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 high-flying, up-to-the-minute designer garments and women's wear.

Bergdorf Goodman 754 5th Ave (at 57th St) tel 212/753-7300. Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-6pm.
Come if only to ogle the windows, which approach high art with their rhinestone-encrusted diaphanous dress displays. Everything about Bergdorf's speaks of its attempt to be New York City's most elegant and wealth-oriented department store. The men's store is across 5th Ave.

Bloomingdale's 1000 3rd Ave (at 59th St) tel 212/705-2000. Mon-Fri 10am-8.30pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-7pm.
It has the atmosphere of a large, bustling bazaar, packed with concessionaires offering perfumes and designer clothes.

Henri Bendel 712 5th Ave (between 55th and 56th sts) tel 212/247-1100. Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-7pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Sun noon-6pm.
This store, more gentle in its approach than the biggies - its refinement thanks in part to its classy reuse of the Coty perfume building, with windows by Rene Lalique - has a name for exclusivity and top modern designers.

Lord & Taylor 424 5th Ave (at 39th St) tel 212/391-3344. Mon, Tues & Sat 10am-7pm, Wed & Fri 10am-8.30pm, Thurs 9am-8.30pm, Sun 11am-7pm.
The most venerable of the New York specialty stores, in business since 1826 and to some extent the most pleasant, has a more traditional feel than Macy's or Bloomingdale's. Still good for classic designer fashions, petites, winter coats, household goods and accessories and the more basic items.

Macy's 151 W 34th St (on Broadway at Herald Square) tel 212/695-4400 or 1-800-289-6229. Mon-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 11am-7pm.
Quite simply, the largest department store in the world with two buildings, two million square feet of floor space and ten floors (four for women's garments alone). Unfortunately, most merchandise is of mediocre quality, although real fashion is steadily returning.

Saks 5th Avenue 611 5th Ave (at 50th St) tel 212/753-4000. Sun-Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-6.30pm, Thurs 10am-8pm.
The name is virtually synonymous with style, and, although Saks has retained its name for quality, it has also updated itself to carry the merchandise of all the big designers. The first floor is lovely when decorated with sparkling white branches at Christmas time.

Takashimaya 693 5th Ave (between 54th and 55th sts) tel 212/350-0100. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun noon-5pm.
This beautiful Japanese department store offers a scaled-down assortment of expensive merchandise, simply displayed, and exquisitely wrapped purchases. The café, The Tea Box , on the lower level, has an assortment of teapots and loose tea.

SHOPPING MALLS

South Street Seaport 12 Fulton St tel 212/732-7678. Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 11am-8pm.
The barn-like building and its historic surroundings of ships, docks and old warehouses are fascinating and fun, the river views from the deck are lovely, and The Sharper Image stocks some terrifying and ingenious toys for adults.

Trump Tower 725 5th Ave (between 56th and 57th sts) tel 212/832-2000. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun noon-5pm.
Donald Trump's retail triumph was constructed in his own image. This gaudy caterer to the wealthy offers a range of exclusive boutiques set around a deep, marbled atrium with a several-story goldtone waterfall - a tourist attraction in itself.

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 been run by Hassidic Jews, and you'll run into plenty of black-garbed men with payess (sidelocks) here.

Some good starting points are Andrew Cohen, Inc (579 5th Ave, 15th floor), for diamonds; Myron Toback (25 W 47th St), a trusted dealer of silver findings; and Bracie Company Inc (608 5th Ave, suite 806), a friendly business specializing in antique and estate jewelry. Once you buy, there's AA Pearls & Gems (10 W 47th St), the industry's choice for pearl and gem stringing; and, if you want to get your gems graded, the Gemological Institute of America (580 5th Ave, 2nd floor)

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 shines.

GOURMET MARKETS

Around the Clock Center, Chelsea Market 75 9th Ave (between 15th and 16th sts) tel 212/243-6005.
A complex of eighteen former industrial buildings, among them the late nineteenth-century Nabisco Cookie Factory.

Balducci's 424 6th Ave (between 9th and 10th sts) tel 212/673-2600.
The longtime rival of the Upper West Side's Zabar's, this is a family-run store that's no less appetizing - though some say it's slightly pricier.

Dean and Deluca 560 Broadway (between Prince and Spring sts) tel 212/226-6800.
One of the original big neighborhood food emporia. Very chic, very SoHo and not at all cheap. There's also a café on Prince St.

Fairway 2127 Broadway (between 74th and 75th sts) tel 212/595-1888.
Long-established Upper West Side grocery store that for many locals is the better-value alternative to Zabar's. They have their own farm on Long Island, so the produce is always fresh, and their range in some items is enormous. Fantastic organic selection upstairs.

Russ & Daughters 179 E Houston St (between Allen and Orchard sts) tel 212/475-4880.
Technically, this store is known as an "appetizing" - the original Manhattan gourmet shop, set up about 1900 to sate the appetites of homesick immigrant Jews, selling smoked fish, caviar, pickled vegetables, cheese and bagels. This is one of the oldest.

Zabar's 2245 Broadway (between 80th and 81st sts) tel 212/787-2000.
The apotheosis of New York food-fever, Zabar's is still the city's most eminent foodstore. Choose from an astonishing variety of cheeses, cooked meats and salads, fresh baked bread and croissants, excellent bagels, and cooked dishes to go. Not to be missed.

CHEESE AND DAIRY

Alleva Latticini 188 Grand St (at Mulberry St) tel 212/226-7990.
Oldest Italian cheesery in America; also a grocer. Makes own smoked mozzarella and ricotta.

