New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [139]
Flagship stores
Louis Vuitton: every permutation of the signature handbags and leather goods, plus the jet-set clothing line upstairs.
Chanel: all the hallmarks, from little black dresses to double-C jewelry.
Apple: all sorts of chip-driven devices, 24 hours a day.
Gucci: check out classic designs and goodies exclusive to this store.
Serious jewelry
Tiffany & Co.: hum “Moon River,” check out the dazzling gems and pearls, then head upstairs for all sorts of silver ornaments.
Cartier: both classic and slinky new designs glitter in a turn-of-the-20th-century mansion.
Harry Winston: the ultimate for diamonds (just ask Marilyn Monroe).
Van Cleef & Arpels: the jewels may be big, but the logos and styles are understated.
SPOTLIGHT ON MADISON AVENUE
If you’re craving a couture fix, cab it straight to Madison Avenue between East 57th and East 79th streets. Here the greatest Italian, French, and American fashion houses form a platinum-card corridor for ladies who lunch. (If you’re going to be pointedly overlooked by a salesperson, odds are it will happen here.)
Most occupy large, glass-façade spaces, but there are some exceptions, from intimate boutiques in old brownstones to the pair of mansions that are home to Ralph Lauren. Barneys, a full-fledged if very select department store, fits right in with the avenue’s recherché roll call. But Madison isn’t just a fashion funnel. A couple of marvelous booksellers and several outstanding antiques dealers and art galleries share this address as well.
BEST TIME TO GO
Saturday is the busiest day and thus better for people-watching. Perhaps because of the European influence, the pace is calmer here, especially on weekdays. Avoid coming on a Sunday, since several stores close, especially in summer when they figure their main clientele is out in the Hamptons.
BEST SOUVENIR FOR AN EX-MANHATTANITE
Take a whiff of the Manhattan-inspired perfumes like Chelsea Flowers and Park Avenue at Bond No. 9. Can’t decide? Snap up the sampler box with travel-size spray scents wrapped like bonbons.
REFUELING
Join the Upper East Side yummy mummies and their trilingual children at the local branch of Le Pain Quotidien (1131 Madison Ave., between E. 84th and E. 85th Sts. | 10028 | 212/327–4900) for a fruit tart, ham-and-Gruyere tartine, or steaming bowl of cocoa. If you’re willing to pull yourself away from Madison Avenue, the front room of American-style bakeshop Two Little Red Hens (1652 2nd Ave., between E. 85th and E. 86th Sts. | 10028 | 212/452–0476) has a handful of small tables where you can order a latticed pie or a walnut-pear tart.
BEST FOR
International mega-designers
Barneys: dozens of the most cutting-edge names.
Polo Ralph Lauren: haute-WASP style in two beautiful mansions.
Hermès: those divine silk scarves and handbags are waiting. . . .
Giorgio Armani: a sleek setting for perfectly cut suits and dramatic evening wear.
Yves Saint Laurent: Left Bank chic, fabuleux accessories.
Vera Wang: the classic bridal gown.
Fancy children’s clothes
Bonpoint: precious European designs with hand embroidering, velvet ribbons—you get the picture.
Petit Bateau: all superfine, hypoallergenic, colorful cotton, all the time.
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LOWER MANHATTAN
Cameras and Electronics
J&R Music World.
Just south of City Hall, J&R has emerged as the city’s most competitively priced one-stop electronics outlet, with an enormous selection of video equipment, cameras, computers, and stereos. The hands-on staff is super-knowledgeable; many of them are A/V wizards who’ve worked here since the early 1990s. Home-office supplies are at No.