New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [134]
The east–west streets in SoHo are an excellent place to look for handmade crafts: Spring and Prince streets, especially, are jammed with tables full of beaded jewelry, tooled leather belts, cotton sundresses, and homemade hats and purses. These streets are also great places to find deals on art books; several vendors have titles featuring the work of artists from Diego Rivera to Annie Leibovitz, all for about 20% less than you’d pay at a chain. It’s best to know which books you want ahead of time, though; street vendors wrap theirs in clear plastic, and can get testy if you unwrap them but don’t wind up buying.
Faux-designer handbags, sunglasses, wallets, and watches are some of the most popular street buys in town—but crackdowns on knockoffs have made them harder to find. The hub used to be Canal Street, roughly between Greene and Lafayette streets, but many vendors there have swept their booths clean of fake Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, and Fendi merchandise. You might have better luck finding a Faux-lex near Herald Square or Madison Square Garden, and good old-fashioned fake handbags are still sold by isolated vendors around such shopping areas as Rockefeller Center and the stretch of lower 5th near Union Square. If you’re looking for cheap luggage, skip Canal Street, as the bags there might not last beyond the flight home, and instead pick up a bargain at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, or Loehmann’s.
BEST BETS FOR SOUVENIRS
What to get from the city that has everything? Major tourist attractions keep their gift shops well stocked with all the standard souvenirs, and dozens of gift shops dot the Times Square area. If you’re looking for grungier souvenirs of downtown (T-shirts with salty messages, tattoos), troll St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd avenues in the East Village.
City Store.
The official store of N.Y.C. sells anything and everything having to do with the city, from books and pamphlets to fun gift ideas. Pick up NYPD T-shirts, taxicab medallions, garbage truck toys, and dishtowels silk-screened with the skyline. The store shuts at 4:30 on weekdays and is closed weekends. | 1 Centre St., at Chambers St., Lower Manhattan | 10007 | 212/669–8246 | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge.
Eleni’s.
Take a bite out of the Big Apple—in cookie form—with these perfectly decorated treats. The “New York, New York” tin includes sugar cookies that mimic local icons like yellow cabs, the Wall Street sign, and the Statue of Liberty. | Chelsea Market,75 9th Ave., between W. 15th and W. 16th Sts., Chelsea | 10011 | 212/255–6804 | Subway: A, C, E to 14th St.; L to 8th Ave.
H&H Bagels.
Looking for a taste of the city? Although a slice of pizza may not travel so well, bagels are another story. H&H can pack its bagels to withstand any plane ride—and in true New York spirit, the store is open 24 hours a day. | 2239 Broadway, at W. 80th St., Upper West Side | 10024 | 212/595–8003 | Subway: 1 to 79th St.
New York City Transit Museum Gift Shop.
In the symbolic heart of New York City’s transit system, all the store’s merchandise is somehow linked to the MTA, from straphanger ties to earrings made from old subway tokens. | Grand Central Terminal,Vanderbilt Pl. and E. 42nd St., Midtown East | 10017 | 212/878–0106 | Subway: 4, 5, 6, 7 to 42nd St./Grand Central Terminal.
THE BEST HOLIDAY MARKETS
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, holiday markets—rows of wooden stalls, many with red-and-white-stripe awnings—spring up around town. The gifts and goods vary from year to year, but there are some perennial offerings: colorful handmade knitwear and jewelry; sweet-smelling soaps, candles, and lotions with hand-lettered labels; glittery Christmas ornaments of every stripe; and New York–theme gift items (a group called Gritty City offers