Shopping in New York City
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Evolution
A great cabinet of curiosities, this old-fashioned storefront sells natural-history collectibles of the sort usually seen in museums. This is the place to buy – or just gawk at – framed beetles and butterflies, bugs frozen in amber-resin cubes, stuffed parrots, zebra hides and shark teeth, as well as stony wonders, including meteorites, fragments from Mars and 100-million-year-old fossils.
reviewed
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Brooklyn Flea Market
Too bad this flea market only takes place on weekends (Saturdays at Fort Greene and Sundays in Boerum Hill) because a lifetime isn't long enough to wade through all the riches here – and you'll definitely want to check out the food stalls, many stocked with delectables from standout local restaurants.
reviewed
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B&H Photo-Video
Visiting the city’s most popular camera shop can be an experience in itself – it’s massive and crowded, and bustling with black-clad (and quite knowledgeable) Hasidic Jewish salesmen bused in from communities in distant Brooklyn neighborhoods. Select an item and it gets whisked away from you and dropped into a bucket, which then moves up and across the ceiling to the purchase area (which requires a second queue). It’s all very orderly and fascinating, and the selection of cameras, camcorders, computers and many other electronics is outstanding.
reviewed
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Sustainable NYC
Across from Tompkins Sq Park, this ecofriendly shop offers all sorts of home and office gear for living green. Organic T-shirts, shoes made out of recycled auto tires, compost bins, biodegradable beauty products, recycled stationery and books on going green are all on hand. The store itself sets a fine example: the interior is built from 300-year-old reclaimed lumber and fixtures are recycled (and for sale). A small cafe onsite sells snacks and fair-trade coffee.
reviewed
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FAO Schwartz
The toystore giant, where Tom Hanks played footsy piano in the movie Big, is number one on the NYC wish list of most visiting kids. Why not indulge them? The magical (over-the-top consumerist) wonderland, with dolls up for ‘adoption, ’ life-size stuffed animals, gas-powered kiddie convertibles, air-hockey sets and much more, might even thrill you, too.
reviewed
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Bloomingdale Soho
A little more avant-garde than the 'real' Bloomies uptown, this Soho offshoot skews to the young, covering everything from beachwear to club duds.
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Apple Store Midtown
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Little India
Once you leave the comfort zones of Manhattan and Brooklyn, the best way to approach shopping is by area, looking at, say, a stretch of several blocks on one street as a mini bazaar, with a collection of various shops that you can wander into aimlessly, either laying down cash or simply taking in the otherworldly vibes. In Jackson Heights, Queens, the stretch of 74th St that begins at the Roosevelt Ave subway station is a good example. The Little India strip is chock full of shops selling saris, like India Sari Palace (718-426-2700; 37-07 74th St at 37th Ave; 10:30am-7pm); 24-karat-gold jewelry, at spots like Mita Jewelers (718-507-1555; 37-30 74th St at 37th Rd; 11am-7pm…
reviewed
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Everything Goes Clothing
In Staten Island, Ganas – a rare NYC commune of about 90 people – runs one of NYC’s best-kept shopping secrets: a collection of vintage shops called Everything Goes. Run as cooperatives, each location specializes in a different sort of item: there’s Everything Goes Clothing (718-273-7139; 140 Bay St; 10:30am-6:30pm Tue-Sat); Everything Goes Book Café (718-447-8256; 208 Bay St; 10am-7pm Tue-Thu, 10am-10pm Fri & Sat, noon-5pm Sun); and Everything Goes Furniture & Gallery (718-273-0568; 17 Brook St; 10:30am-6:30pm Tue-Sat), which features eclectic artwork, antiques and collectibles. For directions to each store, which are all within walking distance from the Staten …
reviewed
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Brooklyn Industries
See the Soho branch for a full description of the mini-empire that keeps on growing. There’s also a factory outlet store in South Williamsburg and other branches in Park Slope and Boerum Hill.
