New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [133]
If your tastes run more toward the funky, then head downtown. The small, independent shops that once lined SoHo have largely been swallowed up by big chains like J.Crew and Uniqlo, but if you want to hit the chains, this is a great place to do it and combine it with high-quality people-watching and superb lunches. If you’re craving some of SoHo’s artistic spirit, don’t discount the street vendors’ stalls, which sell handmade jewelry and simple cotton dresses. You never know—you might buy something from a soon-to-be-famous designer.
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 tucked among bars and tenement apartments. The nearby Meatpacking District is another great shopping destination, where you’ll find chic stores like Diane Von Furstenberg and Catherine Malandrino alongside old-school-style meat companies.
And of course there are plenty of only-in–New York stores, such as the cheerfully off-kilter Patricia Field or Trash and Vaudeville. Whether you’re looking to buy a case of fine wine, a yacht, or the latest Apple tech toys, you can find it all in New York—and have plenty of fun people-watching while you’re hunting. Happy shopping.
PLANNER
TIPS FOR FINDING SAMPLE SALES
Everyone loves a bargain—including a temporary New Yorker. Scoring a good deal is a rite of passage, and the city offers everything from low-cost department stores like Century 21 to hawkers of pseudo-Rolex watches and Kate Spade bags stationed at street corners and in Canal Street stalls. And then there are the sample sales.
If a seasonal sale makes New Yorkers’ eyes gleam, a sample sale throws shoppers into a frenzy. With so many designer flagships and corporate headquarters in town, merchandise fallout periodically leads to tremendous deals. Although technically, the term sample sale refers to stock that’s a sample design, a show model, a leftover, or is already discounted, the term is now also used for sales of current-season goods. Location adds a bit of an illicit thrill to the event: sales are held in hotels, warehouses, offices, or loft spaces, where items both incredible and unfortunate jam a motley assortment of racks, tables, and bins. Generally, there is a makeshift communal dressing room, but mirrors are scarce, so veteran sample-sale shoppers come prepared for wriggling in the aisles; some wear tank tops with tights or leggings for modest quick changes. Two rules of thumb: grab first and inspect later, and call in advance to find out what methods of payment are accepted. One of the ultimate experiences is the Barneys Warehouse Sale, held in February and August in Chelsea. Other luscious sales range from the Vera Wang bridal-gown sale (early winter) to Dwell Studio (spring and late fall).
How to find out about these events? The level of publicity and regularity of sales vary. The print and online versions of New York magazine are always worth checking for sample sale tip-offs, as are regular bulletins on Racked (racked.com) and Daily Candy (www.dailycandy.com). If you’re interested in specific designers, call their shops and inquire—you may get lucky.
TIPS FOR STREET VENDOR SHOPPING
If you’re looking for original or reproduced artwork, the two areas to visit for street vendors are the stretch of 5th Avenue in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (roughly between 81st and 82nd streets) and the SoHo area of West Broadway, between