The best shopping in New York

Ask a New Yorker where to shop, and you’ll likely receive a mile-long list. With a patchwork of department stores, luxury boutiques, and indie shops scattered throughout the city, New York could be deemed a shopper’s paradise. Unlike shopping in some other cities, though, NYC retailers aren’t limited to a few districts. Instead, stores pepper almost every neighbourhood, and many are the lifeblood of the areas they serve. From designer brands on Fifth Avenue to clothing exchanges in Brooklyn and specialty shops along the fringes, New York’s diverse shopping scene offers plenty for every style, taste, and budget.

Our expert recommends where to go shopping below. For further inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, bars, attractions, free things to do and how to spend a weekend in New York.

Midtown

Bergdorf Goodman

This classic, high-end department store, set in the Vanderbilt Mansion since 1928, is an icon of the city and a draw for tastemakers with deep pockets. Bergdorf’s, as New Yorkers call it, stocks scores of luxury brands and caters to an upper echelon of shoppers, but wide-eyed tourists can often be found browsing or gazing at the store’s brilliant, eye-catching window displays. The shoe department on the fifth floor, studded with Manolo Blahniks and Christian Louboutins, is a destination in its own right. Stylish males aren’t left out, either. They can shop at Bergdorf Goodman Men’s Store across the street.

Website: bergdorfgoodman.com
Nearest metro: 5th Avenue; 57th Street
Prices: £££

FAO Schwarz

That huge piano in the award-winning 1988 film Big made this legendary toy store famous. Even though the Fifth Avenue outpost shuttered in 2015, the brand made a comeback with the Rockefeller Center location opening three years later. FAO Schwarz features one-of-a-kind-toys from around the world, catering to toddlers, kids, teens, and the young-at-heart. Expect dolls, life-size stuffed animals, planes, trains, and mini musical instruments, as well as puzzles and board games – some for the entire family. This toy superstore is entertaining at any time of year, but especially amusing during the holiday season.

Website: faoschwarz.com
Nearest metro: 47-50 Streets Rockefeller Center
Prices: ££

Hell’s Kitchen

Fine And Dandy Shop

Off-the-beaten-path, dapper, and fashionable could all accurately describe this petite yet adorable men’s store, which was born as an online shop. Co-owners Matt Fox and Enrique Crame III curate sweaters, bow ties, suspenders, custom shirts, and accessories from Woolrich, Pantherella, and their namesake label, keeping the most style-conscious gents in mind. Unexpected items to discover range from ascots to cashmere bow ties and crown cufflinks. The boutique also stocks candles, dog leashes, and money clips. Can’t squeeze that pair of African indigo shoes into your checked baggage? Not to worry – Fine & Dandy ships all over the globe.

Website: fineanddandyshop.com
Nearest metro: 50th Street; 49th Street
Prices: ££

Chelsea/Flatiron

Fishs Eddy

If GPS wasn’t around in 1985, this sassy shop might not exist. Julie Gaines and David Lenovitz were lost in Upstate New York and stumbled across Fishs Eddy, a tiny hamlet several hours from the city. The duo discovered a barn filled with old tableware which they brought to their Manhattan apartment, deciding to open a shop and adopt the town’s name. Today, the store stocks mix-and-match dinnerware as well as funky original designs such as 212 Skyline (who doesn’t want the New York horizon on a tote bag?) and a mishmash of quirky gift items.

Website: fishseddy.com
Nearest metro: 23rd Street
Prices: £

Greenwich Village

Strand Bookstore

When 25-year-old Ben Bass opened his used book store in 1927, he wanted to create a comfortable place where writers would congregate and find books they loved. As the sole surviving shop from New York’s “Book Row”, this beloved store continues to attract bookworms nearly a century after its founding. The Greenwich Village mainstay stocks 18 miles of new, used, and rare titles, with over 2.5 million books to choose from in every imaginable genre. Today, the Bass family continues Ben’s legacy, catering to both the literary crowd and casual readers.

Website: strandbooks.com
Nearest metro: 14th Street Union Square
Prices: £

West Village

Pink Olive

Paper goods, housewares, baby presents, jewellery, candles, books, and letterpress greeting cards adorn the interior of this quaint neighbourhood boutique known for curating whimsical gifts and unusual finds. Pink Olive, a New York favourite since 2007, features an array of year-round and seasonal items catering to all budgets. Shop vintage tchotchkes and new merchandise – all aiming to stir the imagination – from a selection of local and national artists. The brand also has stores in the East Village (the original location) and outside the city in Cold Spring in the Hudson Valley.

Website: pinkolive.com
Nearest metro: Christopher Street
Prices: £

Murray’s Cheese

When Murray Greenberg founded his eponymous shop in 1940, he probably had little idea the store would go on to become a Village institution. Eighty years later, foodies flock to this downtown staple where artisan cheese and a medley of delicious accoutrements fill the shelves. Be it Comte Saint Antoine, Ewephoria sheep milk gouda or creamy French feta, the artisan choices at Murray’s fulfil every cheese enthusiast’s cravings. The store also sells premade food items ideal for a takeout meal, as well as nuts, olives, fresh pasta, and other tempting edibles.

