Antiques
New York is the premier
antique source in
the country, excellent
for browsing, with
museum-quality pieces
available (typically
costing a fortune) as
well as lots of
interesting, fairly
priced stuff at the
junkier end of the
market. Prime locations
are the East and West
Villages, SoHo, Chelsea,
Lower Broadway and the
Upper East Side.
Chameleon 231
Lafayette St (between
Spring and Prince sts)
tel 212/343-9197.
Interesting collection
of antique lighting
fixtures dating from the
nineteenth century to
the 1960s. Many from New
York residences.
Chelsea Antiques
Building 110 W 25th
St (between 6th and 7th
aves) tel 212/929-0909.
Better quality, better
condition, and higher
prices than above
listings. 150 dealers on
twelve floors offer
exceptional estate
treasures and
collectibles. Open Mon-Fri
10am-6pm, Sat-Sun
8.30am-6pm.
The Showplace
40 W 25th St (between
6th Ave and Broadway)
tel 212/741-8520.
Indoor market of more
than 100 dealers of
antiques and
collectibles plus an
espresso bar. Mon-Fri
9am-6pm, Sat & Sun
8.30am-5.30pm.
Books
Book lovers bemoan the
steady disappearance of
New York's independent
bookstores, and
attribute their loss to
the phenomenon of Barnes
& Noble superstores, but
there's still no
shortage of places to
find books , no
matter how esoteric your
tastes may be.
SUPERSTORES AND
CHAINS
Barnes & Noble
4 Astor Place (at
Broadway and Lafayette)
tel 212/420-1322. 385
5th Ave (at 36th St) tel
212/779-7677. 675 6th
Ave (at W 22nd St) tel
212/727-1227. 600 5th
Ave (at W 48th St) tel
212/765-0592. 750 3rd
Ave (at 47th St) tel
212/697-2251. 2289
Broadway (at W 82nd St)
tel 212/362-8835. 240 E
86th St (at 2nd Ave) tel
212/794-1962. 1280
Lexington (at E 86th St)
tel 212/423-9900. 1972
Broadway (across from
Lincoln Center) tel
212/595-6859 and 33 E
17th St (Union Square)
tel 212/253-0810.
Major US chain, many of
its stores with
attendant Starbucks
cafés. Presentations by
authors take place about
five evenings a week.
Borders Books and
Music 461 Park Ave (at
57th St) tel
212/980-6785. 550 2nd
Ave (at 32nd St) tel
212/685-3938.
This Ann Arbor-based
chain rivals Barnes &
Noble for selection,
though not saturation.
GENERAL INTEREST
AND NEW BOOKS
St Mark's Bookshop
31 3rd Ave (between 8th
and 9th sts) tel
212/260-7853.
Wonderfully eclectic
selection of new titles
from mainstream to way
alternative.
Shakespeare & Co
939 Lexington (at 69th
St) tel 212/570-0201.
716 Broadway and
Washington Place tel
212/529-1330. 137 E 23rd
St tel 212/570-0201 and
1 Whitehall St tel
212/742-7025.
New and used books,
paper and hardcover,
with some great fiction
and psychology
selections. There's also
a branch in Brooklyn, at
the Brooklyn Academy of
Music.
Three Lives & Co
154 W 10th St and
Waverly Place tel
212/741-2069.
Excellent literary
bookstore that has an
especially good array of
books by and for women,
as well as general
titles. There's an
excellent reading series
in the fall.
SECONDHAND BOOKS
Argosy Bookstore 1
16 E 59th St (between
Lexington and Park aves)
tel 212/753-4455.
Unbeatable for rare
books, it also sells
clearance books and
titles of all kinds,
though the shop's
reputation means you may
find mainstream works
cheaper elsewhere.
Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway (at 12th
St) tel 212/473-1452.
With about eight miles
of books and a stock of
2.5 million+, this is
the largest book
operation in the city -
and one of the few
survivors in an area
once rife with
secondhand bookstores.
TRAVEL AND OTHER
SPECIALTY BOOKSTORES
The Complete
Traveler 199 Madison
Ave (at 35th St) tel
212/685-9007.
Manhattan's premier
travel bookshop,
excellently stocked, new
and secondhand -
including a huge
collection of Baedekers.
Oscar Wilde
Memorial Bookshop 15
Christopher St (between
Gay St and Greenwich
Ave) tel 212/255-8097,
www.oscarwildebooks.com
.
Aptly situated gay and
lesbian bookstore -
probably the first in
the city - with rare
book collection, signed
and first editions and
framed signed letters
from famous authors.
Clothes, fashion
and accessories
If you are prepared to
search the city with
sufficient dedication
you can find just about
anything, but it's the
designer clothes
and the snob values that
go with them that
predominate.
