Gigglepots: how was your NYC shopping?
Sep 12th, 2005, 01:32 PM
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Gigglepots: how was your NYC shopping?
Gigglepots: I see you guys are back from NY. Please give up a trip report - which shopping suggestions were on target, and which bit the big one?
Sep 13th, 2005, 05:44 PM
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Aah, you know you have been here too many times when a gal gets a post addressed to oneself!
Budzilla, it was "Abso-f**king-lutely" FABULOUS (quoting Big, since as you know, we went on the SATC tour).
Okay, here goes (Caution: this is a LONG one and probably only remotely interesting to anybody who loves shopping):
I miss NYC already. I completely fell in love with the city from the moment the airport shuttle guy picked me up and dropped me in front of Belvedere Hotel. Fabulous hotel, btw. For the price you pay, the location is great, it is super clean and the service was stupendous. One night we called down to see what might be a good pizza joint they might suggest for delivery and the gal immediately responded with "Ray's Pizza". If this represents true nyc pizza, then I give it a thumbs up. That, or we were just starving.
Okay, but we all know that we were really there just for the shopping. We started with Barney's Warehouse Sale the first day. It was okay. I only bought a Diane Von Furstenburg skirt (but for $51, regular $235, I was happy) but I lament that maybe it was because it was near the end and not the beginning of the sale so I would definitely be keen to hit it again if I'm ever there at the beginning of the sale.
That night, we went to bed early, dreaming of Century 21. True to our word, we arrived there at 7:45am.
It was the best time to go. There were few people roaming through the racks and I even overheard one gal say, "we should come here more often in the mornings - this is way more organized than we usually see it."
I think I dropped only U$300 that first day there, but had purchased at least 11 items, including a beautiful Kate Spade bag and a half a dozen pair of earrings (and the receipt screamed that I had racked up $400 in savings!).
We spent close to 4 hours pouring through the racks at Century 21 though, so I might suggest dropping the bags off at your hotel afterwards and starting fresh again for the afternoon. We, of course, were way too excited and could not wait to continue on so our only downside was that we had to lug our heavy bags (and those clear plastic things are not particularly attractive as it is) through to SoHo and NoLita that same day.
I did make sure we went to Anbar near Century 21 before heading off to SoHo. Thanks for that tip, Budzilla. I didn't buy anything there (much to my disappointment) - but I would definitely recommend people go! You need to pour through the aisles slowly though because I am certain I probably missed a treasure or two simply from trying to scan each row too quickly.
Shopping wise, I thought SoHo and NoLita was ok. There were many a stores to pour through but I think we became spoiled after seeing Century 21's prices. I also knew that the H&M store at that location wasn't the hottest (my best friend will be forever indebted to me for the amount of shopping research I did for this trip). We didn't go into any of the ordinary shops either, like Banana Republic, Sephora, etc.
We bought a few things here and there and by late afternoon grew bored of the shops we were seeing. We did get to see a lot of places we had been curious about though, i.e. Agent Provateur, La Perla, and Diesel. When we were in Chanel and my friend was looking at a particular purse, the sales lady dryly commented on our bulging Century 21 bags. I laughed on the inside thinking for the $1000 that you are quoting for this purse, I'd gladly spend that much at C21!
The streets of NoLita were beautiful, however, and the neighborhood reeked of new talent and wonderful creativity which was a treat to see. Imagine being a young up and coming designer in NYC!
On Friday, we hit H&M near 5th ave. Oh boy! H&M would never get rid of us thereafter. We almost hit that store practically every day (by far the biggest and the best selection) until the last day of tax free week. I suspect that the salespeople undoubtedly thought to themselves several times, "those two are back, AGAIN?!".
Afterwards, we hit all the stores we've always dreamed of going to in NYC. Takashimaya, Gucci, Prada, Tiffany&Co, F.A.O Schwartz and a bunch of the big name department stores (though not particularly exciting itself, Macy’s in California is way better!).
We were a wee bit disappointed with the village however, although I think it was because we had mistakenly been expecting rows and rows of fabulous shops (I think by that time, we thought NYC consisted only of such shops!). We did enjoy venturing into Marc Jacobs, etc and even bought a few books at the Biography bookstore (see, we don’t just buy clothes! Lol). Naturally, we couldn’t leave without having a cupcake at Magnolia, but I must say, I think Billy’s cupcakes are tastier.
