A Boutique Passport to New York

New York, the city that NEVER sleeps is one of the most sought-after hotspots for fashionistas across the world.  With astonishingly tall buildings which rise up to a couple of thousand feet in the air, creating a beautiful New York Skyline, New York is home to some of the most popular brands across the world such as Macy’s, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, Valentino, Kate Spade, Fendi, Coach, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Huckberry, Nordstrom NYC and many others there are plenty of innovative retailers and retail trends to choose from.

However, New York has not always been the fashion capital of the world.  Paris, Milan and London have always been known worldwide for the most influential fashion trend. New only emerged as a fashion capital post World War II when New York’s garment district became a vanguard of a different type.   

 

There were designers in New York who challenged the Parisian couture by introducing sportswear into the high fashion world in the 194 0s and 1950s. New York is officially now synonymous with a luxurious lifestyle, big brands and a hustle culture.  It is a well-known known fact that fashion is an integral part of people who live in New York. Besides this, the city hosts one of the largest Fashion weeks – the New York Fashion Week (NYFW) which is a semi-annual series of events that takes place in Manhattan for seven to nine days in February and September. Besides New York, the three other cities which host fashion week are Paris, Milan and London.

 

Also known as the Millionaires Row, the iconic Fifth Avenue crosses the whole of Manhattan from north to south. It is home to some of the most famous brands such as Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Lord & Taylor, Cartier, Saks 5th Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Ferragamo, Gucci, Free People, Ermenegildo Zegna, etc. It is most advisable to shop between 49^th and 50^th Street on fifth avenue. You will only run into one luxury brand after another.

 

However, there are other notable places in New York well known for shopping such as Soho (South of Houston Street- in lower Manhattan), Madison Avenue, The West Village, The Meatpacking District/Chelsea, Nolita and the East Village. Many locals choose Chinatown’s crowded streets to find mind-boggling collections of handbags, sunglasses, shoes, fragrances, watches, etc.  

 

Another historic neighbourhood is known as the Lower East Side (LES) and can be found in the southeastern part of Manhattan. It can be found between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. The neighbourhood includes Chinatown, the East Village and Little Italy. Here you can find a handful of old-fashioned lingerie shops, shoes, linens, leather goods, linens and fabric on the bolt shops. However, the area is now a hipster haunt which is full of art galleries, craft beer emporiums, designer-owned tiny boutiques and lots of bars and restaurants. The Lower East Side is also known to be a mecca for cooks. The Bowery between Kenmare St. and East Houston features a number of restaurant supply wholesalers.            

 

Running from Broadway Street to Sixth Avenue and Houston Street south to Canal Street, SoHo is one of the popular areas to shop. You can find plenty of luxury boutiques, and independent designer shops, which are characteristic of the 70s and 80s era. You can find plenty of commercialised stores such as Sephora, Chanel, Apple, Uniqlo, Zara, Prada, Bloomingdales, and Aritzia in this area. Many other high-end shops can be found on the side streets off Broadway. You can find many cobblestone streets, Cast-iron-fronted buildings (use of cast iron in buildings). This area is a hamlet for creative people as you can find plenty of art galleries and cultural activities.  

 

Also written as NoLIta, Nolita is also known as North of Little Italy. A recently designated area in Manhattan, Nolita can be found in Lower Manhattan; surrounded by Houston Street in the north, the Bowery in the East, Broome Street in the south and Lafayette Street in the west. Interestingly John Mayer has an apartment in this neighbourhood. With many slim cobblestone streets, some of the big brands you can find here are Coclico, Deciem, Fjallraven, Sezane, ‘Love, Adorned’, Schott NYC, Scotch & Soda and Vince.    

 

Also known as The Village, Greenwich Village is a small neighbourhood in the west part of Lower Manhattan. Home to a diverse range of shops, boutiques and markets this area is a fantastic destination for shoppers. Offering a mix of high street and independent retailers, MacDougal Street and Bleeker Street are the go-to place for shopping in this area. With leafy streets, you can find clothes from diverse brands such as The Pink Pussycat Boutique, Vintage Thrift West, Aedes de Venustas, The Leather Man, Screaming Mimi’s, Pertutti’s, By Kilian, Intermix, Accesorize, Bookmarc and many others.      

