Shopping in NY - will I be ruined, or can I find bargains?

In article om,
"John123" wrote:

Hi!

Since things in New York in general seem to be more expensive than most
other places, I wonder if that is true when you go shopping (mainly for
clothes, sports gear and so on) too? Should I stick to window shopping,
or
are there places where I can find quality stuff at reasonable or low
prices
at this time of year?

How often do you get to NY, and I assume you're referring to New York
City, right? If this is an infrequent visit to the city, I can think of
a long list of things to do that are far more interesting than shopping.
Unless you live in the back woods somewhere, you can probably find
bargains by surfing the web from the comfort of your own home and not
have to worry about carrying your packages around as you travel.

That being said, one of my favorite stores to visit in New York City is
J&R's which is just across from City Hall in Lower Manhattan on Park
Avenue. While you're there, if the weather is nice, take a walk across
the Brooklyn Bridge to enjoy the wonderful scenery of Manhattan from the
bridge as you walk back.

I plan to stay ther 3-4 days, one of which I'll spend shopping. The rest of
the time I'll be spend visiting museums, taking some long walks, checking
out different parts of the city and stopping by interesting sites along the
way.

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 16:57:41 GMT, "John123" wrote:

Hi!

Since things in New York in general seem to be more expensive than most
other places, I wonder if that is true when you go shopping (mainly for
clothes, sports gear and so on) too? Should I stick to window shopping,
or
are there places where I can find quality stuff at reasonable or low
prices
at this time of year?

B&H Camera generally has better prices on electronics than J&R but a
smaller selection. They are generally unbeatable for cameras but I
prefer to buy my film and supplies at Calumet on W 19 Street. The
prices are the same or better and the service is much better (no
lines). Check the bins in Calumet for close-out items! Nevertheless,
if you are buying a camera at B&H the service is knowledgeable and
friendly. Plus whatever you want is in stock and immediately
available.

J&R Music World is great for CDs and DVDs. This week they had a sale
on all Warner label CDs. List $17.99 is normally $15.99 but on sale
this week at $11.99. Some discs were $9.99. It's also the biggest
selection in town not counting Virgin which has stuff no one else knew
existed. The only problem is everything at Virgin is high priced.
Check the Village Voice (it's free) for sale ads.

For clothing, besides Century 21which is always worth a look, there is
Filene's Basement at Broadway & 79 Street or on 6th Ave at 18th
Street. Or Sy Syms on E 54 Street at Park Ave. Both these places
had some really good men's shoes until recently but now seem to be in
a lull. The same for men's suits. Filene's had some beautiful wool
suits this summer but they are mostly gone now. Any of these places
may have a great selection or nothing worth pawing over. It depends
on how lucky you get. That being said, anyone who pays more than $30
for a $59 all-cotton Polo dress shirt is a sucker. They are always
available somewhere on sale.

THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!
In New York always check the newspapers for sales at department
stores. When you go to breakfast buy the NY Times and the Daily News,
your two best sources for sale information. Macy's will advertise a
two day sale just one day in advance. When Lord & Taylor has a big
sale there is no place better to buy clothes, especially the end of
season sales such as in January.
END OF IMPORTANT STUFF.

I have been to the Lower East Side a number of times over the last two
years and can't find any good reason to shop there except for a few
oddball items, or a pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli. IMO the old
days of Orchard and Delancey Streets are over except for some dry
goods dealers and ladies' underwear stores.

Anyone who thinks New York is expensive hasn't been trying. Yes, an
apartment is expensive and so are most hotel rooms, but I can have a
full breakfast in any number of places for under $5, lunch for under
$6 and dinner for $10. Try that in Las Vegas without having to sit
next to a wino! Of course that rules out Nobu, The Gramercy Tavern
and their ilk but even in those places you will spend what you would
at home for the best meal in town except it will be three times better
(some home towns automatically excluded of course, like San
Francisco). I find that when I travel around the USA it always costs
me more to eat than at home in NYC. That's partly because I don't
know the best spots but largely because in many cases there are no
best spots!

