Madison Avenue Shopping

Ann Taylor has several shops in which she sells her high fashion designer clothing. On Madison you can find one at 645 Madison Avenue and 80^th & Madison. The first store was opened in 1945, so they’ve been around for a while and obviously selling what women want to wear. You will find classic clothing in these high end boutiques including separates, suites, dresses as well as shoes and accessories. Much of the clothing found at Ann Taylor’s contains the finest Italian fabrics and yarns.

Valentino, located at 747 Madison Avenue, offers intricate embroidered evening gowns, handbags covered in fur, spike heeled pumps covered in jewels and more. Of course, Valentino’s trade mark of red and black, polka-dots, bows and ruffles are predominate in his gowns. Some of his most popular shoes, however, are the skinny wedges and flats. For the man shopper, there is a line of Italian suits as well as tuxedos and dark evening wear with the Valentino flair.

Yves St. Laurent, located at 855 Madison Avenue, originally designed his clothing before his death in 2008. He was often called the most influential designer of the last 25 years. The modern refined elegant style of S. Laurent continues in the line as seen in the Madison Avenue shop. His habit of taking items of male clothing (jacket or blazer) and mixing them with feminine pieces continues as well.

5^th Avenue Shopping

Disney Store, located at 711 5^th Avenue, always has an air of magic swirling around the store. It can be seen through the windows, drawing you in like a hypnotic trance. If there is an item Disney related, you will find it in this store. It’s a chance to give your adult shopping excursion a break to find something special for your children, a niece or even a friend’s child. If a child has accompanied you or you are just a child at heart, you will want to head up to the 3^rd floor to peruse through the Disney Art Gallery which includes both past and present art pieces.

Saks Fifth Avenue, located at 611 5^th Avenue, is competitive in the high-end retail clothing market. A quality clothing line that was founded in 1865 by Andrew Saks. Many designers create clothing for the Saks series of department stores such as Daniel Franco, Karl Kani, Victoria Bekham, Bono, making it a giant retailer with a styles that satisfy everyone.

Prada, located at 724 5^th Avenue, offers quality Italian leather goods (luggage, shoes and accessories). If the public didn’t know about exquisite Prada shoes, they did after the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada.” Although there is a long list of Prada retailers, the 5^th avenue store is a must-stop-in if your shopping in New York City. The status symbol shoes are luxurious and copied by counterfeiters at the constant frustration of Prada.

Time Square Shopping

M&M World, located at 1600 Broadway, is candy heaven. And if you can’t get enough chocolate there, Hershey’s is right across the street. The 25,000 square foot store bombards you with M&M colors as you walk in the door. With three stories of M&M apparel, art, kitchen gadgets and, oh yeah, candy, you won’t make it out without a 5 lb weight increase.

The MTV Store, located at 1515 Broadway, may be noticed first by the line around the block. But, then when you look up you notice the bright yellow sign that is MTV’s. The line is to participate in the audience of one of MTVs most popular shows, “Total Request Live.” You can purchase MTV souvenirs at their gift shop at the bottom floor. While you are at it buy an “Eat MTV.”

Sanrio, located at 233 West 42^nd Street, is first noticed by it’s bright pink exterior and “Hello Kitty” collection in the window. Most of the store is take over by Japanese “kawaii” (cute). And that means anything “Hello Kitty.” Take your little girl hear and she’ll have twinkle in her eye for ever more. And you will have the credit card bill to prove it. But what joy you will give her.

Lower East Side Shopping

Marmalade, located at 172 Ludlow, is a haven of vintage clothing, shoes and accessories. If you love 70s and 80s clothing to wear alone or to mix in with attire of the 21^st century, this is the place. These vintage treasures are clean and in good repair with plenty of sizes to fit everyone. They have a helpful and friendly staff that is knowledgeable and able to answer questions with great detail.

Bluestockings Radical Books, located at 172 Allen Street, carries all the radical stuff. If vacation means stopping to read a good book, between shopping trips, you will want to stop by Bluestockings. It will give you a chance to browse the shelves for books you don’t find at your local corner bookstore.

Zarin Fabric Warehouse and Home Furnishings, located at 314 Grand Street, is a huge source of designer fabrics for home decorating. If you love interior design and doing your own thing, you could get lost for a whole day in their three floors of fabric and all that’s needed to redo your home at below retail prices. You know it’s the place to check out as it’s been in or mentioned in many TV programs such as “The Real Housewives of New York City,” “What’s Your Sign Design,” “Sex and the City,” “Law and Order,” and many more.

Travel tips:
1. Pick your best and cheapest flight itinerary into either LaGuardia, JFK or Newark airports.
2. Book your hotel through Hotels Cheap to get guaranteed best rates and availability in the New York area.
3. Spend your savings on extra shopping in NYC!

