New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [132]
Pudding Stones West.
Yes, the moniker is baffling—it refers to the smooth rocks that you’ll find in vineyards—but it’s suitable because wine is the focus at this peaceful bar, one of the Upper West Side’s best. The P-Stones offers its customers amiable service, a minimalist, candlelighted atmosphere, and nearly 50 wines by the glass, some of which come straight from their high-tech “wine closet.” Ask to see that closet; serious oenophiles might beg to be locked inside it for the night. | 635 Amsterdam, at 91st St., Upper West Side | 10024 | 212/956–3313 | Subway: 1 to 86th St. or 96th Sts.
Shark Bar.
The fantastic bar at this soul-food (and soul-music) restaurant fills with eye candy every night. As if that’s not enough to bite you, rapper LL Cool J (“Ladies Love Cool James” to his mother) has been known to mingle among the usual young black executives, music-industry bigwigs, and professional athletes. | 307 Amsterdam Ave., between W. 74th and W. 75th Sts., Upper West Side | 10023 | 212/874–8500 | Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 72nd St.
Jazz Venues
Smoke.
If you can’t wait until sunset to get your riffs on, head uptown to this lounge near Columbia University, where the music starts as early as 6 pm. Performers include some of the top names in the business, including turban-wearing organist Dr. Lonnie Smith and the drummer Jimmy Cobb (who laid down the beat on Miles Davis’s seminal album Kind of Blue). | 2751 Broadway, between W. 105th and W. 106th Sts., Upper West Side | 10025 | 212/864–6662 | www.smokejazz.com | Subway: 1 to 103rd St.
HARLEM
Jazz Venues
Lenox Lounge.
This impeccably detailed Art Deco lounge opened in the 1930s, and hosts jazz ensembles, blues acts, and jam sessions in the Zebra Room. The restaurant in back serves great food to go with the soulful music. | 288 Lenox Ave., between W. 124th and W. 125th Sts., Harlem | 10027 | 212/427–0253 | www.lenoxlounge.com | Subway: 2, 3 to 125th St.
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Main Table of Contents
THE SCENE
Planner
Spotlight on SoHo
Spotlight on NoLIta
Spotlight on the Lower East Side
Spotlight on the West Village
Spotlight on the Meatpacking District
Spotlight on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street
Spotlight on Madison Avenue
SHOPPING BY NEIGHBORHOOD
Lower Manhattan
TriBeCa
SoHo
NoLIta
East Village
Lower East Side
Greenwich Village
West Village
Meatpacking District
Chelsea
Flatiron District
Murray Hill
Midtown East
Midtown West
The Upper East Side
The Upper West Side
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Spotlight On: SoHo | NoLIta | The Lower East Side | The West Village | The Meatpacking District | Fifth Avenue and 57th Street | Madison Avenue
Updated by Christina Valhouli
New Yorkers love to say that everything here is bigger and better, and the same rule applies to shopping. 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 the fact that there’s rarely a shortage of cabs (unless it’s raining) 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.
But where to start? Nearly every neighborhood in New York offers some kind of shopping experience—but it all depends on what you’re looking for and how you like to shop. If you like coolly elegant flagships and money is no object, then head to Midtown, where you’ll find international megabrands like Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gucci. It’s also a short stroll to famed department stores Bergdorf Goodman and