Ok, so as Gard mentioned we'll be in NYC (28 Nov-4 Dec). Our strategy is shopping on week days and shows/sightseeing friday-sunday. Any comments there?
We would like to get all the Xmas shopping done in NYC and we're working on a strategy of sorts.
1) I need some honest opions about shopping in the city versus Woodbury Common Outlet. Getting to Woodbury seems easy enough but is it worth the effort? I was not impressed with Century21, we do not have time to sift through hap-hazard piles of clothes - I like them stacked and easy to flip through. What's the situation at the outlet stores? Messy piles you have to fight your way through or regular store set up?
2) And what about the comments that it's mainly 'last season' items? I'm a BR, JCrew meets Ann Taylor etc type of gal - will I find good bargains (50% or more) in my size (8/10 short) on basics (chinos, good quality suits, etc)? Not interested in Gucci et al.
3) We'll also be shopping for fashion concious teens - anything for them there?
Appreciate the honest feedback!

One more thing ... where do people do their grocery shopping in NY? We never saw any huge grocery stores like regular American suburbs have...and no shopping malls either - Macys doesn't count. Ok, I like to do all my shopping in one (enclosed) space

Shopping on weekdays sounds fine, but saving shows for weekends may cost more and both shows and sightseeing will be more crowded on weekends. If you intend on trying for discount show tickets, it's busier and there are rarely purchase ahead discounts on broadwaybox.com for a Sat. night. I don't understand why you can't do a bit of both in a day. Best idea imo is do shopping first thing in the morning (or as early as the stores open) and then spend the afternoon sightseeing and see shows in the evening. Ofcourse if you do a trip out of Manhattan for shopping, then that's fine for that day.

Woodbury Commons is NOT enclosed. It's all outside. You might prefer the closer mall, Jersey Gardens which is enclosed, in New Jersey so no sales tax and a shorter cheaper bus trip. I think it has the stores you want. Here's the link to have a look
http://www.jerseygardens.com/go/dirlisting.cfm?fl=all

Rarely do the outlet stores carry the same merchandise that you would find in a the regular store, but it's not necessarily last seasons. Sometimes they manufacture things specifically for the outlets. For the teens, Abercrombie and Forever 21 have stores at JG. You can also shop in Macy's and Bloomingdales and get the 11% visitors discount if you register first. I just recently found out Lord & Taylor, a smaller, saner dept. store also gives visitors discounts at 15%. You have to go to their 7th floor customer service dept.

Here's a link to NY Magazines discount guide which includes info on the various malls and some other discount places in Manhattan and Brooklyn. I am also not a fan of C. 21 and have heard from others that it's not considered great for women's clothes but is good for underwear, accessories and linens. I like TJ Maxx, Daffy's, Loehmann's and Syms as discount places in Manhattan. Here's the link
nymag.com/cheap

One other thought is there's a big shopping mall in Queens, east of where you're staying. It's not discount stores, but some claim the prices are sometimes less than in Manhattan. Here's some info
http://queens.about.com/od/shopping/ss/queens_mall.htm
According to hopstop.com it's a 30 minute trip from the Quality Inn LIC.

On grocery shopping, there are 3 main grocery chains in Manhattan, Food Emporium, D'Agostino and Gristedes. Whole Foods has multiple stores now in Manhattan including one in the basement of the Time Warner building at Columbus Circle (which may not have been built when you were last here). Btw, the Time Warner building is an upscale indoor mall of sorts. The beautiful World Financial Center across from the WTC site is also enclosed and has some shops but you should try to visit for the Xmas decorations in the Winter Garden. They also tend to have concerts during the day. Check out the site
http://worldfinancialcenter.com/

Back to the grocery stores, they all have websites where you can find store locations. There are also dozens of specialty food stores (Zabar's, Grace's Market, Fairway, Murray's Cheese Shop etc.) and the ever present Duane Reade drugstores also carry basic foodstuff that you might want.

Doing a search on mapquest.com for the market nearest your hotel in LIC there appears to be a PATHMARK down the road on Northern Blvd. Info here
http://pathmark.com/locator/Display.aspx

I'd also ask the front desk where they recommend.

There are two different types of outlet stores: true "factory" stores with the racks of stuff you have to sift through, and "outlet" stores that are like real stores but with the brand's second line and usually an area with the last-season sale stuff to sift through. Anne Taylor Loft is a chain throughout the US that started as an outlet store, but is now a full-fledged operation on its own. (It's a bit like Gap is to BR, but aimed at a young working woman - it's still AT! )

I personally prefer Jersey Gardens to Woodbury to get my outlet fix. Keep in mind it's a true American mall, complete with roaming teens and parents trying to keep little ones busy as they shop. It includes:
- a huge Gap Outlet (Gap's second line; cannot return to a regular Gap store)
- Anne Taylor Factory Store (stacks of clothes in front, large sale area in back where you can find some great bargains)
- BR Outlet (again, stacks of clothes)
- Benneton
- H&M (not an outlet, but I have a better experience here than in the crowded NYC stores)
- Nine West
- Aerosoles

I know I'm forgetting a bunch of my regular stops! Oh, and it's also closer than Woodbury, being just across the river in Elizabeth, NJ. When you get there, take the time to pick up a map. And get a shopping cart if you can - carrying all that stuff around will get really tiring! (I've been known to spend a whole day there...)

