Sarah Turners New York report - Best For
Posted On
22.03.07
Shopping Don't forget to factor in an 8.625% sales tax. Even so, New York prices are reasonable and the choice fantastic. Above all, New York's museum shops are in a class of their own. They stock everything from cutting edge design to pocket money toys. Even the much-maligned Whitney (which specialises in impenetrable modern art) has a great shop. But the best is still the Museum of Modern Art's Design store www.moma.org. Away from New York's palaces of culture, sample sales offer huge bargains on clothing and other consumer desirables and have a New York insider feel. Sign up to the free www.dailycandy.com to receive latest news before your visit.
Macy's may be the biggest department store in the world, but it can be exhausting and uninspiring. For great all-round shopping, try the SoHo area, particularly around Broadway and Spring Street. You'll find everything from cheap clothing at Old Navy, to cosmetics at Bloomingdales, weird and wonderful food at Dean & Deluca’s and cheap household goods at Barrel & Crate. Pylones at 69 Spring Street has great one-off gifts.
The makeshift stalls that set up shop around Prince, Spring and West Broadway in SoHo are a great source of individual, well-priced one-off presents. But if you see something you like, buy it there and then. The stalls change daily.
Families If you're taking children try to base yourself on the Upper West Side. Not only will you be by Central Park and its many playgrounds (if they're good enough for Madonna's children, they're good enough for yours) but you'll be walking distance from the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum and Central Park Zoo www.centralparkzoo.com where seeing the polar bears swim in their see-through Perspex tank is worth the admission price alone. And - since lots of families live in the area - most of the Upper West Side's restaurants are supremely child-friendly. Try Sarahbeth's on 423 Amsterdam Avenue. If your kids need to let off steam, Chelsea Piers has everything from skateboarding to golf, and it's close to the Sea Air Space Museum. www.gocitykids.com is a great resource for things to do with children - just type in ages, the date of your visit and up pops a (seemingly) endless list of things to do, most of them free.
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