Secondhand clothes ,
of the "vintage" or
"antique" variety, have
caught on of late. If
you're looking for
things to complete your
look, plenty of shoe
stores are available,
especially around W 8th
Street; and there's no
shortage of make-up
emporia as well.
CHAIN STORES
Ann Taylor 575
5th Ave (at 47th St;
flagship store) tel
212/922-3621.
Mid-priced business and
elegant casual clothing
for women. More than ten
branches throughout the
city.
Benetton 597
5th Ave (at 48th St) tel
212/317-2501.
Italian chain offering
youthful, contemporary,
casual, bright-colored
clothing for women, men
and children.
Brooks Brothers
346 Madison Ave (at 44th
St) tel 212/682-8800.
Something of an
institution in New York,
this flaghsip store,
founded in 1915, offers
classic conservative
style, selling tweeds
and quietly striped
shirts and ties.
Burberry's 9 E
57th St (between 5th and
Madison aves) tel
212/371-5010.
Classic plaids and
tweeds, with a
distinctly British feel
to the conservative
design.
Diesel 770
Lexington (at 60th St)
tel 212/308-0055.
One of five US stores
that sell this
Italian-designed label.
Funky, some
vintage-inspired
clubwear, lots of denim.
The two floors include a
café.
Eileen Fisher
103 5th Ave (between
17th and 18th sts) tel
212/924-4777.
This is the largest of
their five NY shops full
of loose and elegantly
casual clothes for
women. Their outlet is
on 9th St between 1st
and 2nd aves tel
212/529-5715.
Gap 60 W 34th
St and Herald Square
(flagship store) tel
212/643-8960.
Branches are on every
other corner of the
city; check the phone
book for locations.
Circular sale racks in
the back of many stores
offer terrific
reductions.
DESIGNER STORES
Anna Sui 113
Greene St (between
Prince and Spring sts)
tel 212/941-8406.
Bagutta 402
West Broadway (at Spring
St) tel 212/925-5216.
A confluence of top
designers including
Helmut Lang, Prada,
Gaultier, Plein Sud,
Dolce & Gabbana.
Beau Brummel
421 West Broadway
(between Prince and
Spring sts) tel
212/219-2666.
DKNY 655
Madison Ave (at 60th St)
tel 212/223-3569.
Dolce & Gabbana
825 Madison Ave (between
68th and 69th sts).
Emporio Armani
110 5th Ave (at 16th St)
and 601 Madison Ave
(between 57th and 58th
sts).
Gianni Versace
647 5th Ave (between
51st and 52nd sts) tel
212/317-0224 and 815
Madison Ave (at 68th St)
tel 212/744-6868.
Giorgio Armani
760 Madison Ave (at 65th
St) tel 212/988-9191.
Gucci 685 5th
Ave (at 54th St) tel
212/826-2600.
Helmut Lang 80
Greene St (at Spring St)
tel 212/925-7214.
Hermes 11 E
57th St between 5th and
Madison aves) tel
212/751-3181.
Pleats Please
128 Wooster St (at
Prince) tel
212/226-3600.
FUNKY, TRENDY, HIP
Canal Jean Co
504 Broadway (between
Spring and Broome sts)
tel 212/226-1130.
Enormous warehousey
store sporting a
prodigious array of
jeans, jackets,
T-shirts, dresses, hats
and more, new and
secondhand. Young, fun
and reasonably cheap.
Diesel StyleLab
416 West Broadway (at
Spring St) tel
212/343-3863.
The ultrahip top-shelf
branch of this Italian
chain has taken New York
by storm.
New York
Firefighter's Friend
263 Lafayette (between
Spring and Broome sts)
tel 212/226-3142.
Get those NY Fire Dept
tees and trucks here; an
NYPD section is next
door.
Old Japan 382
Bleecker St (at Perry
St) tel 212/633-0922.
Gorgeous, authentic
Japanese clothes and
trinkets, with a
fantastic selection of
antique kimonos.
X-Large 267
Lafayette (between
Prince and Spring sts)
tel 212/334-4480.
Check out the Mini line
for women, X-Large for
men. Cutting edge
streetwear for B-boys
and gals. Sonic Youth's
Kim Gordon and the
Beastie Boys' Mike D are
part owners.
VINTAGE/SECONDHAND
Allan & Suzi
416 Amsterdam Ave (at
80th St) tel
212/724-7445.
Beautiful far-out
fashion from the last
several decades. Claims
to have singlehandedly
restarted the platform
shoe craze.
Darrow Vintage
7 W 19th St (between 5th
and 6th aves) tel
212/255-1550.
Designer and never-worn
vintage, with a friendly
and helpful staff.
Popular with top models.
The Fan Club
22 W 19th St (between
5th and 6th aves) tel
212/929-3349.
