The best shopping in New York
New York City was literally made for shopping. Well, at the time a few centuries ago, it was called “trading” but it engraved into this city a consuming culture that has rarely slowed down. In this city of nearly nine million people, nearly everything can be bought, sold, traded, and consumed for the right price. Every major brand has an outlet here—often a flagship—and there is a legion of small, independent shops that are a joy to discover.
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.
Find places to shop by area
Manhattan: 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: £££
Tannen’s Magic Shop
The oldest magic shop in New York, for nearly a century Tannen’s has been arming amateur, professional, and famous magicians with their tricks of the trade. Pick up a deck of cards designed for magic, a “floating table”, a crystal ball, or various sleight-of-hand objects. Or you can walk out with a book that will show you how to learn magic tricks.
Website: tannens.com
Nearest metro: 34th St.-Harold Sq.
Prices: ££
B&H Photo and Video
Professional and amateur photographers alike make pilgrimages to B&H on Ninth Avenue and W. 33rd Street. An independently owned shop, B&H has been anchored here for nearly five decades. Its loyal clientele love it because the price-quality ratio is better than anywhere else: you can get professional electronic equipment at a much more affordable price here than anywhere else.
Website: bhphotovideo.com
Nearest metro: 34th St. – Penn Station
Prices: £££
West Village and Greenwich Village
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: ££
Three Lives & Co.
Is Three Lives the bookshop of your dreams? It might be. Since 1991, this corner bookshop has been selling all manner of printed matter. The iconic shop has a wonderful curated selection of books with a very well-read staff who make expert recommendations.
Website: threelives.com
Nearest metro: Christopher St.-Sheridan Sq.; W. 4th St.
Prices: £
Big Night
Peddling in fancy, eye-catching things you’d want to have at your next dinner party, Big Night sells colourful plates, glassware, flatware and cocktail shakers, as well as condiments like garlic-spiked chilicrisp, artisanal mayo and hot sauces. They also have a location in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Website: bignightbk.com
Nearest metro: Christopher St.-Sheridan Sq.
Prices: ££
East Village
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
For the cooking fanatic in your life, Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is one of the only shops in the United States dedicated solely to recipe books. There are over 5,000 new, used, vintage, and out-of-print recipe tomes. If you’re looking for that first printing of Julia Childs’ “The Joy of Cooking”, this is the place to find it. Many of top chefs frequent Bonnie’s nearly 30-year-old shop, so you may be browsing next to one of the city’s top toques.
Website: bonnieslotnickcookbooks.com
Nearest metro: Second Ave
Prices: £
Exit 9
If you woke up this morning and decided you really needed a traditional-looking prayer candle with an image of a pious looking Prince, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, or Madonna (the singer) or a handbag in the shape and image of a pretzel or socks that have bacon and eggs on them, then point yourself to this East Village shop. Exit 9 also stocks a bounty of fun New York City-themed items that make for great souvenirs or gifts for friends and family back home.
Website: shopexit9.com
Nearest metro: Second Ave.
Prices: £
The Evolution Store
Situated on the murky border between the East Village and Greenwich Village, the Evolution Store is like wandering through a natural history museum – except if you see something you like, you can actually buy it. Insects preserved in resin, your favorite animals and beasts in taxidermy form, colorful minerals, meteorites and various skulls are all on display here.
Website: theevolutionstore.com
Nearest metro: 8th St.- NYU
Prices: ££
SoHo, Tribeca and Lower Manhattan
James Veloria
Located in the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge, James Valoria is crammed with vintage fashion. Get ready to browse for blouses and shirts from the time JFK was still in the White House or sneakers from when the Ramones were playing a few miles away at CBGB. Lurking on the shelves and racks here is a bounty of one-of-a-kind vintage gems.
Website: jamesveloria.com
Nearest metro: East Broadway
Prices: £
MoMA Store
The bi-level SoHo shop is a slice of heaven for design lovers. Here you can shop for cool-looking and highly-functioning household goods, like lamps, alarm clocks, candles, plates, glasses, vases, towels, handbags, bluetooth speakers, and yes, even prints of your favorite modern art pieces.
Website: store.moma.org
Nearest metro: Spring St
Prices: ££
Depaña
Let’s say you have a craving for the best cured ham on the planet. You can go Andalusia or you could just hop on the subway down to SoHo where you’ll find Despaña, a shop that trafficks in all things delicious and Spanish. You can get a package of hand-sliced jamón Ibérico de bellota, hunks of Manchego cheese, unctuous blood sausage, tinned seafood, and various gift baskets. The all-Iberia wine shop is next door.
Website: despananyc.com
Nearest metro: Spring St.
Prices: £
Brooklyn
Anima Mundi
Costa Rican-born Adriana Ayales is herbalist-in-chief at this fascinating Greenpoint shop. There are over 200 herbs here for things like better sleep, an improved immune system, digestive health, energy, mood enhancers. Just tell Ayeles what ails you or your herb-related desires and she’ll set you up with a tonic, an elixir, an essential oil, or a superherb that will set you on the right path.
Website: animamundiherbals.com
Nearest metro: Greenpoint Ave.
Prices: £
Awoke Vintage
Williamsburg is loaded with vintage clothing stores. If that’s your jam, you can make a day of it, doing a vintage clothing store crawl through the neighborhood. Just make sure you have Awoke on your list. There are three locations—two in Williamsburg and one in neighboring Greenpoint—in which to find some cotton, polyester, and leather treasures of past decades, waiting to be resurrected in your closet. The racks here are loaded with vintage denim, blouses, jackets, sweaters, skirts, and t-shirts.
Website: awokevintage.com
Nearest metro: Bedford Ave.
Prices: £
The Bronx
Bronx Native
From a tourist perspective, there aren’t a lot of attractions in the Bronx that lure a visitor north of Manhattan: The Bronx Zoo, Yankee Stadium, Arthur Avenue (the real Little Italy in New York City), and the Hip Hop Museum. Now you can add Bronx Native to that list. This family-run shop peddles in Bronx-related goods: t-shirts, tote bags, hoodies, hats, and glassware all emblazoned with the name of the borough on it. Pay homage to the borough the birthed hip hop!
Website: bronxnativeshop.com
Nearest metro: 138th St.-Grand Concourse
Prices: £
How we choose
Every shop, market and venue in this curated list has been expertly chosen by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.
About our expert
David Farley has called New York's West Village home for the last 15 years, where he makes a habit of helping lost, google map-wielding tourists to navigate the neighbourhood's tangle of confusing streets, trying to steer them away from tourist trap restaurants and bars.
