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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.
Although Smythson still sells stationery fit for a queen—check out the royal warrant from England's HRH—it is also a place to scoop up on-trend handbags, iPad cases, and wallets. The hues range from sedate brown and black to eye-popping tangerine. The softbound leather diaries, old-fashioned agendas and address books, and travel accessories make ideal gifts, including for yourself.
Parquet flooring and art deco display cases give this multilevel store an understated but chic atmosphere that perfectly matches the clothing aesthetic. The women's wear collection, done mostly in gauzy, muted colors, is on the top floor, while menswear, sportswear, Adidas by Stella McCartney, and adorable children's clothes are on the lower level. In keeping with McCartney's vegetarianism, fur and leather are verboten.
Opened in 1927 and still run by the same family, this vast book emporium—home to 2 million volumes, or "18 Miles of Books"—is a symbol of a bygone era, a mecca for serious bibliophiles, and a local institution. The stock includes new and secondhand books, foreign-language titles, and thousands of collector's items—some of which are found in the third-floor rare-book room. The basement has discounted, sometimes barely touched review copies of new books organized by author. If you're looking for souvenirs, there's lots of New York–centric literature as well as T-shirts and totes. Check the store's events calendar for live readings.
One of the city's best book selections is displayed on the tables and counters of this bookshop, which highlights the latest literary fiction and serious nonfiction, classics, quirky gift books, and gorgeously illustrated tomes. The staff's literary knowledge is formidable, so don't be afraid to ask for suggestions.
This could be called “the perfect fit shop,” since old-fashioned personal attention and experience ensure just that, for bras, bathing suits, lingerie, shapewear, loungewear, and sleepwear. Now operated by the fourth generation of the founder (the original store opened in 1888), it stocks basic and luxury lingerie brands. There’s also a selection of mastectomy undergarments. Staff members are trained in the art of professional bra fitting.
Professional stylists and celebrities head here to dig up pristine vintage items like Levi's and Azzedine Alaïa dresses, as well as Hermès scarves and Chanel jewelry. The vintage rock tees (think Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe) are great finds but can set you back eye-watering amounts of money.
When it comes to authentic New York food, it's hard to beat this iconic local-favorite specialty food emporium. Best known for its smoked fish counter, not limited to lox (smoked salmon), sliced to order, Zabar's also features one of the largest selections of domestic and imported cheeses and salamis in town, bakery items including cheesecake, ground-to-order coffees, and prepared foods like soups and stuffed cabbage the way Grandma made them. And that's only the ground floor. Upstairs are housewares, from espresso makers to fondue pots to serving dishes. Head next door, to the Zabar's Cafe, to score a cup of gourmet coffee and a bagel and lox with cream cheese.
The walls of this large denim shop, which doubles as a factory where you can watch jeans being made, are lined with an assortment of more than 600 varieties of selvage denim. For the ultimate experience, have a bespoke pair made and choose the fabric, buttons, and even the lining material. Everything is hand-cut and sewn by the in-house seamstresses. There are ready-made jeans, too (you can get the hems tailored on the spot).
Cult-favorite Japanese denim brand 45rpm's New York outpost might be pricey, but fans love the label for its attention to detail, like hand-dyed denim woven on antique looms. The T-shirts are particularly stylish, the non-denim women's wear is ethereal and cozy, and the men's shirts and blazers are elegantly tailored.
Whether you're hunting for super-skinny, high-waisted, or boot-cut jeans in a dark or distressed finish, this temple to denim has it all. The jeans for men and women are long-standing favorites, but be warned: although they'll make your derriere look good, they don't come cheap. You'll also find stylish and sexy dresses here, plus sweaters and jackets for men and women.
This hip French boutique for men and women sells deceptively simple but elegant clothes in an equally understated setting. Choose from sharply cut gabardine and corduroy suits or dark denim jeans and jackets. For women, best bets include classically styled dresses, striped sweaters, and skinny jeans.
