New York City & East Coast Shopping Tips

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See Beautifully Decorated Holiday Windows, Stores, and Lobbies for Free in New York City

November 25, 2011: Check out windows and stunning interior decorations at:

• American Museum of Natural History Holiday Tree: Suggested donation to take a peek, or free if you ask. Central Park West at 79th Street.
  
  
• Barneys New York: 600 Madison Avenue at 61st Street.
  
  
• Bergdorf Goodman: 5th Avenue at 57th Street.
  
  
• Grand Central Kaleidoscope Light Show: Starting on November 30, you can see floating light projection patterns on grand walls! Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street.
  
  
• Holiday Train Show at Grand Central: Check out the New York Transit Museum Gallery display! Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street.
  
  
• Macy's Herald Square: Famous windows! 34th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.
  
  
• Henri Bendel: 712 5th Avenue at 56th Street.
  
  
• Lord & Taylor: 4424 5th Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets.
  
  
• Metropolitan Museum of Art Christmas Tree: Suggested donation to take a peek, or free if you ask. 100 5th Avenue at 82nd Street.
  
  
• Saks 5th Avenue. Also pick up free New York travel guides! 5th Avenue at 50th Street.
  
  
• Time Warner Center - Under the Stars: Climb to upper floors and watch the star-studded lobby turn colors. Columbus Circle, Broadway at 60th Street.
  
  
• Trump Tower: Holiday decorations, plus a breath-taking waterfall. 5th Avenue and E. 56th Street.
  
  
• UBS Building: Mechanical window display. 299 Park Avenue at 49th Street.
  
  
• And peek into... : Make a point of checking out grand hotels and business buildings!

The New York Post described several of the displays in this interesting article: Window wonderland - From Lady Gaga at Barneys to inter-active fun at Macy’s, holiday displays are set to sparkle

2011 Winter Holiday Gift Bazaars in New York City - NYC

November 20, 2011: New York City's holiday gift bazaars open around Thanksgiving and stay open through December 24th. Here's the list:

Bryant Park: In the evening, this bazaar is my favorite shopping extravaganza. It features shops cast as cabins, a skating rink, an antique merry-go-round, a fountain, an abundance of hot chocolate, the stunning Bryant Park Cafe, and the famous main New York Public Library. 42nd Street at 6th Avenue

Grand Central Holiday Fair: Here you'll find high-quality gifts and crafts, with American craftspeople represented. While not a juried crafts fair, it is similar to one. Nearby treats include Grand Central's first-rate restaurants, fresh bakery, and its "taste of NYC" food court. Eating "in" is a nice touch when its cold outside. 42nd Street, between Vanderbilt and Lexington Avenues

Holiday Market at Union Square: This huge bazaar primarily features imported crafts. On Fridays and Saturdays, it is complemented by a large Greenmarket where you can buy veggies, flowers, maple candy, yarn, jams, wine, and other locally produced goodies during the day. This thrilling location attracks tens of thousands when weekend weather is beautiful, so if shopping is your mission, sharpen your elbows, otherwise, browse during bad weather. Broadway, between 17th and 14th Streets

Holiday Market at Columbus Circle: This is organized by the people responsible for the Union Square Holiday Market and features many of the sparkling vendors found in other holiday markets. Broadway and Columbus Circle between 58th and 60th Streets

Holiday Gift Shops at St. Bartholomew's: This is the smallest of New York’s holiday bazaars. With the exception of sterling silver jewelry, I've found that the items being sold here are similar to what you'd find in a street fair. It improves each year, so if you are in the neighborhood, check it out. Park Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets

WIRED Holiday Store: Love gadgets? Then visit WIRED Magazine's holiday shop where you'll find mostly un-wired electronic products. Touch everything to see what it does. 42nd & Broadway

Braccialini

October 7, 2011: What you are seeing below is a real, true, marvelous, $1,500+ handbag created in Florence by an Italian artist for Braccialini.

Braccialini's website (which is somewhat difficult to navigate) does not do these items justice. You need to visit their shop to truly understand the creativity behind these sculptures.

