There’s so much shopping to be done in New York, it’s hard to tell where the best places are. Even big name stores come in, go out, and move locations so often that New York is a constantly-shifting shoppers’ haven. That’s why you need to look at it in terms of shopping neighborhoods, rather than in terms of specific shops.

Art lovers might be in heaven walking through gallery-filled Chelsea and the Meat-Packing district, while cutting-edge fashionistas would prefer the trendy neighborhoods of SoHo or NoLita. One thing’s for sure, however – no matter what you’re looking for, you’ll probably be able to find it in the Big Apple. The trick is figuring out what you want and where to look.

Do you want the quintessential New York shopping experience, rather than any particular objects or products? Walking through Lower Manhattan along the South Street Seaport provides a lovely cosmopolitan feel at the harbor’s edge. You can browse familiar shops like Abercrombie & Fitch, Ann Taylor, or The Body Shop, then grab lunch and look out at the majestic Statue of Liberty. Pier 17, a huge shopping mall inside an abandoned waterfront barge, is not to be missed.

More trendy shoppers with money to burn should definitely check out SoHo and NoLita. SoHo centers around Broadway in Manhattan, and is home to all the hottest clothing and accessory stores like Sephora, A/X Armani, H&M, Prada, and J. Crew. The architecture in SoHo, all elegant cast-iron curves and cobblestone streets. There are still glimmers of the artists’ neighborhood it used to be. Meanwhile, NoLita (standing for North Little Italy in downtown Manhattan) is like a smaller, slightly hipper version of SoHo, focusing on small designer boutiques rather than high-end department stores. Don’t think that means your pocketbook will get a break though – both areas are not for the faint of wallet!

Looking for bargains? There are very few places in New York that offer great products at low prices. Serious shoppers should do a Google search for Garment District sample sales, then go to the industrial Garment District to pick up discarded merchandise at bargain prices. You can also check out the boroughs – particularly Brooklyn, whose Williamsburg shopping neighborhood has tons of cute, stylish stores like Noisette, vintage clothing shops like Beacon’s Closet, and places like Brooklyn Industries, specializing in fun urban kitsch. You can get there by taking the L train, then getting off at the Bedford stop.

The off-beat sections of New York City are somewhat few and far between, but they’re there. St. Mark’s Place on 8th St., between Third Ave. and Avenue A, is more or less a permanent street market, full of the smells and shouting that large street markets should be. Funky T-shirts, hats, and jewelry are on display here. Stores like tattoo parlors and record stores dot the area behind the street markets between Third and Second Aves., and if you’re into counter-cultural pursuits, St. Mark’s is the place to be.

Greenwich Village, while not the bohemian paradise it used to be, still retains some of the boho character in its shops and general air. Where St. Mark’s is the NYC punk scene, Greenwich is for the hippies. You can find tons of specialty and used bookstores in Greenwich, as well as craft stores, antiques, and tons of old music stores. Accessible by train, just look for Washington Square Park in Lower Manhattan, and you’ll find it in no time.

Images by yourdon, nikonvscanon, philliecasablanca, scalleja, wolfsavard.

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