Website: murrayscheese.com
Nearest metro: West 4th Street
Prices: ££

SoHo

MarieBelle New York Chocolates

Gourmet chocolates aren’t hard to come by, but Maribel Lieberman’s delectable cocoa confections, crafted from single-origin cacao harvested in the Americas, are handmade in Brooklyn. That’s hard to believe since her charming and impeccably decorated SoHo boutique appears to have stepped right out of Paris’s Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. The chocolatier also uses Puerto Rican rum, English lavender, and Tahitian vanilla among other ingredients to flavour her picture-perfect creations, which come flawlessly packaged. The Chocolate Ganache collection, some featuring New York-centric designs like the Empire State Building, is a bestseller and a comestible work of art.

Website: mariebelle.com
Nearest metro: Spring Street; Canal Street
Prices: £££

East Village

Fabulous Fanny’s NYC

Fabulous eyewear is what you’ll discover at this funky outpost, named after co-owner Stan Blackmer’s pet macaw. He and his friend, Ken Finneran, share a passion for vintage glasses – the chic styles movie stars so gracefully wore – which, some years ago, led them to sell their own stash at Chelsea Flea Market. Fast forward to now, and the shop’s all-new collection is hand-finished in Italy with some of the world’s finest materials. While the brand’s products are sold in various eyewear shops around the US, they don't compare to the East Village original.

Website: fabulousfannysnyc.com
Nearest metro: Astor Place; 1st Avenue
Prices: ££

Meg

When style-conscious Megan Kinney opened her namesake East Village shop at age 22, she aimed to sell at least 10 dresses a day to pay the rent. She’s sharpened the store’s offerings over the years, but Meg remains female-operated, with most items designed by Kinney then made by women locally. Her varied selection ranges from structured blazers to form-fitted jumpsuits, chic tunics, and cosy sweaters. The boutique also sells shoes, jewellery, and an array of unique accessories. Before shopping, customers can book a personal stylist appointment to assist with clothing selection for body type, tailoring, and more.

Website: megshops.com
Nearest metro: Astor Place; 1st Avenue
Prices: ££

Lower East Side

Russ & Daughters

'Appetizing counters' – Jewish food shops selling fish and dairy products but no meats – were once a dime a dozen in New York City, but these beloved institutions are becoming extinct. One which has stood the test of time is the neon-lit Russ & Daughters, a fourth-generation shop in the same East Houston Street location since 1920. The Russ family has helmed the store since its opening in 1914, dishing out pounds of smoked nova, pastrami-cured salmon, pickled herring, as well as bagels of every flavour, blinis, babka, and blintzes.

Website: russanddaughters.com
Nearest metro: Broadway/Lafayette Street; Bowery
Prices: ££

Battery Park City

Brookfield Place

Browse not one, but dozens of stores in this downtown shopping and cultural epicentre near One World Trade. Find luxury brands such as Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, plus Bonobos, Madewell, and Norwegian Wool, among other retailers. Hit DryBar for a fantastic blowout and Jo Malone London to reveal your signature scent, before grabbing a burger and fries at P.J. Clarke’s or a trio of Baja fish tacos at Seamore’s. Brookfield Place is a new and exciting hub in Lower Manhattan, and also hosts live music, art exhibits, events, and a seasonal skating experience at The Rink.

Website: bfplny.com
Nearest metro: World Trade Center; Park Place
Prices: £££

Brooklyn

Beacon’s Closet

This clothing exchange shop, featuring three locations in Brooklyn: Greenpoint, Park Slope, and Bushwick, buys, sells, and trades gently worn vintage pieces and designer labels for both men and women. Though the apparel choices can be overwhelming at times in this treasure trove of wearables, the hunt is part of the fun. Arrive early, especially on weekends, or be prepared to join the queue outside the front door. Beacon’s Closet is a locally-owned and female-founded venture, with a fourth location in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.

Website: beaconscloset.com
Nearest metro: Church Avenue in Greenpoint; Bergen Street in Park Slope; Morgan Avenue in Bushwick
Prices: ££

Artists & Fleas

This internationally known warehouse-turned-artisan market is where innovative, well-designed and carefully curated goods converge under one roof. Artists & Fleas is an exciting representation of New York’s vibrant creative community, hosting more than 75 makers and their wares, which include jewellery, clothing, arts and crafts, vintage pieces, and other collectables. The market in Williamsburg is the place that started it all, drawing crowds since it opened in 2003. If you can’t make this weekend-only flagship, shop the outpost in Chelsea Market, open Thursday through Monday.

Website: artistsandfleas.com
Nearest metro: Bedford Avenue; Metropolitan or Nassau Avenue; Marcy Avenue; East River Ferry to North Williamsburg Station; Driggs/N 6th St; Kent Av/N 6th St; Manhattan Av/Nassau Av
Prices: ££