Pearl River Mart and other New York City, NY Shopping Tips

Name of Shop: Pearl River Mart

This is an excellent, bargain-rate place to shop for Asian kitsch. The bargains are to die for and the stuff doesn't fall apart after a day! I love hunting through Pearl River Mart. It's large, spacious, block to block, beautiful decor complimented with a zen like atmosphere. There's even a little tea cafe on the mezzanine where you can stop to sip some green tea. Excellent stop on the Broadway shopping spree!! :-) -Unfortunately, (though fortunate for some) there is an Old Navy next door that just ruins everything. I hate Old Navy.

Overall, this is an excellent place to pick up cool and interesting gifts for cheap!

What To Buy: The teapot sets, fashion chopsticks, yan-yans (chocolate sticks), green tea, dieters tea, asian groceries, lipstick cases in Chinese silk, chinese dresses, chinese slippers (really popular in NY because they're cheap and simple and go with virtually everything, especially jeans), lamps, wall screens, room decorations, etc.

What To Pay: Chopsticks are about $2, a teapot, anywhere from $10-50, Chinese floor screens, $100, tea, $2. Everything is relatively cheap, so have fun!

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Theme: Gifts
Phone: 212-431-4770
Address: 477 Broadway
Directions: Right on Broadway, between Broome and Grand Street

Name of Shop: Chinatown

Get the I <3 NY Shirts down in Chinatown. Buy them 10 for $10. Don't pay anymore than $3 for a shirt, if you're not buying them in bulk. They make excellent, though very cheap and disposable, presents for friends/family back home.



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Theme: Gifts

Name of Shop: Charbonnel et Walker

Charbonnel et Walker is originally a British gourmet chocolate shop, but they also have one other location in Manhattan, on the 8th Floor of Saks FIfth Avenue. It's a little girls' fantasy chocolate shop, with chandeliers, decorated in delicate pink, white and gold trimmings and a fantastic mechanical belt of precious chocolate truffles in tiny little plates. Their hot chocolate in beautiful cups and teapots are an experience. Far classier than Serendipitys.

What To Buy: the Pink Champagne Truffles and chocolate shavings for hot chocolate drinks

What To Pay: about $2 for a truffle, $30 for a small box of Pink Champagne truffles (~10 per box?)

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Theme: Gifts
Phone: 212-753-4000
Address: 611 5th Avenue
Directions: 5th Avenue and 49th Street, across from Rockefeller Center
Website: http://www.charbonnel.co.uk/

Name of Shop: Forever 21

Incredibly popular with a younger crowd (under 30s), Forever 21 provides cheap, disposable but very trendy fashionable, up-to-the-second clothing, knockoffs of the most recent designs, you'll be sure to match the 5th Avenue lovelies for 1/10th of the price. Even I take time to occasion the shop for random pieces of jewelry. The clothing, while looking very nice for a time, are also very thin, cheaply constructed, are sure not to last very long. But they make interesting, temporary presents, such as a nice off-shoulder shirt or tunic, a flounced skirt or dress. They also have a decent collection of bags, but again, I prefer the jewelry. Most of my jewelry is Tiffanys and therefore, classics, Not very trendy at all, so I spend my change at Forever 21. They last longer than the shirts.

What To Buy: Check out the sale items for embellished tanks that you can certainly use again, jewelry, simple bangles. They have a good set of basics, like t-shirts, turtlenecks, tanks, etc, if you want an assortment of colors at a cheap price.


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Theme: Women's Clothes
Phone: (212) 228-0598
Address: 40 East 14th Street
Directions: Union Square, next to Whole Foods and DSW/Filene's Basement
Website: forever21.com

Name of Shop: The Strand

Everyone in Manhattan knows the Strand. Any hard-to-find book that you can't find in run-of-the-mill stores (i.e. Barnes and Noble) can likely be found at the Strand. They have an amazing collection of old, new, used, worn books and you'll always find something. The search is half the fun! :-)

What To Buy: A Stand T-shirt, totebag, a picture book of NYC, postcards

What To Pay: anywhere from $1 to $50+, depending on what you get, obviously.

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Theme: Books
Phone: (212) 473-1452
Address: 828 Broadway (at 12th street)
Directions: Take the N, R, 4, 5, 6, L train to Union Square. Walk two blocks South to 12th street. Or try the Annex down in the financial district, near the South Street Seaport. Take the 4, 5, A, C, J, M, Z, 1, 2 to Fulton / Broadway - Nassau.
Website: http://www.strandbooks.com/home/

Name of Shop: Trader Joe's

It was thought that with the addition of Trader Joe's in Manhattan's Union Square, the traffic from Whole Foods would be moved down the street. Hah. Were they wrong.

As much as I love Whole Foods (the organic, gourmet healthfood store right on Union Square), I love Trader Joe's *almost* as much. Known for having cheap food, but good, quality gourmet foods, Trader Joe's is a favorite among all, the culinary connoisseurs and poor college students. Their rush hours are during lunch and after work hours (i.e. after 6pm until 8pm). Best time to go is in the middle of the day when the bulk of Trader Joe's clients are in class or work.

