Great Places To Do Your Holiday Shopping

By Go City Expert

When you shop for the holidays, you want your gifts to be cool, personal, chic, fun, and thoughtful. A tall order, yes, but New York is the place where you can actually fulfill it. We've rounded up great places to do your holiday shopping in New York, so you can just have the fun of actually choosing the gifts.

The Transit Museum Gift Shop

Truly, this is one of the most fun—and underappreciated—places to shop for holiday gifts. You’ll find a ton of New York and transit-themed gifts (yes, that’s a thing.) Jewelry made with subway tokens—oddly cool. Lots of great metro card cases—we can all use at least one of those, and we’re partial to the one with the subway map, because, two birds with one stone. They’ve got coffee table books, fun collectibles (special edition metrocards, incredible model trains, and even socks, scarves, and A-train baby rompers—hey, one day that kid is going to ride the subway too.) Truly one of the great places to do your holiday shopping in New York.

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(Photo courtesy The Transit Museum.)[/caption]

Brooklyn Flea

Want a great place to do your holiday shopping? Brooklyn Flea is so cool that it doesn’t even have the word “market” in its name--you just need to know. The winter market is a great place to shop for gifts, partly because you have that element of surprise--what will you find today? (Note: It’s not the place to go if you know you absolutely want to get Cousin Millie a size M blue wool sweater.) But it is the place to go for just about everything else—jewelry and rugs, scarves and vintage clothing, even furniture and local crafts. Keep an eye out for antiques and collectibles—and you can always find stuff to munch so you can fuel up for the next round of the hunt.

Bryant Park Holiday Market

The holiday markets in New York are one the great announcers of the season—and also one of the most enjoyable ways to enjoy the season and shop for gifts. The one at Bryant Market is especially good. The open-air market, inspired by ones in Europe, has a festive feel and a wide range of goodies, many that you won’t see everywhere else. You can find jewelry and robes made from hand-woven Turkish towels; candles and bath products; eco-friendly kids’ toys; and ornaments inspired by Bryant Park itself. And save room for food--both to eat and to pack up to give. Fancy a crepe? Or a pastrami sandwich? (Maybe not the best ones to pack up.) But just about anyone would be happy to get some adorable gingerbread people in their stockings.

Pearl River Mart

For plenty of stuff you didn’t know you either needed or wanted, Pearl River is your go-to. Its Asian-accented home furnishings and clothing is a New York staple. The store has fun, kitschy stuff, like porcelain chopstick holders shaped like fortune cookies; socks with sumo wrestlers or sushi (to be clear—not real ones); and Kung Fu Dragon fans (the kind you flutter provocatively in front of you). See? Your holiday list is practically shopping for itself. It’s a great--and enjoyable--place to do your holiday shopping.

(Photo courtesy of Pearl River)

Bloomingdales

New York is no longer rife with department stores—Bloomingdales is one of the only holdouts. But if you’re looking for designer duds, chic accessories, or a well-curated selection of makeup to give as gifts, this is the place. (Plus, whatever you buy will come in a fun Bloomies bag.) Head to Bloomies for high-end wallets and scarves, handbags and lipsticks, sweaters and gloves (plus a few treats for yourself). The bag will elicit “oohs” from the receiver, and that’s a holiday win if we’ve ever heard of one.

S. Feldman Housewares

Feldman’s is the kind of place you might walk right by if you didn’t know the goodies that awaited you inside. It’s got great housewares, for starters—everything from cookware to vacuum cleaners. But it’s also got more unusual offerings—the kind that would make perfect gifts. You can get candles in beautiful glass containers, cool alarm clocks, and elegant tea kettles. But if you want to stray even further afield, you can also pick up a Ruth Bader Ginsburg action figure, a solar-powered rainbow maker, and a container for keeping guacamole fresh. They’re also known for the tin toys that appear in their window around the holidays—check out the Ferris wheel, a perennial favorite. This is definitely one of the city’s great places to shop for holiday gifts.

Photo courtesy S. Feldman

McNally Jackson

Whither thou goest, New York independent bookstores? Ah, there you are! The McNally Jackson bookstore carries bestsellers, but they also feature cool magazines you won’t find anywhere else; familiar and (possibly) unfamiliar kids’ books; plays; and travel guides. This is a great place to browse and to buy for your bookish friends. (Yes--there’s a cafe to keep you fueled.) A great place to do your holiday shopping!

