When you go to a new place, it's a lot of fun to buy something to remember your trip by. Whether it's a souvenir related directly to where you visited or something from a unique store you found there, it can be a ton of fun to go shopping and buy yourself something new. Even if you don't end up buying anything, looking around stores is fun!
New York City is a large city that has a lot to do. From restaurants to museums and parks, there are a lot of reasons that New York City is such a popular place to live and visit. Along with all those things, there are a lot of really fun places to go shopping.
To see 10 of the best places to shop in New York City, keep reading!
10 Pearl River Mart
Pearl River Mart was founded in the 1970s and is a Chinese-American run store that sells just about everything you could want to buy. Since opening, Pearl River Mart has become a huge part of New York City culture. These days, customers range from celebrities to locals and tourists that want to experience this historic store.
The store has had multiple different locations around the city since opening in 1971. But no matter where the store is located, it's safe to say that Pearl River Mart is the go-to place in the Big Apple to pick up Chinese imported goods.
9 Obscura Antiques & Oddities
Obscura Antiques & Oddities first became really famous outside of the NYC crowd when it became the subject of the TV show Oddities. Even outside of that show, this store has become pretty popular with people that live in or are visiting New York that like things on the weird side.
This high-end store sells antiques and anything unusual. From antique medical equipment to strange taxidermy, everything old and strange can be found at this store. Things are a little on the pricier side, but it's the price you pay for some of the unusual items that come through Obscura.
8 Flying Tiger Copenhagen
Despite its name, Flying Tiger Copenhagen is not a store that only exists in Copenhagen. Although it originated in Denmark, this store has taken off around the world. There are locations in many cities around Europe and Japan, but if you're not typically near one, stopping in while in NYC is definitely a good idea.
What can you buy in Flying Tiger Copenhagen? Well...everything. Seriously, it would be easier to make a list of things you can't buy in this store. From accessories to home decor items and dishware, this store is home to just about anything a person could be looking to purchase. And the best part? It all has really quirky, eye-catching designs.
7 Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Ice cream has been a part of different cultures from around the world for centuries. Even dating back to 200 BC, there have been various types of frozen, dairy-based desserts that historians have found records of. Isn't that interesting?
In New York City, there's no shortage of restaurants of every type. From pizza to sushi, you can find any kind of food you're looking for at just about every price point. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is one of the most famous places to get a bite to eat in NYC. It's one of the oldest businesses in Chinatown that's still running and, according to many visitors and locals, it serves up the most delicious ice cream in the Big Apple.
6 VideoGamesNewYork
Everyone has hobbies. For some people, it's playing or collecting video games. Whether you're a casual gamer that just picked up Untitled Goose Game because of all the social media hype or you're a diehard gamer that can't wait for The Last of Us 2 to be released, video games can be a fun way to escape daily life and relieve a little stress.
If you're part of that second category, though, a visit to VideoGamesNewYork needs to go on your bucket list. This store sells a wide variety of video games, consoles, and accessories. From newly released games to retro games that are hard to find, VideoGamesNewYork has it all.
5 Mysterious Bookshop
Reading is a lot of fun. It can be a great way to escape into a new world and away from your everyday life. There are books of just about every genre, from romance to comedy and mystery. For people that really like to be on the edge of their seats, that last genre is the best one and this New York City store is one that can't be skipped.
The Mysterious Bookshop is located in New York City that, as the name suggests, sells only books in the mystery genre. This bookstore was opened in 1979, making it one of the oldest specialty bookstores in the US. Along with newly published books in the mystery genre, they sell a variety of rare books for serious collectors.
4 Story
Changing some of the merchandise offered in a store is totally normal. Stores are always rotating some of the things they sell and selling newer versions of things or new releases. But, Story is a store in New York City that takes the concept of rotating their inventory to a seriously extreme level.
It's hard to say what Story sells because of the fact that it changes every 6 or so weeks. So, what you find there on one trip will be completely different from what you see on the next unless you visit the 2,000 square foot location regularly. Story allows brands to hold pop up shops that feature a small collection of their items for a short period of time. It's fun, unique, and a cool way to experience a new store on every visit.
3 Love Adorned
Love Adorned started out as the secret sister store of New York Adorned, an iconic New York City tattoo parlor, back in the 1990s. These days, Love Adorned is really popular and anything but a secret with multiple locations around the country, two of which are located in New York.
Nowadays, Love Adorned is a lot more than the jewelry store it started out as. While they still sell a huge variety of vintage and unique jewelry, they also sell artisan-crafted home decor items and other accessories. For those with a unique taste, visiting the NYC location of Love Adorned is a must.
2 Michele Varian
Michele Varian is a designer, entrepreneur, and the face of this store. It's named after her and sells furniture and other home decor items that were designed by Michele. Along with things that Michele has put her own touch on, this store sells other home goods from a variety of unique designers from around the world, all picked out and curated for the shop by Michele Varian.
The store sells home decor items, pieces of furniture, accessories, and even a variety of really unique and unusual gifts. Whether you're someone that loves fine furniture and jewelry or you're looking for a gift for someone with quirky taste, Michele Varian is sure to have just what's on your list.
1 Fishs Eddy
Fishs Eddy is the name of a small hamlet located in upstate New York, but it's also the name of a store in the city that sells a variety of unique pieces of dishware. If you're looking for something to buy while in New York City that will really make a statement in your kitchen and that you'll be using every day after you get home, a trip to Fishs Eddy has to be on your NYC bucket list.
Fishs Eddy sells quirky mugs, decorative plates, and fun kitchen towels from a variety of different designers. On top of that, they have their own collection of completely unique designs that you won't find anywhere but this NYC store.