Of course you know that you'll be here at the biggest shopping time of the year. It may be a little early in the season, but usually lots of stores will have sales and other discounts to tempt shoppers - both without leaving NYC and at the mall.

As another shopping option, you may be interested in the stretch of stores between 23rd and 14th Streets in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue has everything from AT, BR, JCrew and Gap to (a new) H&M, Esprit, and Anthropologie. It's like a mall, only in storefronts! Nearby on 6th Ave at 18th Street, you'll find a TJMaxx and Filene's Basement plus a huge Bed, Bath & Beyond all in one building, with an Old Navy next door. (Note that all of these stores have multiple locations in NYC; I'm mentioning this stretch because it's condensed into one area without being quite so crowded as midtown.)

There aren't many massive grocery stores in Manhattan. The Whole Foods are pretty big. There's a Trader Joe in Union Square. A lot of New Yorkers use FreshDirect.

There are a lot of Associated Supermarkets around, and there are other decent sized groceries around town. They just might not stand out like a supermarket in a suburb.

I've found in recent years that you can get great deals in Macy's. They always seem to be having a sale. Frequently have coupons in their flyers, and usually offer further discoutns if yo use their credit card (which you can usually get on the spot if you already have a major credit card).

Most smaller stores like BR, AT, etc., have their sale racks, but the selection varies, although I find some good deals time to time. Usually what is listed on sale on their websites is what you'd find on the sale racks.

As far as for teens, H&M, and Forever 21 are inexpensive but up to date clothing primarily for teens and young adults.

No real malls to be found in Manhattan, but walking around Soho is almost like being in a mall. It has many of the same chains without the big dept. stores (there is a smaller version of the uptown Bloomingdales there as well).

There is are a handful of grocery stores in Manhattan that actually have a parking lot. Pathmark in chinatown and Fairway in Harlem both have free parking at the store. There's a smaller fairway, without parking on the UWS.

Just want to add, for an almost mall-like Manhattan experience, on 14th st, opposite Union Sq park the block is all stores (Filene's, DSW, Forever 21, Wholefoods, and some smaller stores). There are also great views of the park from inside Filene's.

I think that Lord & Taylor is highly underrated. They have the same things that Macy's and others have with half the crowd and I've got some really good bargains there too.

I respectfully disagree about Jersey Gardens being better than Woodbury Commons for one reason/word - Barneys.

I ALWAYS find something there and consider my style/size exactly to yours. Woodbury is not like C21 at all. You should check out the stores online and compare what outlet has the better list for you.

They will both be mad houses either way

I like H&M, Mexx, A/X, and Bloomingdales along with some other specialty shops.

When I'm in the mood (translated to mean when my credit cards have a zero balance), I'll indulge in something wonderful from Bergdorf Goodman.

You haven;t seen grocery stores in NYC because you haven;t been in residential areas. If you go to the upper east or west side you will see some - usually D'Agostino, Food Emporium etc - but they will be only about 1/3 the size of the stores in the suburbs - since real estate is so expensive and grocery stores run on a very low profit margin (even with the super high prices they charge in NYC). Also, locals tend to do a lot of shopping in specialty stores - Citarella for fish, local greengrocers for fruit and veggies etc - to get better quality.

And yes, more and more people are using Fresh Direct.

There are a very few (vertical ) malls in Manhattan - like Trump Tower - but distinctly upscale. And the original Macy's (9 stories full square block) on 34th St is a mall in itself. But- a lot of us prefer specialty shops with things that are different than you find in any mall.

Another reason you may not notice grocery stores in Manhattan: they are not surrounded by large parking lots. In fact they are often tucked into the basements of newer buildings, with street-level doors to elevators and escalators. NYers also shop a lot at delis and other specialty food shops.

There are plenty of grocery stores including supermarkets in many NYC neighborhoods that are primarily residential.I have 3 within a reasonable walk of my area .And places like the Upper west side have corner markets/korean greengrocers/bodegas on every other corner, though rising real estate prices have cut their numbers. Plus the aforementioned gourmet markets. Plenty of food shopping choices for us!
Most tourist spend most of their time in Midtown and downtown areas that have had virtually no residential property until a few years ago. People moving into those areas are definitely at a disadvantage in terms of large grocery stores,

Wow Thanks so much everyone!

I just entered Lord&Taylor's website and can't find any reference to the visitor's 15% discount, are you sure about that?

jodeenyc, I definitely agree with you - I would be the last one to say that Jersey Gardens is *better* than Woodbury Commons! As I said, I just prefer it - it's sooo much closer to the city, and its layout just feels more manageable to me. There's a good enough mix of stores to keep me happy... (then again, I suppose that's true just about anywhere LOL!).

unfortunally as i will be in nuc just 5 days this time, I won't have time to visit wodwory common and spend a whole day....we rented a car last year and really liked the experience!!

Surprised no one mentioned the sample sales.

http://nymag.com/urban/guides/nyonth.../calendar2.htm

The OP says "we do not have time to sift through hap-hazard piles of clothes - I like them stacked and easy to flip through." That doesn't sound like going to sample sales would be a good fit for her shopping needs...