Shop 'til you drop: New York

Christmas shopping with girlfriends is top of most of our wish lists – and if you combine it with a fun weekend in a fabulous city you could save the cost of your travel in bargain buys

New York, New York...

SHE's deputy fashion editor Pamela Harris shopped her way around New York with her friends Sarah Melville, who is a sub-editor, and Stephanie Luke, a sales executive.

 

Shop til you drop: Copenhagen

Shop til you drop: Manchester

Shop til you drop: three more top shopping cities

 

New Yorkers take shopping very seriously, so visiting the city's hotspots is a must for fashionistas. You'll be streets ahead in the style stakes - plus there are serious bargains to be had, as US prices are traditionally more competitive than over here.

 

Hitting the shops

Madison Avenue is home to high-end stores like Tiffany & Co and Prada; perfect for window shopping and getting ideas. Sex and the City stylist Patricia Field sourced much of the show's characters' clothes from Henri Bendel (712 5th Avenue, www.henribendel.com; 00 1 212 247 1100) so if you're after dresses by Diane von Furstenberg or J Brand jeans, this is the place to go. Other great fashion hunting grounds include NoLita and the Lower East Side.

 

What we bought

A Marc Jacobs jacket, reduced from £700 to £90 at Century 21 (472 86th Street, Brooklyn, www.c21stores.com; 00 1 718 748 3266) was my best buy. Plus, a tweed skirt by Marni down from £750 to £100 and a black trench coat by Helmut Lang, reduced from £400 to £120.

 

Beat the credit crunch

I found some great jeans at Urban Outfitters that, at £25, cost £12 less than they would have done back home and we loved rifling through the vintage clothes and jewellery at Noho Market (Broadway and West 4th Street), where I found a pretty floral 1950s dress for just £20.

 

Escaping the tills

For some of the best views of the city, head to Top of the Rock, at
30 Rockefeller Plaza (www.topoftherocknyc.com; 00 1 212 698 2000). Tickets cost around £10.

 

Where to refuel

Pick up a cupcake from the famous Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleecker Street, www.magnoliacupcakes.com; 00 1 212 462 2572). Treat yourself to brunch at Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental hotel (80 Columbus Circle, 60th Street, www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork; 00 1 212 805 8881) where £25 per head buys you three tasty courses overlooking Central Park. For dinner, try Brasserie (Seagram Building, 100 East 53rd St, www.rapatina.com; 00 1 212 751 4840), where the burgers with smoked bacon (£10) proved the perfect post-shopping pick-me-up.

 

Best for...

We took a shopping tour with stylist Carrie Gjermundsen to discover
the city's hippest boutiques and cafés. A four-hour walk cost £60 each but was worth it in terms of bargain buy tips (www.styleguidenyctours.com; 00 1 718 935 9883). Or grab a copy of the next best thing - the New York Shopping Guide (£6.99, Insight Guides).

 

We stayed...

With hotel rates in New York pretty high, you often have to compromise on style or location. So imagine our surprise when we came across the City Club. This 65-room hotel had airy rooms, plenty of style, a great location and doubles from around £180, room only (55 West 44th Street, www.cityclubhotel.com; 00 1 212 921 5500). If that's still a bit pricey, Chelsea Lodge has small but smart doubles from around £68, B&B (318 West 20th Street, www.chelsealodge.com; 00 1 212 243 4499). 

 

Getting there...

Direct flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK start from £299 with British Airways (www.ba.com; 0844 493 0787).

 

---

 

If you enjoyed that, try these...

Shop til you drop: Copenhagen

Shop til you drop: Manchester 

Shop til you drop: three more top shopping cities

 

Click here for more on North America

 

 

 

Subscribe - Only £1 per Issue