358 Best Shopping in New York City, New York

The dishes, china, and glassware for resale come from all walks of crockery life, including corporate dining rooms and failed restaurants, so you never know what you might find. Fishs Eddy also sells its own lines of dishes and kitchenware, which have both classic and whimsical looks.  The shop is a great place to pick up New York–theme gifts such as mugs and trays.

Located inside an Upper East Side town house, this luxurious mini department store carries clothing, accessories, shoes, and home decor for men, women, and children in an elegant setting (think marble floors and lots of velvet and silk). It specializes in independent designers but also showcases creations from heavy hitters such as Proenza Schouler and Dior.

Operated by a nonprofit that puts all proceeds toward combating AIDS and homelessness, this New York institution has an impressive collection of previously owned books of many genres. Literary, cultural, and benefit events are held here frequently—including StorySLAMS put on by The Moth. There's a full calendar on the website. The café is a popular spot for laptop-toting creatives types. 

If you're after that casually glamorous Parisian vibe, look no further than Isabel Marant. Long a favorite of globe-trotting fashionistas, the tailored jackets, shorts, and flirty dresses are eclectic and sophisticated, with textured, deeply hued fabrics.

This chic New York–based boutique was started by two women who believed that sexy, pretty lingerie should be everyday wear—and comfortable, too. The stock consists of well-known brands like Cosabella and Natori, as well as Journelle's own line. Staff are approachable and helpful. There are now a handful of Journelle stores around the city, including in SoHo and on the Upper East Side.

Opened in 1983 by the late Nach Waxman, a member of the James Beard Foundation’s Hall of Fame, this is so much more than a cookbook shop, with its vast selection of books on food history and culture, operations and technical manuals, and a "terrific array of great food writing," too. With more than 12,000 books and magazines in stock, it's no wonder that culinary icons like Julia Child and three-star Michelin chefs have been among the charming shop's customers.

Stop in at this artisanal chocolatier's small store and tea salon to purchase some treats and dive into a cup of thick, heavenly hot chocolate. The Paris-based outfit sells handmade truffles, chocolates, and pastries that could lull you into a chocolate stupor. There are additional outposts in Rockefeller Center and in the The Shops at Columbus Circle in the Deutsche Bank Center.

This LGBTQ+-friendly and woman-owned gift shop became a hit in Astoria when it opened in 2013 and has since expanded to several other locations, including Brooklyn. This Jackson Heights store offers a little bit of everything: home decor, quirky totes, pop culture items, metaphysical goods, inclusive children’s books, cocktail supplies, jewelry, and more. It’s a one-stop-shop if you’re searching for a cool souvenir or thoughtful little gift.

Make a beeline for this store if you love French designers. Owner Ludivine Grégoire showcases of-the-moment Gallic (and a few Italian) designers like Vanessa Bruno, Jérôme Dreyfuss, and Carvin French.

This canopied marketplace offers an array of funky African and African-inspired jewelry, Afrocentric art and wood carvings, and festive clothing, mudcloth fabrics, and colorful textiles peddled by vendors hailing from countries like Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Gambia, and Ghana. On weekends with nice weather, more vendors open and some shops can tailor items for you right on the spot. It's a one-stop shopping experience: patrons can get their hair braided, sample traditional African cuisine, or pick up some beautiful (authentic) African garb.

A well-chosen collection of clothes, accessories, and objects from some of the most exciting independent designers in the world is on display at this minimalist, industrial-chic boutique. Try on a hot-pink blazer from Eckaus Latta, a colorful patchwork blouse by Sophie Andes Gascon, or a classic silhouette from Paris Georgia. Zadeh's own line is also available, and she sometimes stocks flea-market finds from her travels.

A bibliophile's dream, this friendly indie bookstore has a wide selection of books and literary magazines. There's a particularly well-curated poetry section. Author events are held frequently, in person and online. 

Located on the museum's first floor off the main lobby, MoMA's in-house shop stocks uniquely creative housewares, jewelry, toys, an array of art reproductions, and impressive coffee-table books about painting, sculpture, film, and photography. Across the street is the MoMA Design Store ( 44 W. 53rd St.), where you can find Charles and Ray Eames furniture reproductions, vases designed by Alvar Aalto, and lots of clever toys. You won't find more ingenious, practical souvenirs anywhere in town. (There's also a location in SoHo.)