I do have to admit that I have never quite shopped for 5 days in a row as fervently as we did in NYC. By the end of the trip, we had gone to Century 21 three times (new stock everyday! lol), H&M over half a dozen times (sometimes twice in the same day), and Bloomingdale's on a few other occasions. I KNOW we missed so much more but even driving by Stella McCartney and the likes (I think in meatpacking?) was enough to make me smile and fall in love with nyc forever.
We did hit a few sample sales as well but never found anything worthwhile that caught our eye. Some of the items were either ridiculously expensive for unknowns, or too strange to incorporate into our wardrobe.
I think I'd be inclined to go to NYC every Labor day weekend to pick out my "fall" wardrobe. I practically had a new wardrobe by the time I came back (thank goodness for the extra duffel bag I packed) and Customs almost made me regret it - but then the guy let me go after only carefully pouring through my receipts without going through my suitcases (otherwise I might've been a goner). I am eternally grateful to the Shopping Gods!
Biggest disappointment I must say was Bergdorf's. We went there in pure anticipation of being blown away and came out those doors feeling deflated. Mind you, I forgot to venture to the 6th floor salon or wherever it is that's supposed to be fabulous. Aside from that, it felt old and stuffy and I'd much rather be at Bloomingdale's any day.
One afternoon, Jennifer Lopez was reportedly in Prada shopping too but we never saw a glimpse aside from a few dark-suited men in the closed store (yes, we were one of those people clamoring in front of the windows eager to catch sight of J.Lo).
In any case, I'd like to thank you again, Budzilla, for the wonderful suggestions you gave me. Without them, I might have done a few things wrong which might've proved to be uneventful to our memorable trip (and thanks not just for the shopping tips too!).
All in all, I provide the following shopping report:
3 skirts
2 jackets
10 tops
2 sweaters
1 pair of jeans
2 pairs of gauchos
4 purses
7 pairs of earrings
1 bracelet
1 necklace
2 pairs of shoes
And even gifts for my family and friends to boot.
Oh I should mention that our Itinerary itself worked out to the T. We did Balthazar's for brunch, went to MoMA at the opening, ESB during sunset, walking the Brooklyn bridge and of course, the SATC tour. Everything was done with perfect timing even though we tried really hard not to be on a “tourist’s schedule”.
Near the end of the trip, we even had time to enjoy long lunches and dinners sitting outside - once even at Pastis (although coming from the West Coast, I must say, NYC lacks a few patios which is undertandable, though I noticed Tribeca seemed to have a lot more. I wonder why that is?).
Thank you again to everyone on Fodors. You guys have never failed to disappoint me the countless times I've used this site and this trip was no exception.
We are thinking our next trip might be to Spain and Portugal so I will be in touch soon enough
Cheers,
Gigglepots
Budzilla, it was "Abso-f**king-lutely" FABULOUS (quoting Big, since as you know, we went on the SATC tour).
Okay, here goes (Caution: this is a LONG one and probably only remotely interesting to anybody who loves shopping):
I miss NYC already. I completely fell in love with the city from the moment the airport shuttle guy picked me up and dropped me in front of Belvedere Hotel. Fabulous hotel, btw. For the price you pay, the location is great, it is super clean and the service was stupendous. One night we called down to see what might be a good pizza joint they might suggest for delivery and the gal immediately responded with "Ray's Pizza". If this represents true nyc pizza, then I give it a thumbs up. That, or we were just starving.
Okay, but we all know that we were really there just for the shopping. We started with Barney's Warehouse Sale the first day. It was okay. I only bought a Diane Von Furstenburg skirt (but for $51, regular $235, I was happy) but I lament that maybe it was because it was near the end and not the beginning of the sale so I would definitely be keen to hit it again if I'm ever there at the beginning of the sale.
That night, we went to bed early, dreaming of Century 21. True to our word, we arrived there at 7:45am.
It was the best time to go. There were few people roaming through the racks and I even overheard one gal say, "we should come here more often in the mornings - this is way more organized than we usually see it."
I think I dropped only U$300 that first day there, but had purchased at least 11 items, including a beautiful Kate Spade bag and a half a dozen pair of earrings (and the receipt screamed that I had racked up $400 in savings!).
We spent close to 4 hours pouring through the racks at Century 21 though, so I might suggest dropping the bags off at your hotel afterwards and starting fresh again for the afternoon. We, of course, were way too excited and could not wait to continue on so our only downside was that we had to lug our heavy bags (and those clear plastic things are not particularly attractive as it is) through to SoHo and NoLita that same day.
I did make sure we went to Anbar near Century 21 before heading off to SoHo. Thanks for that tip, Budzilla. I didn't buy anything there (much to my disappointment) - but I would definitely recommend people go! You need to pour through the aisles slowly though because I am certain I probably missed a treasure or two simply from trying to scan each row too quickly.