(cc: photo credit: Jordan Chark)

Tourists arrive via JFK, LaGuardia or Newark airports and typically like to flock to Manhattan, which only seems like it has a monopoly on tourist attractions. But these are the best ways to get the full New York City experience. Don’t worry, we won’t send you to Staten Island.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

The Promenade is the perfect introduction to the city’s most picturesque borough. Enterprising pedestrians can cross the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan on foot, walk the promenade, and hit up nearby restaurants and bars on Smith and Henry streets. The promenade is one-stop shopping for all your tourist needs, offering Brooklyn’s best vista of the Manhattan skyline and a foray into the borough’s characteristic brownstone neighborhoods. What’s more, visitors can now catch the Waterfalls installation, a public arts display featuring 100-foot cascades into the East River.

Brooklyn Brewery, Williamsburg

Beer drinkers should be especially keen to brave Brooklyn, if only to head straight to the source for the best microbrews in the city. The Brooklyn Brewery is an ideal weekend destination, hosting several free tours every Saturday afternoon and $4 brews at Friday happy hour. A visit entails sampling a huge range of brews, from the basic Brown Ale and Lager to the heat-packing Monster Ale and Local 1. To make the most of your $4, give the refreshing Pennant Ale a shot. While not the most intensely alcoholic of Brooklyn’s brews, it’s the most user-friendly.

Peter Luger Steakhouse, Williamsburg

Peter Luger’s Williamsburg location is the oldest and most trusted steakhouse in town; its slogan boldly states that it’s been “famous for over 100 years.” This means, of course, that the forces behind Peter Luger’s have had a century to perfect their signature steak sauce and meat selection process. The result of their toil is a highly specialized eatery, offering little in selection besides steak and beefsteak tomatoes, both prepared in the same sauce. It’s not the restaurant to choose if you’re in the mood for Shrimp Alfredo, but for steak lovers it’s Valhalla. Bring plenty of cash, as Luger’s doesn’t take any credit except their own Peter Luger card, and be sure to enjoy a pre-steak aperitif from their “gentleman’s bar.”

The Bronx

Yankee Stadium and the Yankee Tavern

Regardless of geographic affiliations, every sports fan needs to genuflect at the ill-fated Cathedral of Baseball before it’s demolished. For a thorough Yanks experience, head around the corner to the busy 161st street for deep-fried deliciousness at the Yankee Tavern. Around since 1923, this “Original Sports Bar” serves the best pre-game meal in the Bronx. Be prepared to get cozy with the Yanks-faithful, as the tight seating in the bar’s dining room results in some interesting conversation. Think about it this way: the Tavern’s website tells us that back in the day, “the Babe was known for coming in and buying a round of drinks for the house.” He’d want you to have a beer with your neighbors.

Arthur Avenue, Belmont

Compared to its trendy Manhattanite cousin, Arthur Avenue’s Italian enclave is quiet and traditional. Many of its inhabitants advertise it dutifully as “the Real Little Italy.” The neighborhood, housed in the Fordham area of the Bronx, offers its visitors a wealth of available delis, bakeries, and restaurants, as well as the odd pasta maker and pork store. It’s worth the ride on the D train to grab a parmigiana hero from a deli or to sit down for a complete pasta dinner. The wisest of visitors will eschew restaurant dessert menus in favor of a bakery cannoli, packaged in the time-honored manner with a red and white string.

Queens

Jacob Riis Park

The most resort-like escape within the city’s confines is Riis, Robert Moses’ preeminent contribution to the city parks system. The Rockaway oceanfront is easily accessible by subway and bus or, more interestingly, by water taxi from lower Manhattan’s Wall Street. Head to Riis for a basic beach day or a game of Pitch and Putt and soak up the democratizing spirit; the park derives its name from photographer Jacob Riis, famous for his portraits of New York’s underclass. The park’s founders aimed to create a beautiful space for the city’s packed populations, and tourists can capitalize as well.

The Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria

Though it’s currently undergoing major expansion and renovation, Queens’ most specialized museum still affords its visitors insight into cinematic production process and sponsors several film events throughout the city. The completed edifice promises to be one of the city’s premier exhibition spaces, housing an amphitheater and several screening rooms. Currently, the museum hosts a thorough “Behind the Screen” exhibition, schooling patrons in all aspects of film from sound editing to wig application. It’s a must for students and curious audiences alike.

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Flushing’s Chinatown

The ride to the endpoint of the rickety 7 train is one of the city’s longest, but Flushing’s Asian enclave is worth the schlep. It’s home to New York’s best Chinese food and discount shopping. Be prepared for some adventure on Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue; the neighborhood, at some turns, resembles a real far-Eastern city and many restaurant menus are printed entirely in Chinese. Point to the grainy picture that most resembles pan-fried noodles and you won’t be disappointed.