An amazing selection of
vintage clothes, many
from movies, TV and
theater, with a good
supply of Marilyn Monroe
frocks usually on
display in the front
window. The store
benefits three AIDS
charities.
Love Saves the Day
119 2nd Ave (at 7th St)
tel 212/228-3802.
Cheap vintage as well as
classic lunchboxes and
other kitschy nostalgia
items, including
valuable Kiss and Star
Wars dolls.
Screaming Mimi's
382 Lafayette St
(between 4th St and
Great Jones) tel
212/677-6464.
One of the most
established vintage
stores in Manhattan.
Vintage clothes
(including lingerie),
bags, shoes and
housewares at reasonable
prices.
Tokio 7 64 E
7th St (between 1st and
2nd aves) tel
212/353-8443.
Attractive secondhand
and vintage designer
consignment items - a
little pricier than
most, but a good
selection.
THRIFT STORES
Housing Works
Thrift Shop 143 W
17th St (between 6th and
7th aves) tel
212/366-0820.
Upscale thrift shop
where you can find
secondhand designer wear
in very good condition.
All proceeds benefit
Housing Works, an AIDS
social service
organization.
DISCOUNT CLOTHING
Dave's Army & Navy
Store 581 6th Ave
(between 16th and 17th
sts) tel 212/989-6444.
The best place to buy
jeans in Manhattan.
Helpful assistants, no
blaring music, and
brands other than just
Levi's.
Loehmann's 101
7th Ave (between 16th
and 17th sts) tel
212/352-0856.
New York's best-known
department store for
designer clothes at
knockdown prices. No
refunds and no
exchanges, but there are
individual dressing
rooms.
SHOES AND OTHER
ACCESSORIES
Kate Spade 454
Broome St (at Mercer St)
tel 212/274-1991.
All the rage, these boxy
fabric bags with the
little logo-label are a
generic assertion of
"Manhattan chic."
Kenneth Cole
353 Columbus Ave (at
77th St) tel
212/873-2061.
Classic and contemporary
shoes, beautiful bags,
excellent full-grain
leather. Call for more
locations.
Mary Quant Colour
Concept Shop 520
Madison Ave (at 53rd St)
tel 212/980-7577.
Mod make-up in every
conceivable shade, all
with the so-cool 1960s'
flower motif.
Otto Tootsi
Plohound 137 5th Ave
(at 20th St) tel
212/460-8650 and 38 E
57th St (near Park Ave)
tel 212/231-3199.
If you want to run with
a trendy crowd, these
shoes will help. Very
current designs.
Robert Marc
575 Madison Ave (between
56th and 57th sts), tel
212/319-2000, and four
other locations.
Exclusive New York
distributor of designer
frames like Lunor and
Kirei Titan; also sells
Retrospecs, restored
antique eyewear from the
1890s to the 1940s. Very
expensive and very hot.
Sephora 636
5th Ave (at 51st St) tel
212/245-1633.
Breathtaking "warehouse"
of perfumes, make-up and
body-care products. You
have to see (or smell)
it to believe it.
Steve Madden
150 E 86th St (between
Lexington and 3rd aves),
tel 212/426-0538; 540
Broadway (at Prince St),
tel 212/343-1800; 2315
Broadway (near 86th St),
tel 212/799-4221; and 41
W 34th St (at 6th Ave),
tel 212/736-3283.
Very popular copies of
up-to-the-minute styles,
well-loved for their
ability to take on New
York's "shoe-killing"
streets.
Department stores
and malls
DEPARTMENT STORES
Barney's 600 Madison Ave
(at 61st St) tel
212/826-8900. Mon-Fri
10am-8pm, Sat 10am-7pm.
Though a proper
department store,
Barney's actually
concentrates on clothes,
particularly men's, with
the emphasis on...
read more >>
The Diamond District
The strip of 47th Street
between Fifth and Sixth
avenues is known as the
Diamond District .
Crammed into this one
block are more than 100
shops: combined they
sell more jewelry than
any other block in the
world. The industry has
traditionally...
read more >>
Food and drink
Food - the buying as
much as the consuming of
it - is a New York
obsession. Though you
can find a deli on
pretty much any corner,
it's in the gourmet
markets and specialty
shops - cheese, bread,
smoked fish, what have
you - that the city
really...
read more >>
Music
While the top music
megastores in New York
are the British chain
HMV, Tower Records and
the Virgin Megastore,
specialty pop music
stores are clustered in
the East and West
villages. CHAINS HMV
2081 Broadway (at 72nd
St) tel...
read more >>
Sporting goods
The sporting goods scene
is dominated by chains
such as Foot Locker, The
Athlete's Foot, Sports
Authority and Modell's,
though there are a few
other options - "theme
park" sports clothes
stores, as well as
stores tightly focused
on...
read more >>