Shopping wise, I thought SoHo and NoLita was ok. There were many a stores to pour through but I think we became spoiled after seeing Century 21's prices. I also knew that the H&M store at that location wasn't the hottest (my best friend will be forever indebted to me for the amount of shopping research I did for this trip). We didn't go into any of the ordinary shops either, like Banana Republic, Sephora, etc.
We bought a few things here and there and by late afternoon grew bored of the shops we were seeing. We did get to see a lot of places we had been curious about though, i.e. Agent Provateur, La Perla, and Diesel. When we were in Chanel and my friend was looking at a particular purse, the sales lady dryly commented on our bulging Century 21 bags. I laughed on the inside thinking for the $1000 that you are quoting for this purse, I'd gladly spend that much at C21!
The streets of NoLita were beautiful, however, and the neighborhood reeked of new talent and wonderful creativity which was a treat to see. Imagine being a young up and coming designer in NYC!
On Friday, we hit H&M near 5th ave. Oh boy! H&M would never get rid of us thereafter. We almost hit that store practically every day (by far the biggest and the best selection) until the last day of tax free week. I suspect that the salespeople undoubtedly thought to themselves several times, "those two are back, AGAIN?!".
Afterwards, we hit all the stores we've always dreamed of going to in NYC. Takashimaya, Gucci, Prada, Tiffany&Co, F.A.O Schwartz and a bunch of the big name department stores (though not particularly exciting itself, Macy’s in California is way better!).
We were a wee bit disappointed with the village however, although I think it was because we had mistakenly been expecting rows and rows of fabulous shops (I think by that time, we thought NYC consisted only of such shops!). We did enjoy venturing into Marc Jacobs, etc and even bought a few books at the Biography bookstore (see, we don’t just buy clothes! Lol). Naturally, we couldn’t leave without having a cupcake at Magnolia, but I must say, I think Billy’s cupcakes are tastier.
I do have to admit that I have never quite shopped for 5 days in a row as fervently as we did in NYC. By the end of the trip, we had gone to Century 21 three times (new stock everyday! lol), H&M over half a dozen times (sometimes twice in the same day), and Bloomingdale's on a few other occasions. I KNOW we missed so much more but even driving by Stella McCartney and the likes (I think in meatpacking?) was enough to make me smile and fall in love with nyc forever.
We did hit a few sample sales as well but never found anything worthwhile that caught our eye. Some of the items were either ridiculously expensive for unknowns, or too strange to incorporate into our wardrobe.
I think I'd be inclined to go to NYC every Labor day weekend to pick out my "fall" wardrobe. I practically had a new wardrobe by the time I came back (thank goodness for the extra duffel bag I packed) and Customs almost made me regret it - but then the guy let me go after only carefully pouring through my receipts without going through my suitcases (otherwise I might've been a goner). I am eternally grateful to the Shopping Gods!
Biggest disappointment I must say was Bergdorf's. We went there in pure anticipation of being blown away and came out those doors feeling deflated. Mind you, I forgot to venture to the 6th floor salon or wherever it is that's supposed to be fabulous. Aside from that, it felt old and stuffy and I'd much rather be at Bloomingdale's any day.
One afternoon, Jennifer Lopez was reportedly in Prada shopping too but we never saw a glimpse aside from a few dark-suited men in the closed store (yes, we were one of those people clamoring in front of the windows eager to catch sight of J.Lo).
In any case, I'd like to thank you again, Budzilla, for the wonderful suggestions you gave me. Without them, I might have done a few things wrong which might've proved to be uneventful to our memorable trip (and thanks not just for the shopping tips too!).
All in all, I provide the following shopping report:
3 skirts
2 jackets
10 tops
2 sweaters
1 pair of jeans
2 pairs of gauchos
4 purses
7 pairs of earrings
1 bracelet
1 necklace
2 pairs of shoes
And even gifts for my family and friends to boot.
Oh I should mention that our Itinerary itself worked out to the T. We did Balthazar's for brunch, went to MoMA at the opening, ESB during sunset, walking the Brooklyn bridge and of course, the SATC tour. Everything was done with perfect timing even though we tried really hard not to be on a “tourist’s schedule”.
Near the end of the trip, we even had time to enjoy long lunches and dinners sitting outside - once even at Pastis (although coming from the West Coast, I must say, NYC lacks a few patios which is undertandable, though I noticed Tribeca seemed to have a lot more. I wonder why that is?).
