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The Big Apple is one of the best shopping destinations in the world, rivaled perhaps only by London, Paris, and Tokyo. Its compact size, convenient subway system, and plentiful cabs (or Uber or Lyft rides) make it easy to navigate with plenty of bags in tow. But what it really comes down to is the staggering number and variety of stores. If you can't find it in New York, it probably doesn't exist.
If you like elegant flagships and money is no object, head to Midtown, where you'll find international megabrands like Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gucci, as well as famed department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. Nearby Madison Avenue has couture from Carolina Herrera and Vera Wang, and 5th Avenue is lined with famous jewelry stores such as Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston. This is also the neighborhood to indulge in bespoke goods, such as handmade shoes from John Lobb. If you like designer pieces but can't afford them, don't despair—there are plenty of upscale consignment shops around the city where you can find last season's Chanel suit or a vintage YSL jacket.
The small, independent shops that once lined SoHo have largely been displaced by the likes of J.Crew and UNIQLO, but if you want to hit the chains, this is a great place to do it, because the neighborhood also provides high-quality people-watching and superb lunches. Poke around on the side streets and in nearby NoLIta for outposts of smaller local and foreign designers and, if you're craving some of old SoHo's artistic spirit, don't discount the street vendors' stalls, which sell handmade jewelry and simple cotton dresses.
The East Village and Lower East Side are hotbeds of creativity and quirky coolness, with little boutiques selling everything from retro furniture to industrial-inspired jewelry. They're tucked among bars and old tenement buildings. The Meatpacking District is another great shopping destination to find chic designer stores like Diane von Furstenberg and rag & bone along with independently owned boutiques. And if you jaunt over to Brooklyn, you'll discover that some of the city's hippest designers are hanging out at boutiques just across the East River.
Prowl the shelves at this well-stocked museum shop for intriguing urban oddments and ornaments, like sculptural tableware, Alexander Girard dolls, housewares by Alessi, and Japanese notebooks by Postalco, along with an impressive selection of art and design books.
You need a ticket to the museum to physically enter the multiple gift shops at this ginormous museum, most of them themed to the exhibit they adjoin and packed with books, totes, T-shirts, toys, and other memorabilia. For example, the Dino Store features T. rex socks and stuffed animals; the Cosmic Shop features telescopes and NASA memorabilia; the gems and minerals shop offers agate-topped wine stoppers and lapis lazuli jewelry. Not visiting the museum? Shop online!
In addition to cookbooks and books on Jewish history and culture, the well-stocked shop carries beautiful items for Jewish holidays, such as seder plates for Passover and Hanukkah menorahs, and jewelry and gift items. The shop is closed Tuesday and Wednesday as is the museum. It's also closed Saturday, though the museum is open.
Highlights of the museum's sprawling shop are a phenomenal book selection, as well as posters, stationery, tote bags, umbrellas, and decorative pillows covered in prints of famous artworks on display. Reproductions of statuettes and other objets d'art fill the gleaming cases. Don't miss the jewelry selection, with its Byzantine- and Egyptian-inspired baubles. Everything is impeccably crafted and more than just an NYC souvenir.
This well-edited museum gift shop stocks high-quality crafts like beautiful handmade tableware, unusual jewelry, and rugs, often tied into ongoing exhibits. It's a great place to stock up on gifts.
Satisfy your curiosity about New York City's past, present, or future with the terrific selection of books, cards, toys, and photography posters. Some of the eclectic items for sale are salt and pepper shakers and holiday ornaments in the form of famous skyscrapers, jewelry and cuff links made of old subway tokens, and T-shirts and socks emblazoned with the NYC subway map.
Like the museum, the in-house bookshop and design store focus on German, Austrian, and Central European art. Everything from children's toys to jewelry to home decor is available here. Some items, such as reproductions, are quite pricey.
With an assortment of New-York specific merchandise inspired by New-York Historical Society's vast collections and landmark exhibitions as well as themes of American history, this museum gift shop offers exceptional gifts and souvenirs. You'll find all the expected beautiful museum-store fare as well as unique exhibition-inspired gifts like a Katz's Deli chocolate egg-cream scented candle or bagel socks from the museum's Jewish Deli exhibit or a stunning Harlem Toile de Jouy Square Silk Scarf created by the celebrated New York City–based designer Sheila Bridges for the Kara Walker exhibit.
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