This brand is known for its casual, preppy clothes for men, women, and kids—but brace yourself for the thumping club music and dim lighting.
A haven for music lovers, Academy is known for its vast and ever-changing inventory of new and used vinyl and CDs in every genre you can think of. The stock includes collectors items, as well as movies and stereo equipment. Check the bargain bins for treasures.
Even if you don't speak French, this wonderfully hidden bilingual bookstore dedicated exclusively to books in French and English is a true gem, situated inside the 1906, Italian Renaissance–style mansion that's home to the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Underneath a soothing, star-covered, zodiac-inspired ceiling, Francophile visitors can explore more than 14,000 classic and contemporary titles from 30 French-speaking countries.
The New York flagship of this fashion icon is full of rich details, like intricately patterned floors, and tiny architectural nuances meant to draw the eye, such as feathers in the molding. Now under the helm of Sarah Burton, the design house sells both menswear and women's wear in styles that still lean towards edgy Gothic.
Vogue darling Alexander Wang's flagship boutique is as unfussy and cool as his clothes, with artistic displays amid the racks of perfectly slouchy tank tops, sheath dresses, or edgy ankle boots.
It's the quintessential New York story—a jewelry designer who got his start selling his first line, made from Depression-era glass, on a corner in SoHo. His designs count A-list celebs and fashion editors among fans. Expect colorful, fun statement jewelry made out of metal, Lucite, pearls, and vintage glass.
Grade-school kids still love American Girl dolls, whose lines range from historical characters to contemporary characters, each with accompanying clothes and accessories. Bring your doll to this New York flagship in Rockefeller Plaza for a doll hairdressing salon, doll hospital, café, Dress Like Your Doll shop, design-your-own-doll station, and more.
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. The new Gilder Center gift shop includes cute costume butterfly wings, conservation-themed clothing and hats, as well as bee-theme clothing, jewelry, and other gifts. Not visiting the museum? Shop online!
More like an apartment than a shop, this wonderfully quirky space with its Victorian rock-chick vibe is chock-full of Sui's bohemian and rocker-influenced designs and colorful beauty products. There's a small selection of accessories and purses, too.
The perfectly giftable, Brooklyn-made products at this variety store include Apotheke candles and diffusers, Claudia Pearson’s hand-drawn tea towels, and PiccoliNY's rubber baby teethers in the form of iconic New York foods. Brooklyn-theme tchotchkes, funny socks, books, stationery, games and toys round out the selection.
New York's flagship Apple Store features a 32-foot-high glass cube that appears to float over its subterranean entrance, with access by elevator or a winding staircase leading to a subterranean tech world. The Apple-obsessed will be happy to know that this location is open 24/7, holidays included. Display walls and tables are aligned with iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and AirPods, and pretty much any device that the company manufactures or sells. There are often special programs here, so check the website. Make an appointment (well in advance) at the Genius Bar if you need tech help. There also are several more Apple Stores across New York City, including in Grand Central Terminal's Main Concourse and a SoHo location in a converted Beaux Arts post office building.
Family-owned since 1925, Argosy is a charmingly old-fashioned place to browse for both bargain, out-of-print and priceless books. The antiquarian bookshop keeps a scholarly stock of rare books and autographs. It's also a great place to find good-value maps and prints for gifts.
The success of this Canadian fashion brand and retailer is reflected in having two NYC flagship stores, one in Hudson Yards, and this two-story, 12,000-square-foot emporium beside Rockefeller Center. Expect to find Aritzia's own collections of denim, active, trendy, and everyday apparel, plus a curated selection of women's clothing, shoes, and accessories from new and familiar labels.
In keeping with the Armani aesthetic, the minimalist furniture and housewares here have a subdued color scheme (gold, gray, cream, and black). Big-ticket items include luxuriously upholstered sofas and sleek coffee tables. At this limited-edition gallery space, the desk accessories and throw pillows are equally understated.
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