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The Big Apple is one of the best shopping destinations in the world, rivaled perhaps only by London, Paris, and Tokyo. Its compact size, convenient subway system, and plentiful cabs (or Uber or Lyft rides) make it easy to navigate with plenty of bags in tow. But what it really comes down to is the staggering number and variety of stores. If you can't find it in New York, it probably doesn't exist.
If you like elegant flagships and money is no object, head to Midtown, where you'll find international megabrands like Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gucci, as well as famed department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. Nearby Madison Avenue has couture from Carolina Herrera and Vera Wang, and 5th Avenue is lined with famous jewelry stores such as Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston. This is also the neighborhood to indulge in bespoke goods, such as handmade shoes from John Lobb. If you like designer pieces but can't afford them, don't despair—there are plenty of upscale consignment shops around the city where you can find last season's Chanel suit or a vintage YSL jacket.
The small, independent shops that once lined SoHo have largely been displaced by the likes of J.Crew and UNIQLO, but if you want to hit the chains, this is a great place to do it, because the neighborhood also provides high-quality people-watching and superb lunches. Poke around on the side streets and in nearby NoLIta for outposts of smaller local and foreign designers and, if you're craving some of old SoHo's artistic spirit, don't discount the street vendors' stalls, which sell handmade jewelry and simple cotton dresses.
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. They're tucked among bars and old tenement buildings. The Meatpacking District is another great shopping destination to find chic designer stores like Diane von Furstenberg and rag & bone along with independently owned boutiques. And if you jaunt over to Brooklyn, you'll discover that some of the city's hippest designers are hanging out at boutiques just across the East River.
This unprepossessing nook stocks some of the most elegant (and expensive) designers in the world, ranging from Lanvin to Yohji Yamamoto. If you have to ask how much an item costs, don't try it on. This location carries clothes for both men and women.
Named for the pre-1960s JFK Airport, this travel-inspired bookstore is one of the last of its kind in America. It stocks guidebooks, novels, and children's books grouped by destination, and it runs foreign-language classes, ranging from Arabic to German. If those chairs look familiar, it might be because you huddled in one during a layover at the American Airlines terminal.
Whether you're looking for the perfect daytime dress, a pair of J Brand jeans, or a puffer coat that doesn't make you look like the Michelin man, Intermix sells a well-curated assortment of emerging and established designers. Expect to see designs from DVF, rag & bone, and Missoni. There is another location on the Upper East Side.
This flagship, designed by Frank Gehry, attracts both fashionistas and interior-design fans who come just to gawk at the starchitect's undulating, 25-foot-high, titanium sculpture, The Tornado. Miyake's signature style features clothes that are sleek, slim fitting, and made from polyester or ultra-high-tech textiles. This store carries the runway collection, as well as Pleats Please and Issey Miyake Eyes.
For many, Jacques Torres sets the bar for New York City chocolatiers, and this glass-walled café and shop is the perfect spot to sip richly spiced cocoa and nibble on a chocolate chip cookie or Java Junkie bar. Of course there are delicate chocolates, chocolate bark, and packaged hot chocolate to choose from, too.
There aren't many boutiques where the owner sometimes whips up a snack for customers in the boutique's custom kitchen, but this menswear designer—famous for dressing Diddy and Johnny Depp—wanted his boutique to have a homey feel. The clothes veer toward the fabulous: suede shoes, linen suits, and cashmere sweaters, which are displayed in armoires.
If you're seeking rare or out-of-print jazz recordings, this is your one-stop shop. Long-lost Ellingtons and other rare pressings come to light here; the jazz-record specialist also stocks books, collectibles, DVDs, posters, CDs, and LPs.
The Meatpacking District really arrived when this Atlanta-based mini Barneys opened its doors. You can find an incredible array of designer shoes—Valentino and red-soled Christian Louboutins are some of the best sellers—plus top labels such as Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin for both men and women.
In addition to cookbooks and books on Jewish history and culture, the well-stocked shop carries beautiful items for Jewish holidays, such as seder plates for Passover, Hanukkah menorahs, groggers for Purim, jewelry, home decor, gifts, and children's items. The shop is closed Tuesday and Wednesday as is the museum. It's also closed on Saturdays, though the museum is open.
The colorful, eclectic collection of candelabras, painted ceramics, silk scarves, and overstuffed pillows can make this shop feel a bit overstimulating, but it's the perfect place to pick up a unique gift or statement accent for your living room.
