Shopping in New York - New York Weekend Breaks
Shopping in New York is a dream come true to say the least. As one of the world's fashion capitals, the city is filled with giant department stores, designer boutiques, exclusive antique dealers and trendy side stores. It is also possible to pick up incredible bargains at seasonal sales and from discount designer brand stores. Areas such as 5th Street in the Midtown East and Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side all have a reputation for being amazing shopping areas, as do Chelsea, Soho and Manhattan.
If your interest lies in clothing, head straight for Soho. The area is renowned for being the place to shop for designer labels. The list of shops lining the streets is endless, from Anna Sui to Chanel, Guess and Keiko New York. Purchase a shirt or pair of jeans from Armani Exchange or add some classic casuals to your wardrobe from Tommy Hilfiger. Go Prada style at Mui Mui or invest in some Sex in the City numbers from Patricia Field. Complete your outfits with a trendy piece of jewelry from Versani or a delicate design from Borealis. The area between Price and Houston Streets is particularly packed with designer boutiques and mammoth department stores, so make sure you set aside enough time to shop up a storm.
Walking into a New York department store is like stepping onto another planet and is something everyone should experience at least once. Lord and Taylor and Macy's are both located in the Midtown East area of New York, while Bloomingdales in the Midtown West is so large it occupies an entire city block. Saks is a fashion-only department store known for its European and American fashion collections and Century 21 in Lower Manhattan is known for offering mind blowing deals on designer labels such as Gucci and Armani. The store is located on Cortlandt Street between Church and Broadway Streets.
If you are not adverse to imitation you can also buy cheap replicas of almost all designer brands. Hawkers line the streets of New York, selling everything from Cartier watches to Kate Spade bags and Gucci sandals. If you want to buy the real thing at a bargain price it is worthwhile paying a visit to one of the discount stores scattered throughout the city.
Find Outlet in Soho offers up to 75% off designer labels while Klein's of Monticello on the Lower East side offers around 25% off designer labels including Malo and Les Copains. Syms on Park Avenue is known to offer great deals on Calvin Klein and Versace, while at Loehmanns in Chelsea you can get designer accessories for under $50 in some cases. One factor to keep in mind with all discount stores is that it may take you a while to search through clothing racks, so make sure you set aside enough time to search bargains and really find what you need.
New York is also renowned for its antique stores, so if its antiques that you are after be sure to take a trip to the Upper East Side to explore Madison and Park Avenues. The Chinese Porcelain Company sells everything from porcelain statues to 18th -century furniture; while City Barn Antiques specialise in wood antiques predominantly from the 1950's. DeLorenzo holds a significant range of French Art Deco furniture and Israel Sack Inc is considered the top seller of American furniture from the 17th to 19th centuries. Visiting these antique shops really is a worthwhile experience, even if it is just to see what they have to offer. with the pound/dollar exchange rate the way it is at the moment, it might very well be worthwhile to do your Christmas shopping in New York this year!
New York - Weekend Break