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The Municipal Art Society of New York’s Walking Tours: Local Culture According to the Experts

The MAS’s walking tours offer a range of experiences for the curious tourist, including visits to oft-ignored outer-borough attractions and historians’ views of Manhattan’s architectural development. Witness undeveloped New York on a tour of Queens’ Willets Point, characterized by the MAS’s website as a, “hardscrabble area of auto junkyards and related businesses that has twice beaten back attempts at redevelopment,” tour a paragon of urban renewal in Brooklyn’s “New Williamsburg Waterfront,” or stick to the relative basics on a walk through historical “Radical Greenwich Village.” Whichever route you choose, you’ll encounter authentic New York through the lenses of some of its most learned inhabitants. In keeping with the MAS’s mission “to promote a more livable city,” these walking tours offer tourists a glimpse of the city’s thriving culture and ongoing development.

HUSH Hip Hop Tours: A Guided Foray into New York’s Arts Communities

HUSH’s aptly-named bus tours offer a hip-hop experience according to the landmarks; visitors can choose from the “Pioneers” tour of Harlem and the Bronx, the “Rapper’s Row” tour of Queens, and the “Where Brooklyn At?” tour of, well, Brooklyn. In keeping with its mission to communicate authenticity to its patrons, HUSH promises opportunities to “meet, greet and be guided by hip hop legends like Grandmaster Caz, Kurtis Blow, Raheim, Reggie Reg and an assortment of others.” Guests can expect the unique treat of live entertainment, and ambitious visitors can also partake in walking tours of the famed neighborhoods or the occasional Graffiti tour. A wary visitor has only to visit HUSH’s website for customer reviews; these tours are overwhelmingly well-received for their informational and amusing qualities.

Circle Line’s Other Tours: Speed-Boating and Boozing Abound

The harbor cruise is a popular notion for New York’s visitors, and the Circle Line is the city’s most trusted purveyor of basic aquatic experiences. In addition to their “humorous, yet informative” semi-circle and full-island tours, the company offers the more entertaining options of an evening booze cruise and a quickie speedboat tour, both affordable at $27 and $19, respectively. The “Harbor Lights” evening cruise offers its patrons views of Liberty and Ellis Islands, the East River’s bridges, and Midtown’s most famous skyscrapers, while the speedboat tour boasts a vessel called the “Beast,” complete with a gaping maw. Put simply, the harbor cruise is still a great way to enjoy the city’s best vistas, though you might want to do it with a drink in your hand. Or really fast.

NBC Studio Tours: A Classic Choice for the TV-Loving Tourist

While this tour charts familiar territory, its sights are still undeniably exciting. Visitors to the famed 30 Rock gain entrée to the base camps of Conan, the Today Show, and Saturday Night Live, among several others. In addition to its basic studio tour, NBC offers package deals for its patrons that include a complete tour of Rockefeller Center and an On-Location bus tour of Manhattan’s television and movie sites. The studio tour also gains points for sheer convenience: it runs every 30 minutes during business hours on weekdays and every 15 on weekends. While it may be nearly impossible to get a group of SNL standby tickets, NBC assures that you can still witness some genuine backstage action on your New York vacation.

New York Culinary Tours: Eat Your Way through the City’s Ethnic Enclaves

As the website advertises, the aim of New York Culinary Tours is to venture “beyond the tourist track” into the city’s culturally representative neighborhoods. Patrons can opt for well-known culinary mainstays like Chinatown and Little Italy or venture into the outer boroughs for new tastes. For the adventurous foodie, a tour of Queens’ Astoria promises the city’s most authentic Greek cuisine and Turkish coffee. Additionally, Brooklyn’s Sunset Park is one of New York’s most diverse areas, hosting an array of South and Central American and Chinese eateries. These tours are the surest way to fully experience the cultural variety that defines New York, especially for the wayfarer who is willing to stray from Manhattan’s beaten paths.

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Free Weekday Fun

Rock & Roll Karaoke at Arlene’s Grocery, Lower East Side

Arlene’s Monday night program is a far cry from your usual barroom belter. In fact, it involves a live band whose repertoire ranges from Oasis to Dio with some karaoke classics thrown in for good measure. Since you don’t have to pay at the door, you might be enticed to buy a few extra beers and subject the crowd to your interpretation of “Teenage Kicks.” It’s a good idea so long as you’re prepared to sell it. The event’s website plainly states that the band takes its “performing’ responsibilities seriously,” which means that participants should do the same. This reporter’s holding out until the band learns some Morrissey.

