Herald Square

This crowded convergence of Broadway, Sixth Ave and 34th St is best known as the home of famous Macy’s department store, where you can still ride some of the remaining original wooden elevators to floors ranging from women’s casualwear and home furnishings to lingerie and linens. And, as part of the city’s recent ‘traffic-free Times Square’ plan, you can also (try to) relax in a lawn chair right outside of Macy’s, in the middle of Broadway and right alongside of Herald Sq. The busy square gets its name from a long-defunct newspaper, the New York Herald (1835–1924), and the small, leafy park here bustles during business hours thanks to a recent and much-needed facelift. Don’t bother with the two indoor malls south of Macy’s on Sixth Ave, where you’ll just find a boring and suburban array of chain stores – the exception being Daffy’s, which offers great discounts on big labels.