 

Also located in Manhattan is the Union Square/Flatiron District.  This area is a gateway to downtown. It’s a stone’s throw from the East Village, the West Village and the meatpacking district. Some of the popular shops located in this area are Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack, Zara, 

 

Known to be the birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt this neighbourhood is a national historic district. There are many popular boutiques located in this area such as Nordstrom Rack, Alo, Vans, Zara, Chaos NY, Muji, Vintage Thrift Shop, CAMP, Forbidden Planet, Vintage Thrift Shop, CAMP, DSW Designer Shoehouse, Burlington clothing store and Beacon’s Closet.  

 

Located on the west side of Midtown Manhattan, Hudson Yards is home to over 100 diverse shops and culinary experiences, modern residences, 14 acres of public plazas and garden groves. It is home to The Shed – an eight-level base building that is a centre for large-scale cultural performances, Visit the highest observation deck known as the Edge Observation Deck, visit an interactive sculpture and public space known as the Vessel and visit the Public Square Gardens. There is plenty of upscale indoor shopping and big branded stores to shop at. Some of them include Aritzia, AG Adriano Goldschmied, Avant Gallery, Brooks Brothers, Calzedonia, Cartier, Coach, Cremieux, Dior, Dunhill, Fendi and many others.    

 

A major commercial intersection in Midtown Manhattan, Herald Square & the Garment District is a venerable crossroad that has a truly obnoxious shopping mall. Some of the popular stores here are the famously known Macy’s, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Target, Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Sunglass Hut, Sephora, Aeropostale, American Eagle Store, Banana Republic Factory Store, Chanel, MAC Cosmetics, Superdry, Footlocker, SKETCHERS, Timberland, Hollister Co, Zara, Longchamp, Steve Madden, Pandora Jewellery and many others!    

The dazzling lights and bustling streets of Times Square and the Theatre District is one of the most luring and attractive shopping venues in the city. Vibrating with a boundless sense of energy, millions of people come to this neighbourhood. Also home to many historic theatres, this entire neighbourhood has many attractions such as Broadway, Bryant Park, Times Square Church and Madame Tussauds New York. Shopping here is like shopping in paradise as you can find any possible brand you can imagine. Right from Swarovski, Swatch, Aldo Shoes, Inglot, Old Navy and Gap there are clothes to choose from for any shopper! In addition to this, there is Hershey’s Chocolate World! This entire neighbourhood is a place where you will find flashy advertisements and gigantic billboards!    

 

A north-south avenue in Manhattan is Madison Avenue which brims with high-end shops. Here you can find over 150 luxury designer boutiques. Some of the shops you can find here are Bottega Veneta Maison, Alexander McQueen, Celine, Diptyque, Dolce & Gabbana, Gabriela Hearst, Hermes, Lanvin, Missoni, Ralph Lauren’s Men and Tom Ford.  

 

The Upper West Side (UWS), another neighbourhood in Manhattan is bound by the Central Park, the Hudson River, West 59^th Street to the south and West 110 Street to the north. Interestingly this area is home to Jerry the action ‘Jerry Seinfeld’ character. Some of the places to shop are the shops at Columbus Circle, Madewell, Nordstrom Women’s Flagship Store, Grand Bazaar NYC, Magpie, Unique Boutique, Olive and Bette’s and many others.    

 

Located in Upper Manhattan, Harlem is also known as ‘Uptown’ by locals. The neighbourhoods that can be found here are West, Central and East Harlem.  A mecca for shopping, you can find an H&M, Gap, Banana Republic Factory Store 7512, Mac Cosmetics, Marshalls, and the Children’s Place; you can find many shops to select from in this area. This area is also the Black Mecca of the world because it is predominantly known for the popularity of jazz music that has been played here since the 1920s.  

 

Co-extensive with Kings County, Brooklyn is well known for its eclectic shopping. In fact, Bedford Avenue is one of the best shopping streets and DUMBO’s Washington Street. Flatbush Avenue is another iconic area in Brooklyn for shopping. Of course, there are plenty of short streets known for shopping such as Love Lane, Hunts Lane, and Grace Court Alley. Some of the other popular shopping areas include Park Slope, Williamsburg Smorgasburg, Fort Greene and Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens. Some of the popular stores here include The Attic Brooklyn, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Monk Vintage, L Train Vintage, INA, Front General Store, Alter, Crossroads Trading, Flying Solo and others. 

 

Co-extensive with Richmond County is Staten Island, the southernmost of New York’s 5 boroughs. There are many shopping centres and stores located here. Some of them include Staten Island Mall, Empire Outlets, Nordstrom Rack, Vans, The Mills at Jersey Gardens, Primark, TJ Maxx, Dumbo Flea, Nike Factory Store, Vintage on First and many others. You can find brands such as Banana Republic, American Eagle and Levi’s.