I suppose people think NY is expensive because they want to go to
places like Tavern on the Green at all costs. So they fulfill there
dream, have a so-so or sometimes lousy meal, pay a large sum of money
for it, then go home and tell everyone that it costs too much to visit
NY. The joke is on them because no one eats at Tavern on the Green
unless they live no closer than 50 miles from it. Everyone in NYC
knows it's overpriced and the food is mediocre.

Sports gear offers less choices. For selection and price I would go
to Paragon Sports on Broadway at 17 Street just above Union Square
Park. If you have access to a car then try Ramsey Outdoor on Route 17
in Paramus New Jersey. The last time I was there they had English
Barbour all-weather jackets ridiculously cheaper than in NYC. But
that was a while ago.

If you go to Paragon continue up Broadway to 22 Street. If it is a
sunny day you will have the best photo view of the Empire State Bldg.
Believe me, the view is almost overpowering!

If you are looking for the latest books on the best seller lists go to
the west side of Broadway between 76 - 77 Street on weekends. A
street vendor there has the latest books at half price. There is no
better deal on books anywhere. While you're there have breakfast or
lunch at Big Nick's a few yards away. They know how to cook eggs plus
they flame broil one of the best burgers in the city. "Zero" on
ambiance though!

If you have any specific items you are shopping for let us know. NY
is the kind of place where someone knows a store that has a great deal
on a few individual items. All of us know different neighborhoods and
see different stores in our daily comings and goings.

Brian Wickham

Wow, thanks for all the tips! I have to agree that it's always hard to know
where to shop in a town the first time you're visiting it. That's why your
advice is so much appreciated!

One thing though - what are the sales like in NYC. Can I expect to find
quality stuff that currently is being sold at normal price in other shops?
Or is it mostly 3 year old stuff that never got sold?

Also, are most brands available at the sales, or are there some brands which
are harder to come by?

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 15:42:56 GMT, "John123" wrote:



Wow, thanks for all the tips! I have to agree that it's always hard to know
where to shop in a town the first time you're visiting it. That's why your
advice is so much appreciated!

One thing though - what are the sales like in NYC. Can I expect to find
quality stuff that currently is being sold at normal price in other shops?
Or is it mostly 3 year old stuff that never got sold?

Dept. store sales are of first line merchandise. The same at B&H
Camera or J&R Music. Filene's, Syms and Century 21 have older
close-out stock, but if you don't mind buying a Timberland shirt or
chinos from last season then there isn't much to complain about.

Today I bought a Polo woven leather belt with matching key fob for $20
at Filene's. When it was new stock it sold for $47. I like a woven
leather belt with jeans and needed one so this was a good buy for me.

Also, are most brands available at the sales, or are there some brands which
are harder to come by?

Many brands do not show up at mid-season sales. January is the time
to pounce on places like Lord & Taylor where you can find things like
Gloverall duffle coats deeply discounted. In-house brands usually
show up in all sales, and in places like Macy's, Bloomingdale's and
Lord & Taylor the quality is usually good. Sak's carries the really
top flight brands but I haven't seen a good sale there in many years.
You won't find $600 silk shirts on sale any time soon!

It's hard to predict what will be on sale. Often times someone at
work will come back from lunch and announce that some rare and highly
prized piece of clothing is on sale across the street but you better
run as they are selling fast. That's how it works in Manhattan. I've
walked into the Nautica store in Rockefeller Plaza on a whim and found
a couple of pairs of beautiful slacks at half price. Many first line
stores have close-out sections in the back that most people don't
bother looking at. I would even check stores like Burberry on 57th
Street just in case they have a sale rack. But January is the best
time to hit Burberry.

Something else to be considered: my experience in Europe is that
all-cotton is somewhat of a rarity. Men's shirts seem to be mostly
cotton-poly. This is not the case in the US where 100% cotton is the
norm in all price ranges.

Brian Wickham

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 10:48:29 +0100, "Runge"
wrote:

Just one thing : in NYC the sales tax is very high, isn't it?

