Page 314 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New York City

312  TR A VELERS ’ NEEDS
SHOPPING

Visitors to New York inevitably include electronics, and a truly mouthwatering
shopping in their plans. The city is the array of exotic food. Whether you
consumer capital of the world; a shopper’s have $50,000 or $5, New York is the place
paradise and a constant source of enter­ to spend it. Shoppers should note, however,
tainment, with dazzling window displays that due to escalating rents throughout
and a staggering variety of goods for sale. the city, stores are often forced to move or
Anything can be found here, from high fashion close, so it is advisable to check opening
to rare children’s books, state­of­the­art information before heading to a specific store.

around the area. The
best time to visit them
is just before one of
the major gift­giving
holidays. Top Button
(www.topbutton.
com) has compre­
hensive sales listings.

Sales
One word you’ll
come across all over
the city, anytime of
the year, is “sale.” So
check the sale goods
before you pay full
The 1920s-style Henri Bendel store price for any purchase. The Bulgari entrance at Hotel Pierre
The best sales are (see p289)
Best Buys during New York’s main sale
New York is a bargain hunter’s seasons, which generally run How to Pay
dream, with huge discounts on from June until the end of July Most shops accept major credit
anything from household goods and from December 26 until cards, although there will often
to designer clothes. Some of the February. Look up the local be a minimum purchase price.
best shops are on Orchard papers for ads. Along Fifth If you want to use your traveler’s
Street and Grand Street on the Avenue in Midtown you’ll see checks, identification will be
Lower East Side, where designer signs announc ing “Lost Our needed. Personal checks drawn
goods are sold at considerably Lease” sales. Avoid them, as in another currency will be
lower than the retail price. You these signs have been up for refused. Some stores only take
can find just about every years at many shops. Also keep cash, especially during sales.
imagin able item of clothing your eyes peeled for “Sample
here, in addition to tableware, Sales,” where the top designers
shoes, home furnishings, and sell to the public the sample Opening Hours
elec tronics. Some shops in this outfits they have created to Most shops are open from 10am
area are closed on Saturday – show store buyers. Sample to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
the Jewish Sabbath – but are sales occur Many depart­
usually open all day Sunday. at different ment stores
Another great area for fashion locations are open
bargain hunters is the Garment through out the through
District, roughly between Sixth city, and are Sunday, and
and Eighth avenues from 30th generally not until 9pm at
to 40th Street. The main hub, advertised, so least two
Seventh Avenue, was renamed your best bet is nights a week.
Fashion Avenue in the early to keep a look­ Lunch hours
1970s. Several designers and out for signs (noon to
manufacturers have their announcing 2:30pm), Satur­
showrooms here, some of sample sales, days, sales,
which are open to the public. particularly and holidays
Many of their samples are on Fifth will be the
put up for sales, which are Avenue and Clothes on display at Barney’s most crowded
announced on notices posted on Broadway. New York times in stores.

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