floors, and it’s your basic upscale mall experience. Sorry, ladies, but this is not what I go to New York for; I walked in and out in about 5 minutes. But like all malls, could come in handy in bad weather.
Midtown: Manhattan’s primary shopping district.
The world-famous Fifth Avenue, between about 58th Street and 34th Street, is Manhattan’s main shopping district.
You’ll find some interesting, affordable shops, as well as chain and discount stores, alongside the still-vibrant designer names like Cartier, Escada, Fendi, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, and Versace, and the legendary department stores Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Lord & Taylor, and Macy’s, and the less-well-known, but don’t-miss Lipstick Getaways favorite, Takashimaya (it’s on Fifth Ave. @ 54th St.)
The more upscale Fifth Ave. shops are clustered between 50th and 58th St.
57th Street, between Park and Sixth Ave is midtown’s classic luxury shopping stretch. Tiffany & Co. is here, along with Dior, Chanel, Burberry, and other big names, as well as expensive art and antique galleries.
Click here for my Midtown Shopping Guide.
Soho: Fashionable, Funky, Hugely Popular, Fun … (and pricey.)
Soho (the area SOuth of HOuston) is packed with mostly upscale shops including designer names, smaller boutiques, interesting home furnishings, beauty and makeup, day spas, and, inevitably, several mall-type chains.
It is one of the most popular shopping, dining, and “hanging out” areas of the city. My girlfriends and I love it! Shops tend to be open a little later here than in midtown, and most are open 7 days a week. Allow a full day to explore here, and if at all possible, make it a weekday – weekends are crazy-busy here.
Click here for my SoHo shopping guide.
NoLita: Unique, Fashionable, Independent, Small
NoLita (for North of Little Italy) is a small neighborhood adjacent to Soho, and is, for now, what Soho used to be: the cool, hip, trendy area, full of smaller, independent, unique shops. I love spending a little time and money here.
The main action is on Elizabeth, Mott, and Mulberry Streets between East Houston and Kenmare.
I hope to have a NoLita shopping guide available soon. Feel free to nag me if you don’t see it! In the meantime, here’s a link to a Nolita shopping page on Citysearch …. and here’s a terrific little Nolita shopping guide with map I found on StyleMaven.
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