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192 Books
This small indie bookstore, located right in the gallery district, with sections on literature, history, travel, art and criticism. The rotating art exhibits, during which the owners organize special displays of books which relate, thematically, to the featured show or artist are a special treat.
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3R Living
At last, a design-conscious eco store that still manages to emphasize the three Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This shop is full of nifty home ideas and solutions, and all use 'green' products imported under fair trade agreements. The in-store recycling center has separate bins for old batteries, crayons, laser-printer cartridges, CDs and cell phones.
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60 Toy Group
Ranging from mildly quirky to never-before-heard of, these toys are imported from all over Asia (particularly Hong Kong and Japan) by owner Jakuan. Figurine collectors will be happy to find the odd-ball character Michael Lau, rain-hat-wearing Bathing Apes, robotic Bounty Hunters, and abstract creations from Jakuan's Rock Hard clothing line.
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8 Hester
Owner Denise Williamson stocks this boutique with her favorite designers - Ulla Johnson, Kristen Lee, Sass & Bide, Rag & Bone and Franck and features cotton separates made by Ms Williamson herself.
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A Cheng
Delicate clothes that fall on just the right side of dainty swing on the racks at Cheng's relaxed East Village shop - a simple but welcoming place that perfectly showcases her practical and pretty designs.
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ABC Carpet & Home
Home designers and decorators stroll over here to brainstorm. Set up like a museum on six floors, ABC is filled with all sorts of furnishings, small and large, including easy-to-pack knick-knacks, designer jewelry, global gifts and more bulky antique furnishings and carpets. Come Christmas season, the shop is a joy to behold, as the decorators go all out with lights and other wondrous touches.
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Academy Records And Cds
Stacks and stacks of vinyl, CDs, even some old DVDs fill every bit of available space at this hipster hangout, where the music-obsessed come to pay homage and search for classic recordings amid the sprawl.
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Aedes De Venustas
Let your body chemistry do the talking once you get inside the plush, opulent Aedes de Venustas (Temple of Beauty). Amid the red velvet decor a staff person will help design a signature scent based on your own quirky 'skin smell.' Or, take the easy way and grab a bottle of Nirmala or Shalini, sold by the register.
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Alexander Mcqueen
Assuming you don't get lost among the sloping, white-walled sections of this circular store, you're in for a treat. Sunglasses, accessories, menswear and shoes are sold here, but it's the brocaded, cutting-edge, heavily-constructed women's clothes that steal the show.
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Alphabets
A good place to pick up an offbeat souvenir, Alphabets is split down the middle: tees, toys and postcards on one side, and more expensive items like designer tea kettles, Precidio nesting bowls and some odds and ends in menswear.
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Amarcord
A vintage store stocked with European vintage dresses, bags and shoes that the owner hunts down on the continent, Amarcord is a favorite for thrift-store mavens, and on weekends gets visits from Manhattanites too.
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American Apparel
Pick up American classics made with a conscience - no sweatshop labor goes into the making of these clothes. Everything is done with above-board in-house production. Sweats, hoodies, underwear and other apparel available in a range of colors.
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An Earnest Cut & Sew
Ok, so you found the perfect pair of jeans...but they're two inches too long. No worries - at Earnest Cut & Sew, custom alterations are done on the spot. Custom-sewn jeans can also be had too, for (ahem) a price. This industrial-themed shop clings to the frontier aesthetic of denim, liking it to look rough and ready to work, but in a nod to the modern taste, insists it fit like a glove.
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Anna Sui
Frilly, flimsy and free-flowing, Anna Sui's dresses are a must-have for soigné New York women who like to look sexy but not obvious. The store's a purple-walled curiosity in its own right.
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Apple Store Soho
Always busy, this flagship location attracts the full range of computer users - beginners enjoy the translucent stairway and upstairs walkway as much as the cheery-colored iPods, while techheads engage the staff in deep discussions. There's free email service at the store, and seminars on computer tips are given for free.
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Artisans Gallery
Run as a collective, this story only carries knick-knacks and things made by local crafts people. Anything goes - scarves, frames, jewelry, handbags, paintings, stained glass bookends shaped like cats and dogs.
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B Oyama Homme
Bernard Oyama is the 'Haberdasher of Harlem,' and one look at his wing-tipped shoes, two-tone suits and sleek fedoras and you'll get an urge to shoot your cuffs, too. His boutique sells tailor-cut suits, an assortment of shirts, and items like ties, pocket squares, gloves, cuff links, and suspenders.
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B&H Photo-Video
A trip here is an experience unto itself - it's big, buzzy and bristling with every piece of camera, video or DVD equipment you could ever want. An electronics wonderland.
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B8 Couture
Lots of looks and styles, mostly big name European designers with some token Americans, are featured here. The magic is in how you mix collections - a girlish skirt from McFadden with a top from Gaultier.
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Balducci's
Housed in a landmark, turn-of-the-century bank building, this new Balducci's shop (which had reigned for years just south of here, in the Village) came to Chelsea recently, bringing with it its highest quality gourmet produce, international cheeses, olives, bakery goods, fresh roasted coffee and packaged items from around the globe.
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Balenciaga
Come and graze at this cool, grey, Zen-like space. It's the gallery-district's showcase, appropriately enough, for the artistic, post-apocalypse avant-garde styles of this French fashion house. Expect strange lines, goth patterns and pants for very skinny (and deep-pocketed) gals.
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Barney's Co-Op
The edgier, younger, more affordable version of Barneys has (relatively) affordable deals. At this expansive, loft-like space, with a spare, very selective inventory of clothing for men and women, plus shoes and cosmetics, the biannual warehouse sale (February and August) packs the place, both with endless merchandise and mobs of customers.
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Barneys
No true shopper could skip a visit to this revered institution. The best department store in town carries the best of today's designers - Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Prada and more. Bargains (comparatively speaking) are on the 7th and 8th floors; or try the Co-Op Barneys on the Upper West Side, in Soho and Chelsea.
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Bergdorf Goodman
There's no experience akin to stepping into the otherworldly Bergdorf's. Fabulous collections for women - Pucci, Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana - and separate floors for jewels, fragrance, handbags, menswear, shoes and more give you room to browse unhurriedly.
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Bloomingdale Soho
Hipper and younger than the original uptown Bloomies, this downtown outpost eschews housewares to focus solely on fashion, jewelry, makeup and accessories. Everything from clubwear to beachwear hangs on the racks.
