We will tell you all the following:
- Which are the best neighborhoods to shop in New York?
- how to save in department stores
- how to get to malls and outlets on the outskirts of nyc
- how to take advantage of amazon offers
- where to find specific stores: shoes, perfumes and electronics.
Best neighborhoods to buy
Union Square, SOHO, Times Square and 5th avenue are the sectors that concentrate the most commercial premises in Manhattan.
The most famous stores are next to each other so it will be very easy for you to shop.
I’m talking about GAP, Victoria Secret, Crocs, Levis, American Eagle, H&M, Uggs, Old Navy, Payless Shoes, Sketchers, Foot Locker, Banana Republic, Aldo, Adidas.
But there are a couple of specific places that I recommend: Herald Square and Fulton Street in Brooklyn:
1. Herald Square
Here literally one store is steps from another, plus the beautiful Macy’s headquarters.
The bad thing is that it is such a central shopping district in New York that it is always full of people.
How to get to Herald Square?
Herald Square is at the intersection of Broadway, 6th Avenue, and 34th Street.
Lines 1, 2 and 3. 34st Station – Penn Station
Lines B, D, F, M, N, Q, R. 34st Station – Herald Square
2.Fulton Street Mall
If you want more space and calm to shop in New York, we recommend you visit Fulton Street Mall in Downtown Brooklyn.
Fulton Street is an open-air mall, where more than 250 commercial stores meet along its 17 blocks.
In addition to the typical stores, there is one of the best branches of Century 21 (445 Albee Square). It is spacious, tidy and with more shoes than at the headquarters in the World Trade Center 🙂
The GAP outlet (400 Fulton Street) is especially worth it with really low prices all year round.
There are many ugly department stores but full of surprises for those who like to search. For example Modells, Rainbow and Price Mart.
It is not a place very visited by tourists, you will notice that mainly New Yorkers buy there.
How to get to Fulton Street Mall?
Fulton Mall stretches along Fulton Street, between Flatbush Avenue and Smith Street.
Lines 2 and 3. Hoyt Street-Fulton Street Station
Lines A, C, F. Jay Street Station Metro Tech
Lines 2, 4, 5. Burough Hall Station
Department stores
The big department stores in New York are classics to buy, but I want to tell you about two: Macy’s and Century 21.
1.Macy’s
In Herald Square is the headquarters of the renowned Macy’s department store. It is a beautiful store where something is always happening ( the flower show in spring and Santaland at Christmas for example)
When you arrive, go to the Visitor Center located on the balcony level of 34th Street. There, ask for your “ Welcome International Savings Card ”, which will give you a 10% discount on many Macy’s products.
How to get to Macy’s?
B, D, F, M, N, Q, R lines. 34 st-Herald Sq station
2.Century 21
Century 21 ‘s slogan is “up to 65% minus 100% of the year” and it means it! That’s why this huge store is in all the tourist guides so be prepared for the crowds.
Sacrifice is productive: on your messy shelves you will find treasures at outlet prices.
If you see something that you liked, buy it without thinking about it because it will surely not be there when you return (the store sells sales of well-known brands).
How to get to Century 21?
The main office is across from One World Trade Center, which you can take advantage of by visiting before exploring the store (R Line, Cortland St station – Lines 4 and 5, Fulton St station).
It is actually better to visit the other Century 21 stores, the one in Fulton Mall that we already told you about or the one in Uptown (Lines 1 and 2, 66st station – Lincoln Center), which is smaller but much more comfortable.
IKEA
The local of the Swedish chain IKEA in Brooklyn is worth a special paragraph. In addition to the wonders that they will be able to buy, they will be able to arrive in 10 minutes by ferry from Wall Street.
The walk to this popular Swedish store is already worth it, you will have spectacular views of Downtown Manhattan.
Read all the directions to IKEA.
Buy on Amazon in New York
There are 3 ways to take advantage of Amazon deals during your trip to New York: Amazon Book Stores, Amazon 4-Star Store, and Amazon Lockers.
1. Amazon Book Stores
In New York you will find 2 Amazon Books stores : The Shops at Columbus Circle and at 7 34th Street.
There they will be able to buy books and technology from Amazon (Alexa and Kindle) at the same prices as on the website but they can take them home.
2. Amazon 4-Star
In Soho (72 Spring Street) is located this new proposal for a physical Amazon store: the Amazon 4-Star.
There you will find the most popular products with the best evaluation of the users of the famous online store.
3. Amazon Lockers
To take advantage of Amazon’s great discounts, all of us have ever thought of sending purchases to the hotel, right?
Unfortunately that is not easy, most hotels do not receive packages on behalf of the guests or charge for receiving them.
Here come the Amazon Lockers to our aid 🙂
What is an Amazon Locker?
They are self-delivery lockers, located throughout New York, where you can send your Amazon purchases.
To use them, you simply have to select the Amazon Locker, whose location is most convenient for you, as the shipping address.
