To ask what I should buy/bring back from New York?

[yayyyyyy]

I'm going to New York next month, it'll be my first time visiting America so I'm really excited!

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for particular things to buy when out there e.g. particular American candy/food, makeup, etc.

Thank you :)

You can get everything bagel seasoning here and it’s awesome: condimaniac.com/products/the-good-bagel-seasoning?variant=39304511488083

Smashbox products.. they stopped doing it over here.

magnolia bakery for their banana pudding

pizza Luke’s lobster
everythinv but the bagel

I went to Christmas Cottage and bought a boxed set of 2 turtle dove Christmas decorations like the ones from Home Alone 2. I don't like anyone enough to give one away so they both have pride of place on my tree every year.
Apart from that we just bought tourist tat. No actual shopping, too busy just sightseeing and taking it all in.
Wish I'd bought some funky meds reading these comments, must do that next time

Are your Advil gold plated?! A bottle of 1000 generic ibuprofen is $21.99 in Walgreens and usually on a buy one get another half off deal.

Is this a joke?

If you, or anyone you know, suffers from travel sickness, buy Dramamine. There are various formulations, my favourite is the 24h non-drowsy. It costs about USD16 for a packet of 8, but it is fantastic stuff and you can't buy it in the UK.

20 Ibuproden is about 59p in Tesco

Another vote for Neosporin- marvellous stuff- and melatonin. Also cinnamon flavoured GasEx strips (indigestion remedy handy after US portion sizes).
The last time I went, jeans were still much cheaper than here even with a fairly crappy exchange rate, but that was pre-Covid so a good couple of years ago.
I loved WilliamsSonoma for homewear and also Anthropologie. Sephora had a good welcome gift if you signed up for their emails.
in groceries, I bring back bogbasic Folgers ground coffee, Zaterain’s black beans and rice mix, cinnamon flavoured Crest toothpaste and prefer to shop in WholeFoods or Fairway on 75th Street rather than Trader Joe’s.
The main thing though is to just enjoy yourself, have a great time!

I love bagels but you can get pretty good bagels in some of the Jewish bakeries in London/Manchester too.

Another who loves the giant bottles of painkillers. I have an autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia and migraines so I get through a lot of painkillers. The faff of having to buy packs regularly means the bottle of 1000 is great

I like the m&m flavours you can get.

covergirl cosmetics.

@PegasusReturns not sure where you're shopping but there's no need. Plus, the OP is on holiday, an expensive one at that. All the time she's keeping an eye out for a pharmacy, deciding which massive fucking bottle to choose, even travelling afield to get it as a pp suggested is costing valuable time. Ridiculous

OP - I live in NY, very happy to give restaurant recommendations but other than perishable stuff (bagels etc) there’s nothing I’d bother stocking up on.

I much prefer buying UK treats (M&S and Waitrose cannot be matched here) and clothes when I go home!

@Livetoplay

"I have been to NYC and the US maybe 30 ish times and have NEVER been stopped or had bags checked on return. And I’ve brought back everything from new MacBooks to Air Jordans!"

Thing is a lot of people, whilst being aware there's a limit on booze and fags, do sometimes seem genuinely unaware of that there is also a limit on the total value of general goods (agree with the pp hat currently it is £390).

Border Force definitely do run some random checks at UK airports on passengers coming in from the US and they do will look especially hard at the provenance of any high value items that you're carrying. There is at least some jeopardy to going over the value limit.

Peanut Butter M&Ms

If you have psoriasis or similar you can buy shampoo products that you can't locate in the UK or at a much more useful strength.

You can purchase hydrocortisone cream OTC at useful strengths.

I'm a gadget and kitchen tool fan and lots of these are more reasonable in the US. I can also buy modernist cuisine/specialist ingredients there that I can't buy in the UK or are no longer available by mail order since that became so difficult for smallish firms. As an example, Amoretti corn extract is a ludicrous price in the UK and, if you try to import it, the postages is 2-3x the cost and then you pay import and VAT on the whole amount including the postage.

It can very much depend on your interests.

What a odd thread.
Going to New York the last thing I would be thinking about is getting cheap over the counter meds.
I would want to seek out thrift stores and find old editions of favourite American books.
Or books with old photos of the city or maps and finding the places and comparing them.
Or things like old subway maps which could be framed.
I'd try and get my Dad a die cast model of a New York transit bus or a subway train.
I'd get loads of postcards - old and new ones. I love postcards.
Do people really go to New York and think "oh I must go to CVS for a big tub of pills".
Bizarre.

We found the prices in JD sports in NY better than the uk on some of the footwear like trainers and sliders. Plus the availability was there as well on things like Jordan's which are like gold dust in the uk.
Dd was in her element.

Yes, I know, I tried it in London too, also in Manchester. But they are really not the same! 😁

Also, OP, the Krispy Kreme flagship store on Times Square sells a 'Big Apple' donut, it looks like an apple and comes in a keepsake box. It's disgustingly delicious if you like KK.

I'm making it sound like I only go to NYC for sugar 😅

The Strand Bookstore is fabulous, they also sell second hand books on the top floor. And all sorts of rare and collectible books.

Yes, yes I do. Just got back from the US. Last day’s key task was the drug store. However, I lived there for years and do have a thing for old maps and tourist posters so as my dear DH would say, the walls are at capacity! 2 of my best random finds were a vintage globe and a painting that I randomly found somewhere whilst getting lost on the walk between Georgetown and Glover Park in DC. So yes absolutely I seek out CVS but everything else finds me 😀

Why is the thread odd ?
I think that’s it’s a perfectly valid question to ask.
The op asked for suggestions re what to bring back so is bound to get varying replies / opinions . The replies from people who’ve actually been to New York all seemed helpful to me.
I’ve been going there at least 3 times per year for the last 25 years ( apart from during covid ) . In my opinion the only bargains at present are on pharmacy stuff as most other things are freely available in the UK . US pharmacies have a huge range of products that are not available in the UK at a much cheaper price .
My US cough medicine that I bought in LA a few weeks ago got me through Christmas 🤣🤣
It was different in the past.
Cant say that I would be bothered with looking for old subway maps or books or model trains / buses but each to their own . I certainly wouldn’t be judging your reply thinking why on earth would anyone go to NY to buy an old subway map even if it’s something I wouldn’t do myself .
Personal recommendations are great in my opinion

@Emilizz34 when I clicked on the thread (out of curiosity because I have always been quite fascinated with NYC) I just really wasn't expecting dozens of posts about over the counter meds. It just surprised me because I really didn't think that would be something people would even think about while on holiday.
Obviously I have learned something new today 🙂

@Emilizz34 I suppose if you are going there regularly buying stuff like mega tubs of meds might make sense but if I ever get to NYC it would literally be a once in a lifetime trip so I would want to bring back items that are all about New York or are special (like an old edition book or something).

Exactly @Needmorelego it's the OPs first time to the US never mind NYC. Sod schlepping around for a million paracetamol 🤣

No. New York is really expensive so any and all money would be going on amazing food, drink and experiences - galleries, sights, maybe a show if that's your thing. Shopping is a complete waste of time especially somewhere that sells stuff that is very culturally similar to here.

Spend your money on experiences.