The New York City Traveler

This guest post comes from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and blogger at Flyaway Cafe.
 
Although you’ll find C.O. Bigelow products sold in other stores, there’s nothing like visiting the original store in Greenwich Village.
Founded in 1838, C.O.Bigelow’s is the oldest continually operating apothecary-pharmacy in the country.  That’s 170 years!
C.O. Bigelow’s is located at 414 Avenue of the Americas (between 8th & 9th Street) in Greenwich Village.  It’s is accessible by subway (West 4th or Christopher stop) and the PATH (9th Street).
The store still fills prescriptions at the back of the store, but as you work you way …read more

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Not since a visit to the Grand Bazaar has shopping been this exciting!  Brooklyn Flea, Brooklyn’s largest outdoor flea market, has entered it’s third month and unique finds are at every corner.
Every Sunday, hundreds of vendors pack the Bishop Loughlin High School parking lot to sell their wares.  Everything from vintage clothing to new silk screened t-shirts, antique furniture to arts and crafts is for sale.  Come hungry and nosh at one of the food vendor’s stations.
The flea market was the creation of Brownstoner blogger Jonathan Butler.  Butler is also the brainchild behind Clinton Hill’s annual Salvage …read more

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Swedish style has landed on the shores of Brooklyn: IKEA, the Swedish furniture and home decor mega-store, opened its doors late last month.
Previously, those wanting to buy a six-pack wine of glasses for $2.99 and “assembly required” furniture had to hike out to the IKEA in Elizabeth, New Jersey or Long Island.  The Brooklyn store opened with much fanfare and included a “log-cutting” ceremony (perhaps a Swedish equivalent of a ribbon-cutting) as hundreds of eager shoppers waited to descend on the store.    
Ikea’s arrival hasn’t been without its share of controversy.  The once frighteningly isolated waterfront neighborhood fought the …read more

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New Jersey’s largest outlet mall is just across the Hudson River in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall has dozens of restaurants, an AMC movie theater, and over 200 stores including:

Neiman Marcus Last Call
Lucky Brand Jeans Outlet Store

Gap Outlet
Steve & Barry’s

Filene’s Basement
Tommy Hilfiger Company Store

Ann Taylor Loft
Victoria Secret Outlet

Sax OFF 5th Avenue
Perry Ellis Company Store

Gymboree Outlet
Calvin Klein Company Store   COMING SOON!

One of my favorite reasons to visit Jersey Gardens:  No sales tax on clothing and shoes!
A visit to Jersey Gardens is perfect if you have a long layover at Newark International Airport.  Jersey Gardens offers shuttle transportation …read more

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Spring is here and there are greenmarkets popping up in every corner of New York City.  There are few things that are as easy and environmentally correct as buying seasonal produce from a local farmer, many of whom practice organic farming techniques. 
Greenmarkets don’t just sell produce anymore; they are truly a marketplace where local merchants sell directly to consumers.  Last week, in a quick trip through one of the largest and most popular markets, Union Square Greenmarket, I was surprised that a shopper can pick up an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, organic grass-fed meat, Vermont maple …read more

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The warm, beautiful weather we have had recently in New York has given us the hope that we can put away our big coats and boots.  This last week I walked the streets of Soho to see what spring fashion trends I am seeing on the locals on the streets of New York City. 
 
Leggings   All of the major fashion mags may have said that leggings are out but there are still quite a few girls rocking this look on the street.  Remember, these are not to be work in place of pants, so always wear this look …read more

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I am always giving advice on “what not to miss” while in New York City so I thought I would give out a little advice on “what to miss” while in New York City. 
A few weeks ago a co-worker wanted a recommendation for a shopping mall in Manhattan.  I paused for a moment before thinking “Does Manhattan even have any shopping malls?”  It is a well-known fact that New Jersey has a plethora of malls and even Elmhurst, Queens has the Queens Center.  Then I remembered Manhattan Mall.
Manhattan Mall was once a gleaming gem in Midtown.  With …read more

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One of my all-time favorite stores in Manhattan has to be Pearl River Mart.  All of the silk robes and lacquerware remind me of my trips to Hong Kong and the endless rows of shopping finds at Stanley Market.
Pearl River Mart was founded by Chinese immigrants over thirty years ago and was branded the first Chinese-American department store.  It was popularized as a second-floor store on Canal Street in the heart of Chinatown.  My first trip to the original Pearl River Mart was very memorable.  There were plates and bowls stacked from the floor to the ceiling, boxes of …read more

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Uniqlo speaks to the Type-A side of my personality.  From the moment you walk into the store you notice the rows of clothing, arranged by color, neatly folded and stacked from floor to ceiling.  Shopping is once again easy! 
The fashionable Japanese clothing retailer opened its first store in the famous Harajuku district of Tokyo in 1998.  The retailer’s sales quickly took off and it now has over 700 stores in Japan as well as stores in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, and the flagship store in Soho, New York. 
The Soho Uniqlo, which opened in late 2006, …read more

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Many have likened Saks Fifth Avenue’s new “Want It!” ad campaign to a billboard of New York City.  The ads, created by Dutch graphic artist Piet Paris, feature prominent New York City landmarks such as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.  The hope is that the tourist-centric ads will lure a number of foreign tourists that are traveling to the United States to take advantage of the weak dollar.
In conjunction with the new “Want It!” campaign, beginning March 13, Saks will be celebrating spring with an all-out party at the flagship store.  Designers will be in-store, …read more

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