Braccialini also produces a very conservative line of handbags, any of which would be a joy to own. But in my book, their novelty handbags are far superior to what you can buy from Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, etc.

Each season features different novelties, such as vegetables, flowers, nuts, a wide variety of animals, and even toys, some of which are more sophisticated than others. All, however, are designed to make you smile.

Braccialini in New York is located at 436 W Broadway #5, SoHo, New York. Its website is www.Braccialini.it.

Mieko Mintz

October 6, 2011: Do you love the idea of owning affordable designer clothing, hats, scarves, and accessories that haven't been ripped off by H&M? Then shop at Mieko Mintz in SoHo.

Many creations you'll see in Mieko Mintz's shop were made from her custom-designed materials, making her clothing highly unusual (and always beautiful). Particularly beautiful are her swinging coats and jackets. And her scarves (like the one pictured above) are to die for. Highly recommended!

Mieko Mintz is located at 65 Thompson Street, New York. While in the shop, make a point of taking home a free catalog.

LePage

October 5, 2011: When visiting the luxurious shops in SoHo, make a point to stop in LePage - New York. There you will find decorative household accessories made of Lucite. No two items are alike!

Their collection includes vases (seen above), candle sticks, lighting, furniture, sculptured flowers, and Judaica.

The shop is named after its artist, Cec LePage, who operates a studio and gallery in New York City, her home. Select something from her gallery, or make a special request. Everything you see will be intriguing and, if you think you've seen it somewhere else, it might have been at one of the exclusive galleries in Beverly Hills, Dallas, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Washington DC, Toronto, or Tokyo.

The LePage Gallery is located at 72 Thompson Street, New York.

Francois Payard Bakery in SoHo

October 3, 2011: Oh mah gawd. You can buy bakery, fresh candy, fabulous cups of coffee, and light lunches from one of the greatest French pastry chefs in an ultra-casual, New York café. That chef is François Payard. All of his wares are of the highest quality, while still being exceptionally affordable.

Payard's SoHo location is small, but you'll be surprised at what you can buy there. Crusty, French bread. Perfect chocolates and truffles. The finest French pasteries, including his famous macarons. Cookbooks! And sandwiches.

Unusual? Reasonably priced? During this past summer, you could buy "ice cream sandwiches" ($4) made from two pistachio macarons filled with Payard-created, pistachio/raspberry ice cream. Incredible! That said, each season provides its own special creation.

I was particularly impressed with the magazine-sized, free brochure available in the shop. It contains valuable recipes and cooking tips, articles about other Payard locations, and, of course, a catalog of products. Browse through it while enjoying a treat. Take it home for added pleasure!

The Francois Payard Bakery is located at 116 West Houston Street, New York. Check his website, www.Payard.com, for other locations, including one in The Plaza Hotel at 1 West 58th Street.

Kimono House in SoHo

September 18, 2011: I am continuously fascinated by the Kimono House, 131 Thompson Street, between Houston and Prince Streets, which is where to shop for extra-ordinary silk garments and fabrics designed and manufactured in Japan.

The word kimono generally means "something to wear," but to a Westerner, it describes a robe-like garment.

A short, silk kimono, called a Haori, makes a beautiful addition to a woman's business attire, as well as a pleasing evening-out coat. Alternately, long, silk kimonos make especially comfortable lounge-wear for both men and women. No matter what your fashion needs be, the Kimono House staff will be happy to show you how to wear kimonos so that you understand the garments' function and fit.

Shop at the Kimono House for new as well as antique items. Some items can even be rented for special occasions! No matter what, the patterns and textures they offer seem never-ending, which is pleasantly surprising considering the small size of this pretty shop.

Birdbath Bakery in SoHo

September 17, 2011: The Birdbath Bakery at 160 Prince Street in SoHo is operated by New York's famous City Bakery, which is located in Union Square. Everything they produce is yummy!

This particular outlet, however, is particularly charming. It is housed in an historic shop once known as Vesuvio Bakery, which specialized in coal-oven baked Italian bread and biscuits.

Today, it is a wonderful place to buy a snack. Not only are the cookies delicious (and huge), it is conveniently located between two interesting shopping streets (Thompson and West Broadway at Prince Street).