What To Buy: Their chocolate truffles and quite choice, as are their peanut butter chunk cookies. Olive oils, vegetables, cheeses, they also have an excellent discount wine shop right next door.


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Theme: Food and Drink
Phone: (212) 529-4612
Address: 142 East 14th Street
Directions: Take the N/R/W/4/5/6/L to 14 Street - Union Square, head east down 14th Street, Trader Joe's is right next to the NYU dorm - Palladium / University Hall, on the south side of the street.
Website: traderjoes.com

Name of Shop: Myers of Keswick

One of the only shops in Manhattan where you can get authentic British groceries and meat pies. Their chicken and mushroom pie takes me back to my favorite pub in London. Walking into the store reminds me of Tesco and Sainsbury rolled into one, with the Digestives and Heinz cans lining the walls. The staff is as authentically British as the groceries, and incredibly sweet and responsible for the chicken and mushroom pies. I love this grocery, not just for its products but for the intimacy and the strong British pride this place has. It has a subtle modesty about it that I just adore. It attracts British tourists and NY residents alike, as well as Americans who can't get enough chicken and mushroom pies!

What To Buy: chicken and mushroom pie, pastys, digestives, sweets, marmite, etc

What To Pay: Digestives ~ $2-3
Sweets ~ $1-2
Meatpies and Pastys ~ $2-3

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Theme: Food and Drink
Phone: 212 691 4194
Address: 634 Hudson Street
Directions: On Hudson, between Horatio and Jane Street. Take the 14 Street crosstown or the A, C, E to 14th Street and head towards 9th Avenue. Make a left/south on Hudson Street.
Website: http://www.myersofkeswick.com/main.asp

Name of Shop: Bloomingdale's

I think cashmere is the most luxurious of all materials. Cashmere is orgasmic. It's literally wearing luxury. It's cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It goes with everything and dresses up even jeans! I absolutely adore cashmere. My favorites come from JCrew's line, they get their cashmere directly from a small location in the center of Italy and its just beautiful. But sometimes even I'm on a budget! So go to Bloomingdales in June and July and get a cashmere turtleneck from Bloomingdale's private-label Sutton Studio line for $69 (the cheapest price...up to $149, the full price). These gorgeous t-necks go on sale in the summer, but the best prices are after the Christmas/Hanukah holidays. Go get them before they go!

(And to think, I used to say I would never buy from a store's private line...)


What To Pay: $69-149 for one item.

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Theme: Women's Clothes
Phone: 212-705-2000
Address: 1000 Third Avenue
Directions: Bloomingdales has several entrances on Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue. The building takes up the block. You can enter from Third or Lex and 59th or 60th.
Website: bloomingdales.com

Name of Shop: Diesel

NOTE: The Union Square location of Diesel is closed until late July 2006 for renovations.

Diesel is perhaps best known for its urban hipness, specifically in their European inspired jeans. This Italian manufacturer sells from $19-$109. Their trademark jeans have a slightly flared bottom and asymmetric back pockets. Diesel was voted Best Jeans in 2003 for the Best of New York Awards with New York magazine.

What To Buy: Definitely grab a pair of jeans while you're here and you will love them forever.

What To Pay: Depending on whether you want to buy a simple t-shirt ($19) or a pair of jeans which can run from $80-$100+.

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Theme: Other
Phone: 646-336-8552
Address: 1 Union Square West
Directions: Corner of Union Square West and 14th Street. Take the 4/5/6/L/N/Q/R/W at 14th Street-Union Square

Name of Shop: Books of Wonder

I'm going to take this right from my magazine's review, since they put it so well! :-)

NY Metro:

"Since 1980, Books of Wonder - an independent, singular paradise for young readers and those who love them - has been New York's go-to source for first-rate children's books, limited editions, and art from children's literature. While the shop offers rare collectors' editions (an original 1900 printing of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz goes for $9,500) and faithful reproductions of Baum's Oz classics, youngsters and their parents will feel as home among the cozy, accessible stacks, including the 60-plus Books of Wonder Classics, reissues in collaboration with HarperCollins and featuring favorite childhood works from Alice to Jules Verne. The friendly, savvy staff is on hand to point out the latest Caldecott Medal Winners, but independent shoppers will findt he store easy to explore, with browser-friendly sections arranged by age (beginning with fetal) or genre (pop-ups, picture books, reference, etc). Bonuses include na unusually large section devoted to teen reads and an exhibition area with prints for sale from illustrators like Brer Rabbit's Barry moser or Maurice Sendak. Sundays at noon, storytelling time rivets kids aged 3-6."

Also, for movie buffs, You've Got Mail's "Shop Around the Corner" is based on this children's book store, Books of Wonder.

What To Buy: Books of course! And definitely check out the Cupcake Cafe, which is right inside the store. Fantastic, beautiful and delicious cupcakes that rival Magnolia's.

What To Pay: $5-50, depending on whether you're buying a standard children's book or a special, rare edition book or even a first-printing...

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Theme: Books
Phone: 212-989-3270
Address: 18 W. 18th Street
Directions: On 18th street, between 5th and 6th Avenue. Take the 1 at 18th street or the F/V at 14th Street or the L at 6th Avenue