Thank you again to everyone on Fodors. You guys have never failed to disappoint me the countless times I've used this site and this trip was no exception.
We are thinking our next trip might be to Spain and Portugal so I will be in touch soon enough
Cheers,
Gigglepots
Sep 13th, 2005, 07:08 PM
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Sooo lovely to read the wonderful adventures of a Shopper Extraordinaire~
I loved it. Scarlett
* I believe the sidewalk cafes in NYC are restricted due to the need for a certain amount of sidewalk space available*
I loved it. Scarlett
* I believe the sidewalk cafes in NYC are restricted due to the need for a certain amount of sidewalk space available*
Sep 13th, 2005, 07:17 PM
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Gigglepots, my footsies hurt just reading your shopping report 
I recently discovered Century 21 on my last trip into Manhattan. Where have I been living, under a rock? I found several designer sweaters -
gt; The shoe department was a bit overwhelming and I think I began to hyperventilate a bit - definitely meant for the serious shopper
Glad you had a fabulous shopping trip!
I recently discovered Century 21 on my last trip into Manhattan. Where have I been living, under a rock? I found several designer sweaters -
gt; The shoe department was a bit overwhelming and I think I began to hyperventilate a bit - definitely meant for the serious shopper Glad you had a fabulous shopping trip!
Sep 13th, 2005, 07:33 PM
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Hi gigglepots, what a charming trip report. I can only imagine the fun you had, plus sore feet, LOL! A true "dream" vacation.
But I am confused about something. If you live on the westcoast of the US why did you have to go through customs? Or did you mean the westcoast of some other country?
I was waiting for you to say that you had to pay a fortune in overweight luggage fees with the airline to get home LOL. Guess you managed to not have your luggage over the weight limit? Amazing. Thanks again for sharing your fun!
But I am confused about something. If you live on the westcoast of the US why did you have to go through customs? Or did you mean the westcoast of some other country?
I was waiting for you to say that you had to pay a fortune in overweight luggage fees with the airline to get home LOL. Guess you managed to not have your luggage over the weight limit? Amazing. Thanks again for sharing your fun!
Sep 14th, 2005, 05:47 AM
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I think I could talk about shopping forever!
I'm on the West Coast in Canada, in Vancouver!
I must say, the Customs guy was a bit of a pr*ck but I forgave him when he handed me back the receipts without rummaging through my stuff. I was grinning on the inside when he finally waved me away irritably.
Mclaurie, we didn't do Loehmann's (nor Daffy's) and I do wonder how those might have been. Oh, we didn't even make it to Filene's Basement either.
So many more places to shop, how could we not go back to New York City?
I'm on the West Coast in Canada, in Vancouver!
I must say, the Customs guy was a bit of a pr*ck but I forgave him when he handed me back the receipts without rummaging through my stuff. I was grinning on the inside when he finally waved me away irritably.
Mclaurie, we didn't do Loehmann's (nor Daffy's) and I do wonder how those might have been. Oh, we didn't even make it to Filene's Basement either.
So many more places to shop, how could we not go back to New York City?
Sep 14th, 2005, 07:56 AM
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Pam, it's all the way downtown near City Hall (not far from WTC site). I think gigglepots' plan of getting there at 7:45 was great. Many people report they just can't deal with the crowds and mess later in the day. The idea of being there when the doors open sounds good. But it's one of those places you either love or hate. 
Aug 11th, 2006, 08:30 AM
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Hello again fellow shopaholics.....as fate would have it, I am returning to the heart of Manhattan in two weeks (perhaps true to our word, we may really be starting an annual homage to NYC). Are there any particular shopping things to note for the end of August? Any new finds you might want to share?? We'll be there the weekend of the 25th. Naturally, we're aware that Barney's Warehouse exists but I'm curious to know why i haven't seen anything about the Tax Free Week???
Thanks for any posts and hope all is well.
Thanks for any posts and hope all is well.
Aug 11th, 2006, 09:15 AM
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http://manhattan.about.com/b/a/256942.htm
It's always tax free week! That is, all clothing items under $110 (each) are completely sales-tax free, all the time.
It's always tax free week! That is, all clothing items under $110 (each) are completely sales-tax free, all the time.
Aug 12th, 2006, 05:21 AM
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How did I miss the "tax free on all clothing under $110 per item" deal? This is the first time I have seen it mentioned anywhere. That is GREAT! Thanks so much for posting this. I am going for 4 days in two weeks w/my daughter and it will be a nice bonus for us, but for someone like gigglepots who does pretty major shopping, this is a very very nice deal.