Joe's Dairy 156 Sullivan St (between Houston and Prince sts) tel 212/677-8780.
Family store considered New York's best bet for fresh mozzarella in several varieties.

Murray's Cheese Shop 257 Bleecker St (between 6th and 7th aves) tel 212/243-3289.
A variety of more than 300 fresh cheeses and excellent fresh panini sandwiches, all served by knowledgeable staff. Free tastings on Sat afternoons.

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Barney Greengrass 541 Amsterdam Ave (between 86th and 87th sts) tel 212/724-4707.
"The Sturgeon King" - an Upper West Side smoked-fish brunch institution since 1908 that also sells brunch-makings to go.

Citarella 2135 Broadway (at 75th St) tel 212/874-0383.
The largest and most varied fish and seafood source in the city, now with gourmet baked goods, cheese, coffee, meat, and prepared food.

Petrossian 182 W 58th St (at 7th Ave) tel 212/245-2214.
This celebrated shop imports only the finest Russian caviar, alongside a range of other gourmet products - smoked salmon and other fish mainly - as well as pricey implements to eat it all with.

HEALTH FOOD, VEGETARIAN AND SPICE SHOPS

Aphrodisia 264 Bleecker St (between 6th and 7th aves) tel 212/989-6440.
For herbs, spices and seasoning oils only, this place is hard to beat.

Healthy Pleasures 93 University Place (between 11th and 12th sts) tel 212/353-3663; 489 Broome St (between West Broadway and Wooster St) tel 212/431-7434; and 2493 Broadway (between 92nd and 93rd sts).
These giant stores have juice bars, incredible salad-bar selections and all manner of healthy delights. The bottom floor of the Broadway branch is entirely kosher.

Kalustyan's 123 Lexington Ave (between 28th and 29th sts) tel 212/685-3451.
The best of the groceries in the tiny Little India district of Manhattan. Good spice selection.

TEA AND COFFEE

Empire Coffee and Tea Co 568 9th Ave (between 41st and 42nd sts) tel 212/268-1220.
This store for the serious addict has been fueling New York's caffeine habits since 1908.

Porto Rico Importing Company 201 Bleecker St (between 6th Ave and MacDougal St) tel 212/477-5421; 40 1/2 St Mark's Place (off 2nd Ave); and 107 Thompson St (between Prince and Spring sts).
Best for coffee, and local rumor has it that the house blends are as good as many of the more expensive coffees. The Thompson St branch has a smaller selection and is primarily a café.

LIQUOR STORES

Prices for all kinds of liquor are controlled in New York State and vary little from one shop to another. We've listed a few that have an especially good selection or tend to be a touch less expensive. A state law forbids the sale of hard liquor and wine on Sundays; supermarkets may sell beer, but not wine or spirits.

Astor Wines and Spirits 12 Astor Place (at Lafayette St) tel 212/674-7500.
Manhattan's best selection and some of the city's most competitive prices. Good kosher and organic wine section.

Chelsea Wine Vault 75 9th Ave (in Chelsea Market) tel 212/462-4244.
These incredibly knowledgeable folk will sell, store and even teach you about wine.

Warehouse Wines and Spirits 735 Broadway (between 8th and Waverly Place) tel 212/982-7770.
The top place to get a buzz for your buck, with a wide selection and frequent reductions on popular lines.

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 212/721-5900. Also 1280 Lexington Ave (at 86th St) tel 212/348-0800; 57 W 34th (at 6th Ave) tel 212/629-0900; and 565 5th Ave (at 46th St) tel 212/681-6700.
The most pleasant and most fun of the megastores.

J&R Music World 23 Park Row (between Beekman and Anne sts) tel 212/238-9000.
A large downtown store with a decent selection and good prices.

Virgin Megastore 1540 Broadway (at 45th St) tel 212/921-1020; and 52 E 14th St (Union Square) tel 212/598-4666.

SPECIAL INTEREST AND SECONDHAND

Fat Beats 406 6th Ave, 2nd floor (between 8th and 9th sts) tel 212/673-3883.
The name says it all. It's the source for hip-hop on vinyl in New York City.

Footlight Records 113 E 12th St (between 3rd and 4th aves) tel 212/533-1572.
The place for show music, film soundtracks and jazz. Everything from Broadway to Big Band, Sinatra to Merman. A must for record collectors.

Vinyl Mania 60 Carmine St (between Bleecker St and 7th Ave) tel 212/924-7223.
This is where DJs come for the newest, rarest releases, especially of dance music. Hard-to-find imports too, as well as homemade dance tapes.

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 one sport. Use them for merchandise as well as a wealth of information about that sport in NY.

SUPERSTORES

Niketown 6 E 57th St (between 5th and Madison aves) tel 212/891-6453.
You can enter this sneaker temple through Trump Tower, literally hearing crowds cheer as you pass through the door. Every thirty minutes, a screen descends the full five stories of the store and shows Nike commercials.

Reebok Store 160 Columbus Ave (between 67th and 68th sts) tel 212/595-1480.
Not as dazzling as Niketown, but it does show ads on two big screens, houses the Reebok Sports Club and features European Reebok lines not found anywhere else in the States.

SPECIALTY STORES

Bicycle Habitat 244 Lafayette St (between Spring and Prince sts) tel 212/431-3315.
This unassuming store is frequented by bike messengers. Buy a bike here, and they'll service your brakes forever.

Mason's Tennis Mart 56 E 53rd St tel 212/755-5805.
New York's last remaining tennis specialty store - they let you try out all racquets.