reviewed
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Marc by Marc Jacobs
With five small shops sprinkled around the West Village, Marc Jacobs has established a real presence in this well-heeled neighborhood. Large front windows allow easy peeking – assuming there’s not a sale, during which you’ll only see hordes of fawning shoppers. Here’s the layout: on Bleecker St, you’ll find the women’s line at No 403-405, women’s accessories (fun wallets, rubber boots and T-shirts) at No 385 and his children’s line (Little Marc) at No 382. Men should head one block over, where they’ll find the men’s collection at 301 W 4th St and men’s accessories at 298 W 4th. For men’s and women’s apparel from the Marc Jacobs Collection (the priciest stuff of all), head…
reviewed
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Strand Book Store
Book fiends (or even those who have casually skimmed one or two) shouldn’t miss New York’s most loved bookstore, selling new, used and rare titles. Operating since 1927, the Strand is New York’s most famous bookstore, with an incredible 18 miles of books (over 2.5 million of them), spread among three labyrinthine floors. Check out the staggering number of reviewers’ copies in the basement, or sell off your own tomes before you get back on the plane, as the Strand buys or trades books at a side counter on weekdays. There’s also a kiosk on the southeastern edge of Central Park, weather permitting.
reviewed
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Flushing, Queens
On and around Main St in Flushing, Queens, you’ll find a wonderfully hectic array of items both Chinese and Korean. The Flushing Mall (718-762-9000; 133-31 39th Ave at Prince St; 10am-8pm) is an indoor collection of East Asian items, though the excellent food court is the real draw. Browse the area outside, stopping at spots like Magic Castle (136-82 39th Ave), packed with Korean pop culture such as stickers, CDs, hair clips and jewelry, and Shun An Tong Health Herbal Co (135-24 Roosevelt Ave, off Main St), one of the oldest Chinese herbalists in the ’hood. Take the 7 to Main St–Flushing.
reviewed
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Trash & Vaudeville
St Marks Place is chock-full of tattoo parlors, cheap eateries and classic ‘New York Fuckin’ City’ T-shirt shops that haven’t changed much at all since the 1980s. Poke your head into Trash & Vaudeville, a landmark goth-and-punk shop where a pre-John Yoko Ono staged happenings in the 1960s. Across the street, the modern mall-strip was once the site of the Dom, and later, the Electric Circus, where Andy Warhol staged his Exploding Plastic Inevitable multimedia shows in 1966, with the house band Velvet Underground providing the live soundtrack.
reviewed
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Dressing Room
The Dressing Room is a creative hybrid that’s equal parts indie fashion boutique and low-key neighborhood bar. On the first floor, you’ll find a rotating mix of local and emerging designers with pieces ranging from clever graphic T-shirts to flouncy black dresses and wildly patterned knits; while downstairs is a small selection of vintage clothes. Adjoining the space is a casual bar with a regular lineup of DJs, film screenings and shopping parties. The drink-shop combo can be quite handy for some couples who can’t quite resolve their disparate interests in looking at clothes versus swilling martinis.
reviewed
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Babeland
This women-owned sex shop is the queen bee of sex toys, aflutter with open and supportive staffers who will gladly talk you through the chore of picking out the very best silicone dildo or butt plug, matching it with an appropriate leather harness and inspiring you to toss in a quality vibrator while you’re at it. But it’s also much more: it’s a purveyor of sex-related books, magazines, adult DVDs, flavored lube and Babeland tees, and an educator, with a constant roster of how-to lectures, for all genders, from the knowledgeable staff. This is the original, but smaller, shop; the larger branch is in SoHo (43 Mercer St).
reviewed
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Citystore
This small, little-known city-run shop is the perfect place to find all manner of New York memorabilia, including authentic taxi medallions, manhole coasters, silk ties and baby clothes bearing the official ‘City of New York’ seal, Brooklyn Bridge posters, NYPD baseball caps, actual streets signs (‘No Parking, ’ ‘Don’t Feed the Pigeons’) and baseballs signed by famous Mets and Yanks. There’s also a great collection of city-themed books – including the unique Greenopia, the definitive guide to more than 1300 ecofriendly businesses.
