FEATURED NEW YORK CITY SHOPPING AREAS: 

Fifth Avenue & 57th Street--The heart of Manhattan retail ranges up Fifth Avenue to 57th Street and across. Time was, only the very rich could shop these sacred crossroads. Such is not the case anymore, now that Tiffany & Co., which has long reigned supreme here, sits a stone's throw from Niketown and the NBA Store and the huge Louis Vuitton flagship store at the corner of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. In addition, a good number of mainstream retailers, like Banana Republic, have flagships along Fifth, further democratizing the avenue. Still, you will find a number of big-name, big-ticket designers radiating from the crossroads, including Versace, Chanel, Dior, and Cartier. You'll also find big-name jewelers along here, as well as chi-chi department stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, and Saks Fifth Avenue, all of which help the avenue maintain its classy cachet.

Madison Avenue--Madison Avenue from 57th to 79th streets has usurped Fifth Avenue as the tony shopping street in the city; in fact, it boasts the most expensive retail real estate in the world. Bring lots of plastic. This ultradeluxe strip -- particularly in the high 60s -- is home to the most luxurious designer boutiques, with Barneys New York as the anchor.

Herald Square & The Garment District--Herald Square -- where 34th Street, Sixth Avenue, and Broadway converge -- is dominated by Macy's, the self-proclaimed world's biggest department store. At Sixth Avenue and 33rd Street is the Manhattan Mall (tel. 212/465-0500; www.manhattanmallny.com), home to mall standards like LensCrafters and Radio Shack.

Times Square & The Theater District--You won't find much to entice the serious shopper here, since you can find most of the goods that are sold here back home. The best of the Times Square stores is Richard Branson's rollicking Virgin Megastore, and the fabulous Toys "R" Us flagship on Broadway and 44th Street, which even has its own full-scale Ferris wheel.

Greenwich Village--The West Village is great for browsing and gift shopping. Specialty bookstores and record stores, antiques and crafts shops, and gourmet food markets dominate. On 8th Street -- NYU territory between Broadway and Sixth Avenue -- you can find trendy footwear and affordable fashions.

Chelsea/Meat-Packing District--Almost overnight, it seems, West Chelsea has been transformed into the Chelsea Art District, where more than 200 galleries have sprouted up in a once-moribund enclave of repair shops and warehouses. The district unofficially stretches from 14th to 29th streets and the West Side Highway and Seventh Avenue, but the high-density area lies between 20th and 26th streets between Tenth and Eleventh avenues.

Chinatown--Don't expect to find the purchase of a lifetime on Chinatown's often very crowded streets, but there's some quality browsing to be had. The fish and herbal markets along Canal, Mott, Mulberry, and Elizabeth streets are fun for their bustle and exotica. Dispersed among them (especially along Canal St.), you'll find a mind-boggling collection of knock-off sunglasses and watches, cheap backpacks, discount leather goods, and exotic souvenirs. It's a fun daytime browse, but don't expect quality -- and be sure to bargain before you buy.

Lafayette Street From Soho to Noho--Lafayette Street has a retail character all its own, distinct from the rest of SoHo. It has grown into something of an Antiques Row, especially strong in mid-century furniture. Prices are high, but so is quality.

Nolita--Not so long ago, Elizabeth Street was a quiet adjunct to Little Italy. Today it's one of the hottest shopping strips in the neighborhood known as Nolita. Elizabeth and neighboring Mott and Mulberry streets are dotted with an increasing number of shops between Houston Street and the Bowery. It's an easy walk from the Broadway/Lafayette stop on the F, V line to the neighborhood, since it starts just east of Lafayette Street; you can also take the 6 to Spring Street, or the N, R to Prince Street and walk east from there. Nolita is clearly the stepchild of SoHo -- meaning don't expect cheap. Its wall-to-wall boutiques are largely the province of sophisticated shopkeepers specializing in high-quality fashion-forward products and design.

Soho--People love to complain about superfashionable SoHo -- it's become too trendy, too tony, too Mall of America. True, J. Crew is only one of many big names that have supplanted many of the artists' lofts that used to inhabit its historic buildings. But SoHo is still one of the best shopping 'hoods in the city -- and few are more fun to browse. The elegant cast-iron architecture, the cobblestone streets, the distinct rich-artist vibe: SoHo has a look and feel unlike any other Manhattan neighborhood.

The Lower East Side--The bargains aren't quite what they used to be in the Historic Orchard Street Shopping District -- which basically runs from Houston to Canal along Allen, Orchard, and Ludlow streets, spreading outward along both sides of Delancey Street -- but prices on leather bags, shoes, luggage, linens, and fabrics on the bolt are still quite good. Be aware, though, that the hard sell on Orchard Street can be pretty hard to take. Still, the district is a nice place to discover a part of New York that's disappearing. Come during the week; many stores are Jewish-owned and therefore close Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. Sunday tends to be a madhouse.

FEATURED NEW YORK CITY SHOPS:

Art & Antiques

Manhattan Art and Antiques Center 
1050 Second Avenue at 56th Street, New York, NY 10022 
212.355.4400
Our over 100 galleries represent America's top dealers in every category of art and antiquities. 

Candy/Confectionary

Lindt Chocolate Shop
692 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019
212-582-3047 
Specialist in offering a wide variety of premium chocolates including gourmet bars led by the decadent excellence collection, the smooth and creamy lindor truffles collection and delicious seasonal boxed chocolate assortments. 

Gay Specialty Shops

Oscar Wilde Bookshop 
15 Christopher Street, New York, NY 
The world's oldest gay and lesbian bookstore.

Rainbows and Triangles
192 Eighth Avenue, New York City 10011 
212-627-2166
This shop looks small from the outside, with its selection of cards and novelties. It’s only once you get in that you discover how big it actually is... with a little leather/toy boutique and video store attached.