Abundant selections at Annapolis Pottery

April 8, 2011: The Annapolis Pottery Shop in Annapolis, MD, is about a 3.5 hour drive from New York City. Although it might be too far for a day trip, it is certainly a "must see" if you plan to visit Washington, DC, or Baltimore.

In fact, if you are a pottery enthusiast, plan a trip to Annapolis just for this shop! The city of Annapolis is beautiful, too. It offers multiple sea-going adventures, as well as tours of the historic US Navel Academy.

Over 60% of The Annapolis Pottery Shop's display is produced in the store. The rest is created by award-winning artists from across the United States, which is what provides such a breath-taking array of merchandise.

Prices are reasonable, with many spectacular items ranging from $30 to $130. I lust over the vases seen below (around $120) and hope to buy one on our next trip to the city.

Sensuous Grand Central Market

April 7, 2011: Whether you love to cook or just like to eat, you owe it to yourself to visit Grand Central Market in New York's Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street.

Here, you'll find top New York food vendors, plus a world-class spice shop that was founded in my old home town of Milwaukee, WI. You'll find prepared food (Dishes at Home), cheese (famous Murray's Cheese), coffee (delicious Oren's Daily Roast), locally made chocolates (Li-Lac Chocolates), jewel-like cakes (Corrado Bread and Pastry), crusty breads (my favorite Zaro's), Italian sausages and authentic Italian food (Ceriello Food Products), and an exceptionally wide selection of spices (Penzeys Spices), among several shops.

Everything is beautiful to see and wonderful to smell! Buy for yourself or as gifts. All purchases will be "just perfect."

Read our article, Visit Grand Central Market in NYC, for more information.

Korin - Fine Japanese Tableware and Chef Knives

April 3, 2011: Let it be known that I own a large collection of Japanese Ikebana baskets and adore Japanese-designed furniture and tableware. If you, likewise, seek gracefully designed things, I recommend that you stop by Korin, which features fine Japanese tableware and chef knives at 57 Warren Street in New York City. Once there, you might be surprised at seeing the shop's traditional Japanese knife sharpening department. For more information, visit www.Korin.com.

Designer Bill Pears' graphic T-shirts on the Street at Union Square, New York

March 30, 2011: For those of you who crave designer work and enjoy being noticed in a crowd, visit Union Square's Greenmarket (check dates). On the south side of the market, you'll see a number of artists, among whom are T-shirt vendors. This is where you'll find some of the most original choices in New York City that are designed by New York artists.

Bill Pears is one of the outstanding designers who displays at the Greenmarket on Fridays, although I can't guarantee he'll always be there. If he is, consider yourself lucky! My family is so taken with his designs (and the heavy-duty, high quality of his t-shirt material), that we own five and are going back for more.

Bill usually mans his table, so feel free to talk to him about silkscreen art and where he gets his ideas. If you have your own shop, you can also ask about wholesale arrangements.

Czech eggs at Union Square - seasonal

March 23, 2011: Slavek Duspiva (pictured here) periodically sells a wide variety of decorated Czech eggs at Union Square. He, personally, creates engraved eggs, which you can buy through www.CzechEggs.com. Highlighted in the picture below are rare Czech eggs that feature designs made with overlapped straw.

Skendzic photography executed in gold leaf

March 23, 2011: Djordje Skendzic, pictured here in Union Square, is a New York photographer who sells duotone cityscapes printed on gold leaf. The resulting images (each of which require two weeks of processing) look antique, but with a captivating sparkle. See his website, www.SkendzicPhoto.com, for more examples of his work.

Visit Alison Nelson's Chocolate Bar for more than candy

March 15, 2011: Alison Nelson's Chocolate Bar features high-concept chocolate packaged as art.

If you buy a box of chocolate bars, for example, you'll find it contains an assortment of bars wrapped in artist-designed paper that includes graffiti and retro images. I love the stencil bars, which not only include retro-looking, stenciled wrappers, but a stencil, too!