reviewed
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Harry’s Shoes
Harry’s is a classic, staffed by classy gentlemen who actually measure your foot in one of those old-school metal contraptions and then wait on you patiently, making sure the shoe fits properly. You’ll find mostly sturdy, quality, comfort-trumps-style labels here, such as Merrel, Dansko, Birkenstock, Ecco, New Balance and Mephisto, as well as the vegan, ecofriendly Earth brand. But fashionable types will find fun stuff, too, mainly from Ugg, Taryn Rose and the like. Harry’s also has a new children’s store (2315 Broadway) one block north.
reviewed
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Tiffany & Co
This famous jeweler, with the trademark clock-hoisting Atlas over the door, has won countless hearts with its fine diamond rings, watches, silver Elsa Peretti heart necklaces, and fine crystal vases and glassware. It’s the high-end bridal registry spot of choice, and the store’s little blue boxes have been known to provoke squealing from any teenage girl lucky enough to get a gift from here. The classy elevators are operated by old-school humans – and whatever you do, don’t harass them with tired ‘Where’s the breakfast?’ jokes.
reviewed
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New York Yankees Clubhouse
The South Street Seaport is an 11-block enclave of shops, piers and sights that combines the best and worst in historic preservation. It’s not on the radar for most New Yorkers, but tourists are drawn to the sea air, the nautical feel, the frequent street performers and the mobbed restaurants. Schermerhorn Row, a block of old warehouses bordered by Fulton, Front and South Sts, contains novelty shops, upscale boutiques and the New York Yankees Clubhouse, where you can purchase fee-free game tickets and plenty of Yankees souvenirs.
reviewed
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Idlewild Books
One of the best new indie bookshops to open in recent years, Idlewild is a great shopping destination when planning or even daydreaming about travel. Books are divided by region and cover guidebooks as well as fiction, travelogues, history, cookbooks and other stimulating fare when wanting to delve into a country. The big windows overlooking the street, high ceilings and world globe display (all for sale) add to the charm. Check ‘Events’ on the website for Idlewild’s lineup of readings and book-launch parties, sometimes with drinks, music and dance.
reviewed
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Little Shop of Crafts
Head to New York’s largest craft house when you’re in the mood for something crafty, and want to make it yourself. You can opt to paint ceramics (which they provide and then fire for you), create beaded jewelry, assemble a mosaic (picture frame, mirror etc), or even build your own stuffed animal. Friendly staff members guide the way. Go on a weeknight (when there’s wine and good tunes playing) to avoid the child-parent crush on weekends.
reviewed
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Aji Ichiban
This Hong Kong–based chain, the name of which means ‘awesome’ in Japanese, is a ubiquitous sight in Chinatown, as this is just one of five locations here. And though it is a candy shop, get ready for something a bit more exciting than malted balls and peppermint sticks. Here’s where you’ll find sesame-flavored marshmallows, Thai durian milk candy, preserved plums, mandarin peel, blackcurrant gummies and dried guava, as well as savory snacks like crispy spicy cod fish, crab chips, wasabi peas and dried anchovies with peanuts.
reviewed
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Off Broadway Boutiques
Dressing divas since 1970, Off Broadway's clothes are sparkling, vivid and far, far too garish for almost everyone's taste – and yet somehow this thrift shop has stayed in business for 40 years. Maybe it's the odd gem or two tucked into the back section, called Re-Runs, that keeps people flocking in: hidden in the bins are vintage finds by Yves St Laurent, Dior and others. The owner also scours the globe for emerging designers and features their clothes in the front of the shop. There are real bargains to be had, but you'll have to search for them.
reviewed
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John Varvatos
Set in the hallowed halls of former punk club CBGB, the John Varvatos Bowery store is either a grievous insult to rock history or a creative reconfiguration of the past – depending on which side of the gentrification aisle you happen to stand on. The store goes to great lengths to tie fashion with rock-and-roll, with records, ’70s audio equipment and even electric guitars for sale alongside JV’s denim, leather boots, belts and graphic tees. There’s also a small stage (not original) and old show posters that pay homage to the space’s colorful past.
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