Located in Grand Central Terminal, the symbolic heart of New York City's transit system, this museum store and gallery features an eclectic array of merchandise all linked to the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority), from straphanger ties to earrings made from old subway tokens.

Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Mark and Katrina Parris, NiLu specializes in locally made home goods and furnishings, apparel, books, and crafts. The Harlem residents affectionately named the kitschy gift shop after their two sons, Nigel and Luke. The couple emphasizes fair-trade products and is dedicated to showcasing the rich culture, artistry, and unique attributes of Harlem and other special places around the world. Expect to find a great assortment of gifts from women-owned brands, ranging from candles from Harlem Candle Co. to Adjourn Teahouse blends, coffee table books, art prints, and more. 

It's easy to understand the cultlike status of Opening Ceremony, a concept store filled with eclectic goods. The brand's owners are constantly globe-trotting to soak up the work of foreign designers and bring back the best clothing, products, and vintage items to showcase in their store. Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil, and the United Kingdom have all been represented. The Howard Street address is two connected stores, with stock that includes shoes, kids' clothes, books, and women's and menswear. Both spaces also double as galleries for modern art and installations.

Looking for that unique gift or souvenir you'll never find in a corporate chain shop? Then stop into this matchbox-sized charmer specializing in the wacky, whimsical, and charming. There are novelty greeting cards, funny coffee mugs, books for kids, and candles with unorthodox scents. There's a second location in the East Village on East 9th between 1st Avenue and Avenue A.

This ultramodern, multilevel flagship space, designed by Rem Koolhaas, is both showpiece and showcase. It's worth wandering in to check out the oft-changing artistic display in the central open staircase, even if the luxurious clothes and accessories for men and women are out of your price range. The store stretches from Broadway to Mercer Street, with entrances at both ends.

Beloved New York–designer Rachel Comey creates cool jumpsuits, slouchy sweatshirts, wide-leg pants, and chunky mules that are highly sought after by the downtown fashion crowd. Her skylit, loft-like boutique is an oasis from the SoHo fray, where helpful staff will help you find the best style.

You don't have to be in the market for a plush sofa or a chandelier to appreciate a stroll through the massive, six-story, 90,000-square-foot space of RH (Restoration Hardware), with sections that include those for babies and teens, a soaring central atrium, and a glass elevator to whisk you to the leafy rooftop terrace. There, a restaurant serves elevated comfort food such as truffle-laced pastas, juicy rib-eye steaks, and lobster rolls. And who knows? You might just end up leaving with a cool vintage-looking lamp, too.

Inhale the aromas of spices and coffee beans as you enter this trading post that's been a neighborhood institution since 1948. They're not just purveyors of nuts, cheeses, olives, and other Middle Eastern grocery items, but also have a gourmet deli of prepared foods. Hot saj (unlevened flatbread) sandwiches are made to order, filled with curried chickpeas, falafels, za'ater (Middle Eastern spice blend) chicken, or harissa (hot chili pepper paste) salmon, along with your choice of veggies.

The iconic store remains a high-fashion force and continually revamps its modish offerings with contemporary designer lines, such as Proenza Schouler and Victoria Beckham. The department store has a designer sneaker shop, as well as an enormous Christian Louboutin shop-within-a-shop. The ground-floor beauty department stocks an incredible array of products, from classics to edgy. This store's extravagant Holiday Light Show is one of the city's top attractions from late November to early January.

A heavy, iron-barred door leads to a hushed, scented inner sanctum of beauty products. At this U.S. outpost of the 600-year-old Florentine company, shoppers can browse intriguingly archaic perfumes, colognes, creams, and soaps such as rose rice powder, prepared according to both traditional and modern recipes. Everything is packaged in bottles and jars with antique-style apothecary labels. If you prefer to perfume your home rather than your body, there are candles and sachets as well.

Proudly headquartered in Detroit, this World War II–era shoe polish brand has been relaunched as a company that builds handcrafted watches, bicycles, leather goods, journals, and pet accessories. Shinola's TriBeCa flagship store also offers engraving, monogramming, and watch repair.