The inventor of the "Angel" sole (protects against water, acid, and "Satan"), Fluevog designs chunky, funky shoes and boots for men and women that are popular with rock stars and those who want to look like them.
This menswear designer has long been inspired by rock and roll. His ad campaigns have starred the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Green Day, so it's fitting that he transformed the former CBGB club into his New York flagship. The space is dotted with vintage pianos, guitars, and vinyl records. And the clothes? The jeans, leather pants, and suede shoes give you rock-star cred, but there are also classic, understated styles for the corporate set.
From the outside in, this shop is oh-so-charming, with an old-fashioned sign and sandwich board welcoming shoppers and passersby. It specializes in decoupage-adorned items like quirky trays and paperweights. Owner Carol Kaas, who uses antique prints, vintage postcards, historical maps, and ephemera in her work, also custom-decoupages trays using wedding invitations, photos, baby announcements, or other paper keepsakes.
Begun as a pop-up in 2019, there was enough fanfare about South African–born, New York–based Daniella Kallmeyer's understated, earth-toned women's pieces that it went permanent on Orchard Street soon after. A favorite place to shop among New York's art scene crowd, the shop also features the designer's favorite brands of vintage jewelry.
Owner Kee Ling Tong whips up delicious truffles and macarons with unusual, Asian-inspired flavors. Try the ginger peach and rosewater lychee macarons or the truffles flavored with lemongrass, mint, and Thai chili.
This independent shop is piled high with stuffed animals, building-block sets, board games, classic kids' books, and arts-and-crafts materials.
Peddling design-friendly gifts, weird toys, curious gadgets, wind-up objects, and quirky curiosities, Kikkerland makes for a fun browse. Maybe you didn't even realize you really need that solar-powered waving Queen Elizabeth II figurine or that set of cat butt refrigerator magnets, until you lay eyes on it here.
Think of this space as a mini-department store for some of the biggest names in fashion, including Alexander Wang, Azzedine Alaïa, Mansur Gavriel, and Ulla Johnson. The store has a fun, pop art–inspired design, with lots of colorful clothes and a wall of neon signs suggesting that shoppers "leave looking lovely" and that "life is short, buy the shoes."
If you're serious about cooking, head to this specialty knife store in TriBeCa. Previously only open to the culinary trade, it is one of the best places to shop for top-quality knives, cookware, bar accessories, and tableware imported from Japan.
In a setting inspired by the high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and parquet floors of Parisian apartments and brasseries, this cult French brand’s store brings its signature French-girl chic to New York. In addition to the small permanent collection (called La Liste), limited-edition seasonal releases ensure that the in-store stock changes regularly. In nice weather, the benches out front are usually occupied with beautiful people pausing from their shopping to chat.
The popular online shop also has this minimalist, loftlike, brick-and-mortar space in which to display its well-edited collection of clean-lined designer apparel in monochromatic hues. Unlike the Web store, though, this one only carries women's clothes. Brands like Comme des Garcons, Auralee, and Toujours are perennial favorites; there are also home-decor and beauty products on offer.
Everything at this lingerie boutique is unabashedly sexy, and the helpful staff can find the perfect fit. The store's own line of corsets, camisoles, and other underpinnings comes in a range of colors.
Antiques dealers since 1851, this shop specializes in European and Russian decorative arts, jewelry, and paintings. Behold bibelots by Fabergé and others, enameled or encrusted with jewels. If money is no object, there are also antique diamond necklaces and pieces of china once owned by Russian nobility.
This shop specializing in French goods sells groceries from Camembert to lamb merguez. It's also a bakery offering baguettes and arguably the best croissant in the city. For the sweet tooth, they also make a variety of colorful macarons, in addition to what their name implies: French tarts.
If you're bored with the perfume stock at department stores, pay a visit to this rustic-chic boutique where a resident mixologist will lead you through the scents and help you find or create your ideal perfume. After you choose your favorite smells, the perfume is mixed and a personalized label created for your bottle. There's also a line of wonderful hair and skin-care products.
Simple and understated, this store focuses on one thing: selling top-quality men's shoes. Owner Steven Taffel, who previously worked at Prada, has stocked his shop with selections from John Lobb, Church's, and Edward Green. These shoes are meant to last a lifetime, and many have a price tag to match. Bespoke footwear is also available.
This bright little boutique has a curated collection of mostly housewares, but also stationery, jewelry, beauty products, and prints by local artists. Find rugs, pillows, linen tablecloths, hand-painted ceramic pitchers, colorful knit accessories, fragrant candles, and more.