All chocolate, including hot chocolate, in The Chocolate Bar is attractively packaged and served, but what I found particularly interesting during my last visit were hand-screened, silky shopping bags ($12).

It's too bad the website doesn't feature pictures of the shop's interior. It's old fashion and woody, with a counter near the back wall and seating for cocoa imbibers in the front.

Tip: Although technically not candy, make a point of trying the chocolate caramel, slightly-salted popcorn!

19 8th Avenue between Jane Street and W. 12th Street (near Bleecker). www.ChocolateBarNYC.com

The Balloon Saloon for kids and adults, alike

March 10, 2011: Sharon, the owner and manager of The Balloon Saloon is a "Certified Balloon Artist," which means that what you see in her shop are more than just a pile of balloons!

In the back of the store is a balloon assembly area. On the day I visited, two talented men were putting together tangles of balloon bouquets, plus blew up three floating balloons for my thrilled grandchildren (two Dora the Explores and one balloon-in-a-balloon Spider Man).

Visiting by subway? Make sure you tell the staff and they will package your balloons in a large plastic bag to keep individual balloons from bonking heads as you travel.

The shop itself is filled with balloons of all types, plus novelty items, and toys, making it an easy place to find gifts. Seeing, however, is not believing. Check their website to discover the wide array of services they offer to children of all ages.

The store is near The Parks of Battery City, a stunning park, playground, dining, and just plain relaxing area to be featured on Littleviews later in September.

133 W Broadway at Duane Street - www.BalloonSaloon.com

Pastel, pretty, and slightly old fashioned - Billy's Bakery

March 2, 2011: Billy's Bakery is yet one more place where you can buy those coveted, New York City-style cupcakes and this pastel-colored shop is one of the best.

During the summer, long lines of shoppers queue past the door, so take advantage of the cooler months to pick up a treat. I am especially impressed with the way individual cupcakes are packaged! Consider buying them for host or hostess gifts, instead of bringing a bottle of wine.

Pictured is their 184 9th Avenue by W. 21st Street, which is very near the new High Line park.

A second location (which I haven't seen) is at 75 Franklin Street, between Broadway and Church Street.

Perfect designer handbags for any city, but especially for New York

February 18, 2011: I own three Highway Bags, all of which are similar to the light-weight bag pictured here. Two are medium sized, and one, large. The large bag is big enough for a sketch pad, making it perfect for my hobby. Designed in New York by Jem Filippi, the attractiveness and functionality of these designer handbags is gaining national attention.

Highway's website is one of the few that clearly shows you what you’ll see when you visit Highway's store. All bags are meticulously constructed out of fabrics manufactured exclusively in Japan and have linings made out of silky-soft, yet sturdy, satin.

Most bags feature an adjustable shoulder strap that provides four carrying options: under arm; conventional; diagonal chest; and fanny pack. This combination of positions make the bags perfect for travel.

Each bag has multiple compartments of various sizes. In a big city, about the worst thing you can do in a crowd is fumble when putting your hands on change, keys, or a subway card. Highway bags eliminate fumbling by providing ease of access to everything, without leaving precious items, like cell phones, exposed to pickpockets.

The best thing about Highway Bags is that you can see the entire line at 238 Mott Street, between Prince and Spring Streets, which is located in a must-visit, quaint, boutique area. Approximately $80 to $200.

Two Little Red Hens - cutout cookies and small, fancy cakes

February 15, 2011: Second Avenue on the Upper East Side used to be filled with European-type shops where you could get the best meats and bakeries. Today, there are only a few spots of note.

Right next door to Scheller & Webber, possibly the last sausage maker in the city, is the Two Little Red Hens. Although not an European shop, its quality is excellent. Shop there to buy funky, butter-almond cutout-cookies, or small cakes trimmed like bright chrysanthemums.

The cookies cost $4 each, with three of them making a nice gift. Make sure you get them well-wrapped as they break easily.

I love their small cakes and find them a better value than many cupcakes as they have a reasonable frosting-to-cake ratio and they are easy to share with a few friends without being overwhelming.

1652 2nd Avenue at 86th Street - (212) 452-0476 - www.TwoLittleRedHens.com