Find the best holiday shopping in New York City
Millions of out-of-towners visit New York City for the holidays, and many are in search of unique gifts to bring home. Our New York-based correspondents Ashley Day and Nancy Trejos steer you to some of the city's best shop-ops.
Flagships
No other department store is as tied to the holiday season as Macy's, which produces the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The flagship store at Herald Square is in the midst of a massive four-year renovation scheduled to end next year. So far, it's resulted in a luxury hall at the main Broadway entrance with multi-level shops by famed designers Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry, Longchamp and others.
Macy's also has the world's largest Lauren by Ralph Lauren shop for women and a new Tommy Hilfiger shop that includes products from Tommy's global sportswear collection. No other Macy's has these shops.
For the holidays, the store has also added a Toy Shop on the eighth floor, a Build-A-Bear outpost and several new eateries, such as Herald Square Café, which serves champagne, chocolate and coffee. What else does one need when shopping?
If toys are all you want, head to FAO Schwarz's legendary flagship store, which turns into a winter wonderland. 'Tis the season for an FAO Schwarz Toy Soldier to usher you into the Great Hall lined with twinkling trees.
New specialty items for sale include a limited edition Monopoly 3D board game, a Luxury Edition 3D CLUE board game encased in glass, a Swarovski Red Jeweled Classic Etch-A-Sketch and the Isaac Mizrahi Collection by Madame Alexander. The Etch-A-Sketch can only be found in the New York store.
Bloomingdale's also has a collection of special holiday gifts and is donating portions of the proceeds to the Child Mind Institute promoting better mental health care for children.
Among the items is an $18 Gund Holiday Teddy Bear, $2 of which will go toward charity. Artist Michael Aram will donate 5% of items in his holiday collection to the institute, such as a $75 snow globe.
'Tis the season of giving after all.
Food
If you think you'll get carried away in the department stores, wait 'til you find the food. Discover gourmet goods at Zabar's where 80 years of house-roasted coffee, artisan cheese and kosher fare are worth celebrating. Pick up a DIY New York sandwich kit or find the perfect gift array for a longer journey.
Go even further back in time at family-owned Raffetto's where chefs have been sourcing fresh pasta for more than a century. The hole-in-the-wall still charms with a holiday window display and the aromas of fresh sauces and noodles will warm you right up. Of course you can brave the crowds at Eataly for more panettone and pandori options, but this pasta is one-of-a-kind.
While you're downtown, stop by Murray's Cheese, established in Greenwich Village in 1940 and always selling more international, hard-to-find blocks of the good stuff. Best of all, the shop offers a build-your-own crate for holiday gifting.
For sweets, families can't miss Dylan's Candy Bar, a wonderland for kids and destination for all kinds of innovative sweets. This time of year, find everything from bacon candy canes to peppermint bark, gingerbread varieties and even candy lights and ornaments. Chocoholics can watch Jacques Torres' production downtown on Hudson and take home his famous spicy hot chocolate mix, or venture to Brooklyn for more modern makers like Nunu. Bakeries abound in all five boroughs, but Magnolia is still the local favorite and while they don't sell their mix, they do offer sprinkle jars for the holidays.
Fashion
New York City is the fashion mecca of the USA. So there's no shortage of top-notch fashion finds. And sometimes you can get them at bargain prices.
New Yorkers are used to living in small spaces, and sometimes they have to clean out their closets. That's when they turn to consignment stores willing to take in their designer duds, which means you can end up with a Chanel bag or Manolo Blahnik shoes for half off or more.
INA often nabs limited edition items and clothing that hasn't been off the runway too long. Don't be surprised to find Gucci, Fendi and Versace for much less than you would on Madison Avenue. The inventory changes daily at its six Manhattan locations, which include Union Square and SoHo. INA also now has its own label of basic pieces.
Beacon's Closet has four locations in Park Slope, Bushwick and Greenpoint in Brooklyn and Greenwich Village in Manhattan. TV stylists can often be found scouring the racks of this all female-owned chain. Expect to find vintage items as well as high-end fashion.
With one location in the Upper East Side and one in SoHo, A Second Chance is the place to search for pre-owned Hermes and vintage Louis Vuitton handbags, among other designer items.
If second-hand clothing and accessories are not your thing, go straight to the designer.
Belgian handbag, luggage and accessories brand Kipling opened its first New York store in SoHo just last week. And Margaret O'Leary, a San Francisco designer specializing in cashmere and other knitwear, opened her first New York store in NoLita over the summer.
Other big-name designers are experimenting for the holidays.
Monique Lhuillier, for instance, is collaborating with Gwyneth Paltrow on 16 pieces in her ML collection, at much more affordable prices than her main line wares. Prices range from $215 to $5,995, which believe it or not, is a bargain.
Fun and funky
New York is a city filled with quirkiness.
So if you're looking or a fun and funky gift, you're in the right place.
Coming Soon is actually here now in the Lower East Side. The new boutique almost looks more like an art installation, with unconventionally designed items for the home including planters, bowls, lamps, pillows and chairs. One item: a Vanquish Bad Vibes Fluorite Pyramid for $30.
The owners, Helena Barquet and Fabiana Faria, opened the shop in May after many years working in high-end design. Prices for items range from $7 to $7,000.
If you enjoy shopping at hotels, U.K. designer Daisy Knights has launched her first U.S. collection at The James Hotel in Manhattan. Some of her signature designs, worn by celebrities such as Kate Moss and Rita Ora, will be available. But there are also new designs such as a $240 earring with cuff that -- for those of you who were worried -- only requires one lobe piercing.
Brooklyn is the borough to be in these days, and now you can buy a Brooklyn-made spiced liqueur made from the Caribbean ingredient hibiscus. Sorel Liqueur is a clove-like spice that you can drink straight or mix with vodka or gin. It's available at Astor Wines in Manhattan for $26.99.
And of course, what would the holidays be without a holiday pop-up store?
The Land of Nod, a national children's furniture and home décor retailer, is running a holiday pop-up shop in December at Haven's Kitchen in Chelsea. Expect whimsical holiday décor and children's toys.
Holiday markets
Manhattan's phenomenal markets showcase the city in all its entrepreneurial and go-getter glory. There's no better way to taste the array of artisans and buy local, and there's a holiday version conveniently located at most transit crossroads, including Bryant Park, Columbus Circle, Grand Central and Union Square.
Navigate your way through the kitsch to seasonal spins on landmark local eats, like Doughnuttery's small doughnuts with seasonal dipping sauces and handmade German gingerbread from Leckerlee. Then get to gifting with original art, beauty products, ornaments, jewelry and specialty items to boot (or stocking stuff).
For more variety, the Hester Street Holiday Fair will pop-up at One Penn Plaza Dec. 1-23, and Chelsea Market hosts an Artists & Fleas outpost through Dec. 24 and the bazaar-like Jingle holiday pop-up Dec. 16-29.
Off the island, browse even more hipster markets in Williamsburg (Artists & Fleas), Queens Botanical Garden (Winter Solstice Celebration and Holiday Marketplace, Dec. 7 only), Astoria (Bohemian Hall) and Hoboken, N.J. (City Hall's Holiday Crafts Fair).