From world-class, designer shopping malls to thrifty, unknown hipster flea markets, New York City is a shoppers paradise. It doesn’t matter what you’re into or what you’re looking for, the NYC has something for everyone. If you’re planning on visiting the NYC in the near future for either business or pleasure, you’ll be wanting to get some shopping in, so here is a list of the top seven places to shop in the Big Apple.
7 Best Places to Shop in New York City
1. 5th Avenue
Located in the borough of Manhattan, 5th Avenue is a major thoroughfare stretching north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. Considered one of the most elegant and pricy streets in the world, it is home to a vast array of trendy shops, boutiques, cafès, restaurants, and much more.
The street started out as a narrower thoroughfare before it was widened in 1908 starting south of Central Park. Before the start of the 20th century, the midtown blocks were dedicated mostly to residential tenements. In 1896, Benjamin Altman purchased a lot on the corner of 34th Street where he built the first commercial building on 5th Avenue.
Also known as Upper Fifth Avenue, Museum Mile, and Millionaire’s Row, 5th Avenue doesn’t just offer you great places to shop. You can also visit places such as the Museum for African Art, the El Museo del Barrio, the Museum of the City of New York, the 500 Fifth Avenue Building, the Lord & Taylor building, among others.
2. Bedford Avenue
Located in Brooklyn, Bedford Avenue is the longest street in the populous borough. It stretches for 132 blocks from Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint and passes through multiple neighborhoods including Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Marine Park, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Williamsburg, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Brooklyn, New York City, is known globally for its rich ethnic and cultural diversity, and Bedford Avenue passes through most of what you would hope and expect to see out of the NYC. With that said, the number of food places and ethnic shops is unparalleled.
There is Williamsburg, a hipster hot spot, featuring a large selection of hip boutiques, record stores, vintage emporiums, thrift shops, street stalls, as well as awesome street performers. Williamsburg is a rustic neighborhood bordering East River and Fort Greene to the west, Queens, Ridgewood, East Williamsburg, and Bushwick to the east, Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; and Greenpoint to the north. Its location makes it easy to get to; just hop on to the subway to Bedford Avenue.
3. The Diamond District
Located between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, The Diamond District came about as a result of Orthodox Jews, most of which were diamond dealers, fleeing the Netherlands and Belgium during the height of World War II. After the war, many of the Jewish families who had migrated to that area stayed. Today, they still dominate the diamond trade in The Diamond District.
The Diamond Dealers Club, a de facto diamond exchange and exclusive social club, is also located in this district. Because of all this, the area has grown into one of the most influential locations in the diamond industry and New York City’s premier locations for jewelry shoppers in the United States. Whether you are looking for a hand-made necklace or a three stone engagement ring replica of Meghan’s Markle’s engagement ring, dealers in The Diamond District offer it all.
4. Macy’s
Imagine getting lost in a department store. Well, that is most likely what will happen in this 10 and a half story behemoth of a department store. Officially called Macy’s Herald Square, it is located at 151 West 34th Street in Manhattan. The Macy’s building is comprised of 2.5 million square feet, of which 1.25 million square feet of that is dedicated to retail space. It has stood the test of time, standing in the same location for 116 years.
Rowland Hussey Macy, an American businessman established R.H. Macy and Company in mid 19 century. This company included four dry goods stores and the original Macy’s located in Haverhill, Massachusetts, which was built in 1851. Over the years, Macy’s in Manhattan has become famous for its animated window displays during the holiday seasons. If you’re looking for a place to shop until you drop, this is definitely the place for you.
5. Madison Avenue
Running north and south, Madison Avenue is a six-mile-long street in the borough of Manhattan. Running from famed Madison Square, it connects to Harlem River Drive at 142nd Street and is synonymous with the American advertising industry. Because of this coralation, it has also become one of the most influential centers of the fashion industry. Madison Avenue is home to over 30 high-end clothing brands that include Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera, Anne Fontaine, Vera Wang, Oliver Peoples, Giorgio Armani, Emanuel Ungaro, Barneys New York, Coach, Victoria’s Secret, among a long list of others.
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