River Flicks at Hudson River Park, West Side

2008 is River Flicks’ Summer of Music. The free-of-charge film series hosts rock pastiches and movie musicals on Wednesday evenings, screening the likes of Purple Rain and Saturday Night Fever. If Prince and Travolta don’t entice you to visit the far West Side, there’s always the Friday Kid Flicks series at Pier 46. The latter notably features E.T. and the Goonies, and both events offer free popcorn. What’s more, the series screen the films in the out-of-doors, so viewers can enjoy their park environs to the fullest.

The Best Dive Bars

The Continental, East Village

The geniuses behind Manhattan’s most straightforward dive self-promote with a top 10 list of “Reasons to drink at the Continental.” The two best reasons, as any of their patrons would agree, are their never-ending deal of five shots for $10 and the fact that Iggy Pop drank there. Pretty enticing stuff, especially considering that their prices never rise above $5 a drink and they’ve been known to offer $1.50 PBRs. Located right around the corner from busy St. Mark’s (and some top-notch cheap falafel), the Continental is the perfect end to your night.

The Trash Bar, Williamsburg

The Trash Bar is friendly and limitlessly charming, especially if you enjoy Pabst, free tater tots, and the occasional game of Big Buck Hunter. Its happy hours are an unbeatable deal, offering two-for-one draughts and wells in addition to blessed PBR. Plus, if you’re there for the nightly live music in the bar’s back room, you’ll also enjoy an open bar from 8 to 9pm. Trash is an anchor of cheap in an increasingly pricey neighborhood. Of course, if we’re being open and honest, you’ll admit that you were sold at “free tater tots.”

Cheap Food in Manhattan

Dojo, Nolita

Although this once-glorious establishment lost its East Village location over numerous health code violations, its NYU-adjacent site still embraces the cheap. Its extensive menu of Japanese-inspired and vegetarian-friendly items is ideal fare for the perpetually broke, namely those who can’t be arsed over NYC’s standards of cleanliness. It’s a testament to Dojo that the only menu items over the $10 price point are pitchers of draught beer, and most meals will run you around $5. Though these facts may do little to whet your appetite, rest assured that the food is always unique and delicious. The cold tofu, soy burger, and Dojo Dressing make for one of the best lunches in town.

Gray’s Papaya, West Side

Gray’s is home to the Recession Special: $3.50 for two hot dogs and a drink. The popular chain has 3 West Side locations, all offering exceptional non-alcoholic fruit beverages like piña coladas and coconut champagne. Gray’s hot dogs inspire doglike devotion in some omnivorous New Yorkers, and because of their frequent pop culture mentions have become a tourist favorite. And, to sway the politically-minded hot dog-eater, the Times reports that Gray’s Papaya has endorsed Barack Obama for President.

Free Live Music

McCarren Park Pool Parties, Greenpoint

This storied series is in its last summer at McCarren Park, though hosts JellyNYC hope to move it to another location. Regardless, it’s worth experiencing the parties in their proper pool before the city renovates and repurposes the venue. This year’s festivities include dodgeball tournaments, Brooklyn Brewery kiosks, and an impressive list of participating bands. If you act quickly, you can still catch the Liars, King Khan and the Shrines, the Black Lips, and MGMT.

Summer Stage, Central Park

Hosting several major events each week, the Summer Stage is the most fruitful of free concert series. This summer’s epic set includes Jill Scott, Wyclef Jean, the National, Battles, and Sharon Jones, whose band the Dap Kings are also Amy Winehouse’s erstwhile backers. Unlike some of the city’s more niche-specific events, the Summer Stage and the City Parks Foundation aim to present a broad range of musicians to their “global city.” They also offer the city’s greenest, most bucolic setting in which to witness rock & roll. Visitors will want to peruse Central Park’s lake and Bethesda Fountain before heading to Rumsey Playfield for their choice show.

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If you’re trying to leave New York City – via one of its airports – then there’s a new ride sharing service that might interest you, and save you a few of your precious travel dollars. The Split-A-Cab service launched this week and is a great way to both save some money and be environmentally friendly at the same time.

Split-A-Cab is the initiative of a Manhattan resident by the name of John Winiarski, who doesn’t own a car and decided it was a waste of time and energy to have 100 million people per year headed to the airport alone. He set up the Split A Cab website to provide a sensible, green answer to this situation.

If you want to Split-A-Cab, you should be headed from somewhere in downtown New York towards JFK, LaGuadia or Newark airports. If you log in to the website, you’ll hopefully be able to find other people who are heading there at a similar time to you from your neighborhood, and you can arrange to meet on a street corner and take a cab together, splitting the cost. The use of the website is free, and as they proudly say, “always will be”.

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( photo credit: Vaidy Krishnan)