Looking for a way to get around while you do your holiday shopping? Check out our subway tips!

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Things to Do in New York - Planning a Trip to NYC

Planning a trip to New York? With over 60 million visitors annually, New York City is one of the most popular destinations in the world. There’s no end to the list of fun things to do in New York; from historic landmarks and popular museums to innovative galleries and big-city culture, New York has something to offer everyone, which is why planning a trip can become very exciting. Guided Tours of New York One of the most popular things to do in New York is to take a guided New York sightseeing tour. Start your visit with a comprehensive city overview-type tour, like the Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours which include stops at all the top sights and landmarks throughout the city and feature live narration on every bus. Once you have a feel for the city layout, you’ll be in good shape to start exploring the sights and visiting attractions. More specific tours offer a way to get to know New York and learn about topics or certain neighborhoods that interest you. Popular guided tours include the Food on Foot Tours which bring you to some of the best authentic New York food spots, the Central Park Sightseeing Bike Tours – one of the most fun things to do in Central Park, Best of Brooklyn Walking Tour in Williamsburg which showcases the trendy areas of the Brooklyn borough, and more. Cruises & Waterfront Attractions Another popular thing to do in New York is to get out on the water on a New York cruise and experience the city from a new perspective. Choose from a variety of popular cruise options, including a Best of NYC Cruise which provides views of the Manhattan skyline from the water, a classic sail on Clipper City Tall Ship Cruises, the Liberty Cruise which gets up close to the Statue of Liberty, and more. the Liberty Cruise which gets up close to the Statue of Liberty, and more. As the ‘melting pot of America,’ many New York City visitors come to pay homage to their ancestors by visiting the Statue of Liberty and investigating their genealogy and family history at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Museums Of course, no trip to New York would be complete without visiting a few popular New York museums. Pay tribute to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and see the impressive and moving memorial built in the locations of the original World Trade Center towers. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum honors the lives of all those lost during the attacks by poignantly reflecting on the events of the day, chronicling all of the efforts made by service members and volunteers in the aftermath, and displaying results of the recovery and restoration efforts made after the attacks. One thing that many tourists in New York City are always on the lookout for is a celebrity sighting. For a guaranteed celeb-spotting, head to Madame Tussauds in Times Square where you can get up close to and interact with all of your favorite celebrities under one roof. New York is home to one of the world’s largest Natural History Museums, the American Museum of Natural History, where you can explore fascinating exhibitions that explore animal and plant life from around the globe. Whether you’re a fan of the fine arts or not, be sure to visit at least one art museum while you’re in the city; the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Guggenheim, or the Metropolitan Museum are some of the most popular ones for visitors and locals alike. Experience the museum-going culture New York City is known for and learn something new at one of the many museums located along “Museum Mile.” Activities One of the most quintessential things to do in New York City is shopping (window shopping counts!); poke around the shops that line Fifth and Madison Avenues where you can find high-end designer labels and check out the seasonal, museum-worthy window displays. Other popular things to do include catching a Broadway show, lounging around or going for a stroll through Central Park, scouting out murals and graffiti, and of course, sampling some authentic New York City pizza, bagels, the latest foodie trends, and other local cuisines. Skyline Views Of all the things to do in New York, one of the most exciting is seeking out the best views of the city skyline. Head to either the Top of the Rock or Empire State Building (or both to compare the views!). Both attractions include exhibits that explore New York City’s rich history before you board an elevator to get sky-high views. Download an app or look to the exhibits to identify buildings and landmarks in your line of vision. Tip: Save these attractions for the end of your trip if you want to get a whole new perspective on some of the places you’ve already visited—you might be able to identify some of the sights on your own based on your experiences. Neighborhoods to Explore Make the most of your time and your New York Pass by visiting attractions in neighborhoods you want to explore. Things to do in Lower Manhattan: also known as “Downtown,” Lower Manhattan consists of everything below 14th street and includes the New York Harbor waterfront area, The Battery, and New York’s financial district. Things to do in Midtown Manhattan: consisting of everything between 60th street and 14th street, Midtown is home to Times Square and lots of iconic NYC landmarks. Things to do in Uptown Manhattan: everything above 60th street is considered part of Upper Manhattan. Uptown is home to Central Park, the Museum Mile, and Harlem. Whether you’re looking for things to do in New York for a quick weekend trip or staying for a week or more, there’s no shortage of options. There are over 100 attractions included with the New York Pass, from world-renowned art museums to historic landmarks and informative guided tours. The purpose of the pass is to help you save money while enjoying all that NYC has to offer. Don’t miss out on anything and see it all and save big on attractions, tours, cruises, and activities with The New York Pass—the only pass you need to experience the city. Tips for How to Plan the Perfect Trip to New York: When planning a trip to New York make a list of all of the attractions, landmarks, and sights you want to see as well as any activities you want to do in the city Your designated New York trip planner needs to prioritize the list by “must-sees” and “nice-to-sees” Look up attraction hours of operation and make a note of them Download a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour map to help you visualize where each attraction is in the city (add any from your list of attractions you want to visit if they’re not included on the map) Create a blank itinerary that lets you plan each day by the hour (tip: in a spreadsheet, put the days you’ll be in New York in the top row and the hours of the day in the first column) To make the most of your time, visit attractions by neighborhood; this will reduce transportation time and costs (lots of popular attractions are within walking distance of each other, too!) Add any reservations and travel information to your itinerary – include order confirmation numbers for quick reference later Plot out when you’ll visit each attraction starting with your “must-sees” first and factor in how long you think you’ll spend at each location (be sure to allow time for any security checks or ticket lines) Build out some time for meals throughout your day, too Budgets and time constraints can be tricky to work around, but with a little research and work, it’s easy to plan a trip to New York City. Even if it won’t be the last time you visit the city, make the most of it and have fun.
Kirsten McCroskrie
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Diwali New York: A Festival of Light

