New York City is the largest city in the United States, a dense metropolis of five boroughs at the mouth of the Hudson River. It is home to the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Broadway, world-class museums, the Brooklyn Bridge, and one of the most diverse food scenes on earth. The city runs day and night on an extensive subway system.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
New York-style bagels and lox
Fresh-baked bagels with cream cheese or smoked salmon from classic Lower East Side and Upper West Side shops
Price: $4-14 per bagel sandwich; $12-25 per half-pound of lox
Where: Russ & Daughters (Lower East Side), Absolute Bagels (Upper West Side), Essex Market
Black-and-white cookies and cheesecake
Classic NYC baked goods sold at bakeries, delis, and Chelsea Market
Price: $3-7 per cookie; $8-15 per slice of cheesecake
Where: Chelsea Market, Junior's (Brooklyn and Times Square), Zabar's
Books and NYC-themed gifts
Used and rare books, tote bags, and prints from the Strand and independent bookstores
Price: $4-30 for books; $15-25 for tote bags
Where: Strand Bookstore (828 Broadway), McNally Jackson (SoHo), Housing Works Bookstore
Vintage and designer fashion
Vintage denim, leather jackets, and independent designer pieces from flea markets and boutiques
Price: $20-300
Where: Artists & Fleas (Chelsea Market and Williamsburg), SoHo boutiques, Century 21
MetroCard and subway memorabilia
NYC Transit Museum store items with subway maps, tiles, and vintage signage prints
Price: $10-60
Where: New York Transit Museum Store (Grand Central Terminal shuttle passage; Brooklyn Heights)
Local art prints and photography
Prints of NYC skylines and neighborhood scenes sold by independent artists at flea markets
Price: $15-150
Where: Artists & Fleas, Union Square holiday market (November-December)
Hot sauce, honey, and preserves
Small-batch jars from Hudson Valley and Brooklyn producers
Price: $8-20 per jar
Where: Union Square Greenmarket, Essex Market, Chelsea Market
Cameras and audio gear
Competitive prices on cameras, lenses, headphones, and laptops; ask about international warranty and voltage
Price: $50-5,000
Where: B&H Photo Video (420 Ninth Ave)
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Fifth Avenue Shopping District
The world's most famous retail corridor, packing luxury flagships, Rockefeller Center, and holiday window displays into about ten blocks of Midtown.
Where: Midtown Manhattan - Fifth Avenue, 49th-60th Streets
Hours: Most stores Mon-Sat 10AM-8PM, Sun 11AM-7PM (varies by store)
SoHo Shopping District
Cobblestone streets and cast-iron buildings hold a dense mix of mainstream flagships and independent boutiques between Houston and Canal Streets.
Where: SoHo, Lower Manhattan - Broadway and Prince Street
Hours: Most stores daily 11AM-8PM (varies by store)
Chelsea Market
An indoor food hall and shopping arcade in the former National Biscuit Company factory, with dozens of food vendors, bakeries, and specialty shops, next to the High Line.
Where: Meatpacking District / Chelsea - Ninth Avenue at 15th Street
Hours: Mon-Sat 7AM-9PM, Sun 8AM-8PM (individual vendors vary)
Artists & Fleas Chelsea Market
A curated indoor market of independent makers and vintage dealers in the lower level of Chelsea Market, open daily.
Where: Chelsea Market - Tenth Avenue side
Hours: Daily 11AM-7PM
Artists & Fleas Williamsburg
Weekend market of independent vendors a few steps from the Bedford Avenue L train stop in Williamsburg.
Where: Williamsburg, Brooklyn - North 7th Street
Hours: Fri-Sun 11AM-7PM
Strand Bookstore
One of the world's best-known independent bookstores, open since 1927, with rare-book and gift sections and a wide used-book selection.
Where: Greenwich Village / East Village - Broadway at 12th Street
Hours: Daily 10AM-9PM
B&H Photo Video
An enormous camera and electronics superstore with an overhead conveyor-belt order system, run by a Hasidic family and closed on Saturdays.
Where: Midtown West - Ninth Avenue at 34th Street
Hours: Sun-Thu roughly 9AM-7PM, Fri early close, closed Saturday (Sabbath); check the website
Macy's Herald Square
The famous flagship of Macy's, occupying a full block at Herald Square with nine floors of fashion, home, and beauty and the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade and holiday windows.
Where: Midtown Manhattan - Herald Square
Hours: Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-8PM (extended hours in holiday season)
Century 21
Reopened in 2023 after closing during 2020, the off-price department store faces the World Trade Center site and is one block from Fulton Street station.
Where: Financial District - Cortlandt Street
Hours: Mon-Sat 9AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-8PM
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
A large outlet complex reached by direct bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal (about 1 hour 10 minutes) or by car via the New York State Thruway.
Where: Central Valley, Orange County - about 60 miles north of Manhattan
Hours: Daily 10AM-9PM (holiday hours vary)
Essex Market
A historic public market, dating from 1940 and relocated to a new space in 2019, with dozens of independent food vendors on the Lower East Side.
Where: Lower East Side - Delancey and Essex Streets
Hours: Mon-Wed 8AM-8PM, Thu-Sat 8AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-6PM (individual vendors vary)
Grand Central Market
A compact food market inside Grand Central Terminal's Lexington Avenue passage, popular with commuters for gourmet groceries and takeaway.
Where: Midtown East - Grand Central Terminal, Lexington Avenue passage
Hours: Mon-Fri 7AM-8PM, Sat 10AM-7PM, Sun 11AM-6PM
Union Square Greenmarket
NYC's most famous farmers market, a fixture since 1976, with more than 140 regional farms and food producers on peak Saturdays.
Where: Union Square, Manhattan - 14th Street and Broadway
Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 8AM-6PM (year-round)
Bloomingdale's 59th Street
The flagship of the department store chain, with its 59th Street entrance and famous 'Big Brown Bag' souvenirs.
Where: Upper East Side - Lexington Avenue at 59th Street
Hours: Mon-Sat 10AM-8PM, Sun 11AM-7PM