Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Sorry! We don't have any recommendations for New York City right now.
The Big Apple is one of the best shopping destinations in the world, rivaled perhaps only by London, Paris, and Tokyo. Its compact size, convenient subway system, and plentiful cabs (or Uber or Lyft rides) make it easy to navigate with plenty of bags in tow. But what it really comes down to is the staggering number and variety of stores. If you can't find it in New York, it probably doesn't exist.
If you like elegant flagships and money is no object, head to Midtown, where you'll find international megabrands like Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gucci, as well as famed department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. Nearby Madison Avenue has couture from Carolina Herrera and Vera Wang, and 5th Avenue is lined with famous jewelry stores such as Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston. This is also the neighborhood to indulge in bespoke goods, such as handmade shoes from John Lobb. If you like designer pieces but can't afford them, don't despair—there are plenty of upscale consignment shops around the city where you can find last season's Chanel suit or a vintage YSL jacket.
The small, independent shops that once lined SoHo have largely been displaced by the likes of J.Crew and UNIQLO, but if you want to hit the chains, this is a great place to do it, because the neighborhood also provides high-quality people-watching and superb lunches. Poke around on the side streets and in nearby NoLIta for outposts of smaller local and foreign designers and, if you're craving some of old SoHo's artistic spirit, don't discount the street vendors' stalls, which sell handmade jewelry and simple cotton dresses.
The East Village and Lower East Side are hotbeds of creativity and quirky coolness, with little boutiques selling everything from retro furniture to industrial-inspired jewelry. They're tucked among bars and old tenement buildings. The Meatpacking District is another great shopping destination to find chic designer stores like Diane von Furstenberg and rag & bone along with independently owned boutiques. And if you jaunt over to Brooklyn, you'll discover that some of the city's hippest designers are hanging out at boutiques just across the East River.
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.
It's the quintessential New York story—a jewelry designer who got his start selling his first line, made from Depression-era glass, on a corner in SoHo. His designs count A-list celebs and fashion editors among fans. Expect colorful, fun statement jewelry made out of metal, Lucite, pearls, and vintage glass.
The luxury retailer's claim to fame is jewelry; its own eponymous diamond cut has A-shape facets, but the British brand caters to all tastes. Everything including leather goods such as wallets and handbags, fine china coffee and tea sets, rare books, polo equipment, and scarves is available. Service is impeccable.
This is not your ordinary bead store. The semiprecious stones and baubles are sourced from around the world—say, silver from Bali or ancient glass beads from China. There's also has a wide range of worldly trinkets like Thai Buddha figurines, Mexican Madonna candles, and Indian Ganesha-printed hangings.
At the NYC outpost of this L.A. favorite, owner Laura Freedman sells a well-edited selection of jewelry from designers including Anita Ko and David Webb. Expect delicate and whimsical pieces, from diamond-encrusted ear cuffs to geometric rings.
With a marble-lined, jewel-encrusted flagship on 5th Avenue (one of several global Bulgari "temples"), this Italian company is certainly not meek with its branding, which encircles gems, watch faces, and an ever-growing accessories line. There are ornate, weighty rings and other pieces mixing gold with stainless steel, porcelain, and the brand's signature cabochon multicolor sapphires. Wedding and engagement rings are slightly more subdued.
Established in 1914, this legendary French jeweler and firm favorite among royals and celebrities is the place to come for exquisite engagement rings, luxury watches, or cuff links. The brand's iconic designs include the panther motif, the Trinity ring, and Tank watches—all available at the famous Cartier Mansion on 5th Avenue, along with vintage accessories. The entire building, which is a Gilded Age mansion built for Morgan Freeman Plant, son of railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant, is wrapped in a Cartier signature red bow every year for the holidays.
The jewelry and housewares designs at this small, Australian-owned brand are inspired by nature and organic shapes. Resin is used to craft jewelry and vases in bold colors like hot pink and orange. The tableware is striking and very covetable.
The eponymous designer specializes in vintage-inspired jewelry and antiques: delicate Art Deco earrings, vintage lockets, and necklaces fashioned from antique charms. The Erica Weiner collection includes pieces under $200.
If you're in the market for vintage diamonds, this is the place, whether your taste is for tiaras, art deco settings, or sparklers once worn by a Vanderbilt. Part of the company's own collection, the skinny, stackable diamond eternity bands are hugely popular.
These jewels regularly adorn celebs at the Oscars, and you need an A-list bank account to shop here. The ice-clear diamonds are of impeccable quality and are set in everything from emerald-cut solitaire rings to wreath necklaces resembling strings of flowers. No wonder the jeweler was immortalized in the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend."
The Japanese-style, origami-influenced bags here marry form and function. Totes and messenger bags come in durable leather and nylon; popular styles include lots of pockets.
Furnished with restored antique apothecary cases and library ladders, this treasure chest houses a collection of fine, silver, costume, and designer rings, charms, brooches, belts, buckles, and more spanning from the early 19th century to the present.
Messenger bags are now ubiquitous, but this is the store that started it all. Super durable, the bags come in waxed canvas as well as nylon, and the line has expanded to include totes, duffels, and travel bags, all in unadorned, simple styles.
The Japanese originator of the cultured pearl, Mikimoto presents a glowing display of high-luster pearls. In addition to viewing creamy strands from their own pearl farms, check out the diamond-and-pearl earrings, bracelets, and rings.
Creating high-quality jewelry in a sustainable way, this sleek shop sells customizable gold and silver objects with handpicked stones, from rings to necklaces to bracelets, and much more.
You might find yourself wishing for 10,000 things from the showcases in this elegant boutique, which moved to the West Village from its old TriBeCa haunt. Designs run from delicate gold and silver chains to long Peruvian opal earrings. Many shapes are abstract reflections of natural forms, like twigs or seedpods. Prices start around $190 but quickly rise.
It's hard to think of a more iconic New York jewelry store than Tiffany, along with its unmistakable blue box. Daydream among the displays of platinum-and-diamond bracelets and massive engagement rings, or head to the sterling-silver floor for more affordable baubles. This flagship is among the world's most famous stores, thanks in part to Truman Capote's 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the 1961 classic film starring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly.
This French jewelry company is considerably more low-key than many of its blingy neighbors, in both design and marketing ethos (you won't see them opening a store in your average mall). Their best-known design is the cloverleaf Alhambra, which can be found on rings, necklaces, and earrings.
All the jewelry here is handmade in New York City, and none of it is typical. Design motifs include wrenches, Big Macs, and seahorses. Tilda Swinton is a fan.
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
Thank you for your interest!
