Best Shopping Places in New York City
For me a big part of any New York City trip is shopping. I love to shop. And I can go on for hours (ask my family, they all had to suffer endless shopping trips with me over the years… and lived to tell the tale). Whilst there are loads of shopping opportunities in London, New York City is a totally different ball game. So find out more about my best shopping places in New York.
First up: What is the main shopping street in New York City?
Well, the most famous shopping street in New York City for sure is Fifth Avenue. And there is no way you can experience New York without strolling down Fifth Avenue at least once. But it might just be window-shopping, depending on your shopping budget.
Fifth Avenue is home to all the big names, Tiffany & Co, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks.
But lucky for you, Fifth Avenue isn’t the only place to go shopping in New York.
That said, if you head further down on Fifth Avenue (so away from Central Park), you would also find your standard high-street brands, such as H&M, Zara and the likes.
So, where are the best shopping places in New York City?
The thing I really love about shopping in New York is the variety. You can get pretty much everything. And you can get some really great bargains, if you know where to look. Sounds intriguing?
No matter where in New York you go, there will always be plenty of shops around. And same as all districts in New York have their own kind of identity, so have the shops.
From high-end fashion designers to vintage clothing, handmade and unique pieces to cheap designer bargains, you can find it all in New York City. You just need to know where to look.
Or even better, just keep your eyes open and take in all your surroundings. You’ll be amazed what you can find.
So let me share with you my best shopping places in New York (and please note that my shopping experience usually is a mix of bargain hunting in New York and designer shopping on a budget).
Macy’s Herald Square
My absolute favourite shop in New York City is Macy’s flagship store on Herald Square (corner of Broadway and 34th Street). For years it had been the largest department store in the world (and it still is number two) and on its 9 floors you will get almost everything you can imagine. Yes, Macy’s might be a little pricy overall, but I somehow always manage to bag some really good bargains here. My advice: Don’t rush it. Take your time; explore all the floors and find those sales corners, they can be a little hidden occasionally.
If you visit as a tourist, don’t forget to head to the mezzanine level first to claim your visitor’s pass (bring your passport or ID card with you). This entitles you to a 10% discount when shopping at Macy’s (not on all items, but on pretty much all full priced items).
When shopping in New York (well anywhere in the US really), you must remember that on top of the price shown, you will have to pay sales tax. For New York City this comes to around 8.5%. But only on clothing that is above $110 dollars. It can all be very confusing and it seems a lot of times sales advisors don’t know either. Rule of thumb, be prepared for an extra 10% (a lot easier to calculate in your head that 8.5%) and be pleasantly surprised if the item you are buying isn’t applicable for said sales tax.
If you are looking to do some plus size shopping in New York, Macy’s is sheer heaven. I was pleasantly surprised first time I stumbled across Macy’s plus size department. Which actually occupies half a floor, not just a few sad racks tucked into a back corner, like in so many other places.
Head up to the seventh floor and spend hours trying on beautiful plus size designer clothing from labels such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors (before I discovered Macy’s plus size department, I didn’t even know these labels made plus size clothing, never seen any of those back in the UK).
Century 21
Another one of my favourites shops is Century 21. Again an ideal destination if you are bargain hunting in New York, as you can find great designer labels at very affordable prices (I mean who could say NO to a Karl Lagerfeld Little Black Dress for less than $30? Or a Tommy Hilfiger jacket for $25?). But where Macy’s is calm and sophisticated, Century 21 can be very hectic and crowded, especially at its flagship location down by the World Trade Center.
First time I set foot in that store, I was in and out within 5 minutes. I just could not bear it. It was full of people, everyone was pushing and shoving and it was sheer chaos (a bit like heading to Primark on Oxford Street on a Saturday in the run up to Christmas – something I wouldn’t dream of doing, I am not suicidal). I didn’t really explore it much and completely failed to notice the great (and cheap) things they had.
Best Shopping Places in New York City: Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Talking of Brooklyn, Fulton Street in general is a great shopping location, especially if you are after cheap shopping in New York. It is easily accessible by subway (take the Q train and it is only 2 stops from Macy’s 34th Street) and you will find lots of outlet shops there. Not just the above mentioned Century 21, but also the outlet shops of Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle, Anne Taylor and Swarovski (to name just a few), as well as TJ Maxx (if you live in Europe you might be more familiar with the name TK Maxx, but it is the same thing really).
And if you need a little distraction from all that bargain hunting in New York, you can head a little further down Fulton Street and visit the New York Transit Museum, located in a disused subway station on Schermerhorn Street. Or just send your husband and kids there whilst you continue shopping.
Best Shopping Places in New York City: Lower Manhattan / Soho
Explore the area around Spring Street / Broadway. You will find plenty of high street brands (and loads of sportswear labels, if you are looking for that kind of thing), all in a rather picturesque setting, conveniently sprinkled with loads of nice coffee shops and restaurants. And you can find the MoMA design store here (so you can at least pick up some art related souvenirs and postcards, in case you don’t quite make it to the MoMA itself in between all that shopping).
Best Shopping Places in New York City: Meatpacking District / West Village
Located at the southern end of the Highline Park, this area has undergone massive refurbishment over the years and is nowadays a trendy area for shopping, dining and clubbing. You will find an eclectic mix of designer stores, boutiques and vintage stores here (although all a little pricy, so not necessarily the best location for bargain hunting in New York).
The Meatpacking District is also home to the Chelsea Market, an indoor food market with loads of restaurants as well as cooking / food related shops.
Best Shopping Places in New York City: Upper West Side
I have mentioned the Century 21 store on UWS earlier. And though I wouldn’t necessarily go there just for that store, I do like the area and there are plenty of other stores around, making it another convenient shopping district (whilst you are up there, how about checking out some movie locations from You’ve got Mail).
Start at Columbus Circle, head to the Time Warner Center first for some high end retail stores (and a large Wholefood Market in the basement, if you feel peckish). Walk up Broadway and enjoy a variety of shops, from high-street brands like Zara and Banana Republic to (yet another) Apple Store, several home furnishing stores (like Bed Bath & Beyond), all the way up to W72nd Street, where you will find the Bloomingdale’s Outlet store.