Have you experienced Diwali in New York yet? Many cultures have festivities that celebrate the triumph of light over dark, or good over evil. They’re especially prevalent this time of year, when the days get shorter and the sun seems to set at 3 PM. Coming up this week is Diwali in New York, which will see the city set aglow as a result of The Festival of Light. Keep reading for all the details on what it is and how to celebrate. So, what is Diwali? Diwali, sometimes known as Deepavali or Dipavali, is the five-day festival of lights; it celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. (The word ”diwali” comes from a word in Sanskrit meaning “rows of lighted lamps.”) It’s celebrated by religions around the world, including Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. While the different faiths celebrate different events and stories, they all celebrate knowledge over ignorance; good over evil. It celebrates the return of King Rama’s defeat of Ravana, a multi-headed demon king, by lighting clay lamps. The actual days are dictated by the Hindu lunar calendar; this year it’s being celebrated on Sunday, Oct. 27. How is Divali celebrated? You’ll often see temples, shops, and even office buildings lit up. The preparations and the festival itself can take up to five days. Tasks include cleaning and decorating homes, preparing a meal, exchanging gifts, and make offerings to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. Celebrations often include worship ceremonies, religious rituals, meals, and sweets; you’ll also see firework displays, as well as Rangoli—patterns created on the floor, using colored powder or rice. What foods are eaten on Diwali? Sweets are very important on this holiday. Ones often eaten include Kheer (a kind of rice pudding, often flavored with cardamom, raisins, and nuts); gulab jamun (a sweet made primarily from milk solids); and Shankarpali (a kind of fried cookie). Yum. Are there any Diwali celebrations in New York? Yes! You can find Diwali celebrations throughout the city. October 27 from 6 -9 PM: The Bhakti Center (25 1st Avenue) will offer music and dance performances, henna and face painting booths, and food stalls. It will end with an offering of lamps. October 27: Staten Island Children’s Museum (1000 Richmond Terrace) will offer a celebration for all ages from 1–4 PM. Kids can make their own artwork using different colored sand. And if you just can’t get your act together this month, the celebrations extend until November—check out Camp Friendship’s in Brooklyn from 3:30 – 6 PM. October 25 from noon to 5 PM: Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue) is offering World Culture Festival: Dance!. It celebrates cultures around the world, including The Colors of Krishna’s Love, a puppet show celebrating Diwali that will be offered three times throughout the afternoon. If you're not ready to leave behind the celebrations just yet, why not check out our blog on the Village Halloween Parade?
Go City Expert

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