Once the package arrives, they will be notified by email with a code that they must enter in the box to pick up the package.
From that notification they will have up to 3 business days to pick it up. If for some reason they can’t find it, the product returns to Amazon and they will refund their money. Easy!
Malls near Manhattan
If you have time to shop and want to go to malls and outlets on the outskirts of the city, keep reading:
1. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
Woodbury Common is an open-air mall located in northern NY. It is the ideal place to buy exclusive brands really cheap.
It brings together outlets of leading brands (Burberry, Versace, Fendi, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Carolina Herrera…), and not balances from previous collections like Century 21.
Consider that between going, shopping and coming back you will need a whole day. They must also add the cost of the bus ticket.
2.Queens Center Mall
This enormous Queens Shopping Center is 35 minutes from Manhattan by subway (Line R, Woodhaven Blvd station).
They say its prices are better than in Manhattan and it has all the big stores (Best Buy, Target, JCPenny, H&M, Apple Store…)
3.Empire Outlets
One of the novelties for shopping lovers is the inauguration of the Empire Outlets in Staten Island (55 Richmond Terrace).
This modern mall promises deep discounts and is conveniently located next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.
There they can shop quietly, with spectacular views of Manhattan in the background and enjoying the views of the Statue of Liberty from the ferry to Staten Island.
Buy in New Jersey
If you want to buy something cheaper and all in one place, you can go to the malls in New Jersey (see how to get to NJ here ).
In this neighboring state of New York, taxes are lower so shopping is somewhat cheaper.
Jersey Gardens
This is a mall with outlet stores of renowned brands (Ralph Lauren, Adidas, Abercrombie, Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle, Forever 21…).
It’s worth the trip during sales seasons. Also, by showing your passport at the information centers you will receive discount coupons, do not forget to take it with you 🙂
It is reached by taking the 111 bus at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, platform 222 (buy a round trip to Jersey Gardens at the ticket office, it costs US$13).
The recommendation is that they leave on the first bus in the morning (9:45 am) to take advantage of the time. Consider that the round trip to Manhattan can take up to 2 and a half hours.
Newport Center
This is a Shopping Center 40 minutes from Manhattan with all the recognized stores. They can be easily reached by taking the PATH ( direction Journal Square, Newport station ).
Where to buy specific products in New York
If you are in a hurry, with little time to showcase and need to get straight to the point, we have prepared this quick guide to find specific products:
1. Electronic devices
If you need to buy cameras, computers, tablets or any other electronic device, there is always a variety and good prices at Best Buy stores, with several locations in NYC.
If you are looking for a store specialized in photography, visit B&H (9th Avenue, 34th Street) or Adorama (18th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues).
Another classic to buy electronics in New York is the Apple store on 5th avenue. A must-see for Mac lovers. But there are actually several stores where you can buy more calmly throughout the city (the one on the Upper West Side is ideal).
Unlocked cell phones are not very cheap in New York. They come out at a good price when they are hired by the lines, which is not our case. The recommendation is that they keep the prices of cell phones clear at home to see if it suits them.
Around the Empire State and Times Square you will find many small venues with very competitive prices.
The issue is that they can be repaired devices ( refurbished ) and it is common that they do not respect the guarantees. If I were you, I wouldn’t venture.
A great idea is to buy your unlocked cell phone on Amazon and have it shipped to an Amazon Locker.
2. Shoes
Every time I go to the city I get lost in the shoe section of Century 21. It’s a terrible mess, but they will find surprises at impressive prices.
34th street, between Fifth and Seventh avenues in Manhattan, is a classic street for shopping for shoes. There they will come across a shoe store next to each other. Ideal to compare prices and try.
Also in the surroundings of Times Square you will find stores of important brands such as Doc Martens, Crocs, Sketchers… Go with empty suitcases 😉
3. Perfume
Large department stores, such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, offer a wide range of perfumes at the same prices.
If you are not looking for a specific brand you can try your luck at Century 21, there they always have lots of perfumes at really good prices. Excellent to give away 😉
Another idea that I leave you is to buy your favorite perfumes on Amazon before the trip and send them to an Amazon Locker, as I explained above.
If you are looking for cosmetics, in New York there are several Sephora stores and MAC stores.
4. Souvenirs
If you are looking for more special souvenirs, visit the museum shops.
You will find especially original objects in the MOMA stores or its MOMA Design Store, the Transit Museum, the Lincoln Center or the Tenement Museum (which also sells specialized books on New York).
Other great places to bring home some very New York gifts are Strand Books and the NBC Store.
At Strand Books, in addition to the 18 miles of books that their famous slogan promises, you will find unique bags, pencil cases, pencils, posters and postcards.
The NBC Store is a paradise for lovers of series and Late Shows.
Clearance Seasons
Whenever you travel, check if your stay coincides with a sale season in New York.
Shopping in New York during the sales is heaven. You will find really amazing offers 🙂