What should I buy in New York, where should I shop?

[ConstantlyCooking]

Hi all,
I am going to New York at the weekend and wondered if there were any good buys (even with the current exchange rate) and also is there a good outlet centre DD and I could visit. Ideally we would like something with a focus more high street stores rather than luxury brands.
I am posting in Chat and Style and Beauty because I am interested in clothes, makeup, accessories and just general ideas
Thank you

[ZaraW]

I prefer Nordstrom Rack on Union Square to Century 21.

[ConstantlyCooking]

Is that a centre? Someone recommended Woodberry Common?

[TheNaze73]

Woodberry Common is an outlet centre, outside of NYC. Accessible by bus

[ZaraW]

It's a high end dept. store selling past seasons at good reductions. Worth a visit.

[Floisme]

I thought their high street was rubbish I'm afraid but their second hand ( consignment) shops are great - lots of barely worn labels. Tokyo 7 - somewhere around the East village - is my favourite.

[Scarydinosaurs]

Woodberry Common is very good- look out for extra discount cards too.

[GERTgert06]

Lower East Side is the best place to shop, in my opinion.

[ConstantlyCooking]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am leaving lots of extra space in my suit case.

[UhtredRagnorsson]

Why would you go to NYC and then leave it to go to a featureless outlet Centre?

[cressetmama]

Don't quote me, but the section of 7th Avenue (near Parsons) (22-24th) used to be a treasure trove. It was a long time ago. But it was the center of the garment district and focused on designer US labels,

[YesOfCourseAlways]

Yy, Nordstrom Rack is great. stuffed to the gills with designer/higher end high street. Give yourself lots of time!

[ConstantlyCooking]

Hi. Many thanks for the suggestions. I will discuss with DD!
Don't worry uthred we are in NYC for a few days and will be seeing the Lou Reed event at the Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim, Met Art Museum etc as well

[FrustratedFrugal]

Club Monaco, J Crew, Madewell, Reformation, possibly Anthropologie for clothes; Sephora and drugstores for cosmetics. I like Nordstroms. Woodbury is a bit too far if you have limited time. Target if you like cheap and cheerful.

[conkerpods]

My favourite shop in NYC is Old Navy,it's like Primark but much better quality and they have some great stuff.

[Mcmcmcmc]

A bit late for this thread, but wanted to post my experience having just come back from a 1-week trip to NYC.

With the exchange rate the way it is post-Brexit, it wasn't very good for shopping. In terms of clothes I only bought one dress and one top from a US-only brand (Cuyana - they have lovely silk clothes and leather bags, not cheap but a decent price for the quality).

I wouldn't go to an outlet store if you are looking for quality clothing - most outlet stores have already admitted that the items they sell are made with cheaper fabric and stitching compared to the usual branded products. So basically you would be paying for the brand, but without the quality associated with it.

As for beauty, Sephora, which previously was a favourite of mine, wasn't that attractive this time. About 75% of the stuff there is also available in the UK for better prices with the current exchange rate. The other 25% are the Sephora-exclusive or US-only brands (Tarte, Sephora Collection, some skincare brands like Kate Sommerville, etc.). There were some interesting things but nothing that really caught my eye, apart from a small skincare set from a new brand called Farmacy. Some of the other sets with mini-sized products were actually good value, as is the Sephora brand, but I ended up not getting much. I also went to Sak's and Bergdorf Goodman, but hated the experience as you can't really browse the counters in peace, the staff will come to you asking you lots of questions, which is a bit intimidating if you just want to browse. Made me miss the UK counters where staff usually leaves me to browse as much as I want! I don't blame the US staff at all, it's just their culture of customer service that isn't my cup of tea.

Beauty products at the drugstore seemed much more expensive than when I was last in the US (6 years ago) and were not such a bargain, but I was able to get some good deals like buy one, get one free for Revlon and Almay products at CVS. The brands that are sold in the UK, like Revlon, Maybelline, L'Oreal, etc. have different products and a wider selection of shades than they do in the UK. I got enough lipsticks and lip balm to last me for the next 20 years

The prices for drugstore products don't seem to be the same across the board, so it's good to shop around and check the prices online before buying drugstore makeup or skincare. Most of the deals require a store card, which you can only do if you have a US address and phone number. Because I was only staying for a week, the cashiers usually asked another customer in the queue to let me swipe their card, which they did - so I got the discount and they got the store points.

Ricky's NYC is also a good place to go, it's a beauty supply store mostly geared towards hair products and tools, though they also have some makeup and skincare. They often have quite a few good products on clearance for more than 50% off when they decide to stop carrying a certain brand. I got a great Japanese hair oil that I had been eyeing on eBay for les than half of the eBay price.

As for other stuff, I found food really expensive compared to the UK, particularly in the supermarkets, though I must admit I only went to the upmarket grocery stores like Whole Foods (which are expensive here too) as they were nearer where I stayed and more convenient.

Magazines are not worth the cover price. Most of them are available on iTunes for much cheaper, even if you don't buy a subscription.

Museum tickets are also quite pricey, but most have a day a week (or a month) when they do "pay what you wish".

Apart from the bad exchange rate, it's still a wonderful place to go, and I hope yo be back soon!