Yes, it's 8.65% so a $100 purchase will come out to $108.65. VAT
charges around the world tend to be much higher, and so do sales taxes
in some other states. It's too bad that NY rescinded it's tax
forgiveness on clothing items under $110. Nevertheless, you can get a
Nikon camera here for less than anywhere in the US, even with the tax.
For many foreign buyers the prices are unheard of in their countries.

So if you want to save on tax go to New Jersey or Connecticut. The
problem is the cost of getting there and the time spent commuting.
When I lived in Queens and owned a car we did a lot of clothes
shopping in Paramus, NJ or Stamford , Conn. If you are already in
Manhattan it is just too unwieldy to travel to these places just for a
shopping trip. We were able to make back the bridge toll by filling
up with lower cost gasoline in NJ.

At one time (maybe still?) the department stores offered free
shipping. So if you could give them an out-of-state address you could
save the tax. I don't know if that still works.

Brian Wickham

"Larry Finch" wrote in message
...
John123 wrote:

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:34:28 GMT, "John123" wrote:

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 16:57:41 GMT, "John123" wrote:

Hi!

Since things in New York in general seem to be more expensive than
most
other places, I wonder if that is true when you go shopping
(mainly
for
clothes, sports gear and so on) too? Should I stick to window
shopping,
or
are there places where I can find quality stuff at reasonable or
low
prices
at this time of year?

If you stick to the high end shops NYC is very expensive but if you
seek out the right stores, no place in the US has bargains like
NYC.


Thanks - so, where are the high end shops located, and where can I
find
the
bargains?

What are you interested in buying?


Mainly clothes. But possibly also some sports gear, electronics, arts
and
souvenirs.

Clothes: Lower east side (delancy street and its side streets), Century 21
department store (next to ground zero).
Electronics: J&R, Park Row across from city hall park. Camera equipment:
B&H
Photo & Video.\

Larry


--
Larry Finch

N 40° 53' 47"
W 74° 03' 56"



IF you buy out of state from J&R online, you avoid the NYS sales tax.

"vince" wrote in message
m...
For great bargains you have to visit canal street from lexington to
west broadway clothes and electronics at huge discounts. I go down
there once a week and buy and then sell the stuff on ebay
vinny
www.shop7.com

Is that why the alt.fashion crowd keeps finding LV bags on ebay?

"Brian Wickham" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 16:57:41 GMT, "John123" wrote:

Hi!

Since things in New York in general seem to be more expensive than most
other places, I wonder if that is true when you go shopping (mainly for
clothes, sports gear and so on) too? Should I stick to window shopping,
or
are there places where I can find quality stuff at reasonable or low
prices
at this time of year?

B&H Camera generally has better prices on electronics than J&R but a
smaller selection. They are generally unbeatable for cameras but I
prefer to buy my film and supplies at Calumet on W 19 Street. The
prices are the same or better and the service is much better (no
lines). Check the bins in Calumet for close-out items! Nevertheless,
if you are buying a camera at B&H the service is knowledgeable and
friendly. Plus whatever you want is in stock and immediately
available.

J&R Music World is great for CDs and DVDs. This week they had a sale
on all Warner label CDs. List $17.99 is normally $15.99 but on sale
this week at $11.99. Some discs were $9.99. It's also the biggest
selection in town not counting Virgin which has stuff no one else knew
existed. The only problem is everything at Virgin is high priced.
Check the Village Voice (it's free) for sale ads.

For clothing, besides Century 21which is always worth a look, there is
Filene's Basement at Broadway & 79 Street or on 6th Ave at 18th
Street. Or Sy Syms on E 54 Street at Park Ave. Both these places
had some really good men's shoes until recently but now seem to be in
a lull. The same for men's suits. Filene's had some beautiful wool
suits this summer but they are mostly gone now. Any of these places
may have a great selection or nothing worth pawing over. It depends
on how lucky you get. That being said, anyone who pays more than $30
for a $59 all-cotton Polo dress shirt is a sucker. They are always
available somewhere on sale.

THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!
In New York always check the newspapers for sales at department
stores. When you go to breakfast buy the NY Times and the Daily News,
your two best sources for sale information. Macy's will advertise a
two day sale just one day in advance. When Lord & Taylor has a big
sale there is no place better to buy clothes, especially the end of
season sales such as in January.
END OF IMPORTANT STUFF.

I have been to the Lower East Side a number of times over the last two
years and can't find any good reason to shop there except for a few
oddball items, or a pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli. IMO the old
days of Orchard and Delancey Streets are over except for some dry
goods dealers and ladies' underwear stores.

Anyone who thinks New York is expensive hasn't been trying. Yes, an
apartment is expensive and so are most hotel rooms, but I can have a
full breakfast in any number of places for under $5, lunch for under
$6 and dinner for $10. Try that in Las Vegas without having to sit
next to a wino! Of course that rules out Nobu, The Gramercy Tavern
and their ilk but even in those places you will spend what you would
at home for the best meal in town except it will be three times better
(some home towns automatically excluded of course, like San
Francisco). I find that when I travel around the USA it always costs
me more to eat than at home in NYC. That's partly because I don't
know the best spots but largely because in many cases there are no
best spots!

I suppose people think NY is expensive because they want to go to
places like Tavern on the Green at all costs. So they fulfill there
dream, have a so-so or sometimes lousy meal, pay a large sum of money
for it, then go home and tell everyone that it costs too much to visit
NY. The joke is on them because no one eats at Tavern on the Green
unless they live no closer than 50 miles from it. Everyone in NYC
knows it's overpriced and the food is mediocre.

Sports gear offers less choices. For selection and price I would go
to Paragon Sports on Broadway at 17 Street just above Union Square
Park. If you have access to a car then try Ramsey Outdoor on Route 17
in Paramus New Jersey. The last time I was there they had English
Barbour all-weather jackets ridiculously cheaper than in NYC. But
that was a while ago.

If you go to Paragon continue up Broadway to 22 Street. If it is a
sunny day you will have the best photo view of the Empire State Bldg.
Believe me, the view is almost overpowering!

If you are looking for the latest books on the best seller lists go to
the west side of Broadway between 76 - 77 Street on weekends. A
street vendor there has the latest books at half price. There is no
better deal on books anywhere.

Don't forget Strand on Broadway and 12th or its annex downtown by Seaport.


While you're there have breakfast or
lunch at Big Nick's a few yards away. They know how to cook eggs plus
they flame broil one of the best burgers in the city. "Zero" on
ambiance though!

If you have any specific items you are shopping for let us know. NY
is the kind of place where someone knows a store that has a great deal
on a few individual items. All of us know different neighborhoods and
see different stores in our daily comings and goings.

Brian Wickham

Please tell us where to eat! All you tell us is where not to eat.

Julie

"Rita" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 06:29:08 GMT, Brian Wickham

wrote:


Anyone who thinks New York is expensive hasn't been trying. Yes, an
apartment is expensive and so are most hotel rooms, but I can have a
full breakfast in any number of places for under $5, lunch for under
$6 and dinner for $10. Try that in Las Vegas without having to sit
next to a wino! Of course that rules out Nobu, The Gramercy Tavern
and their ilk but even in those places you will spend what you would
at home for the best meal in town except it will be three times better
(some home towns automatically excluded of course, like San
Francisco). I find that when I travel around the USA it always costs
me more to eat than at home in NYC. That's partly because I don't
know the best spots but largely because in many cases there are no
best spots!

I suppose people think NY is expensive because they want to go to
places like Tavern on the Green at all costs. So they fulfill there
dream, have a so-so or sometimes lousy meal, pay a large sum of money
for it, then go home and tell everyone that it costs too much to visit
NY. The joke is on them because no one eats at Tavern on the Green
unless they live no closer than 50 miles from it. Everyone in NYC
knows it's overpriced and the food is mediocre.

Could not agree with you more. I live in NYC as a retired person on
a modest fixed income. And I am a food lover, and so I scour the
city for good food at a low cost. Most tourists frequent restaurants
in Midtown and get ripped off both in quality and price. Most
New Yorkers don't go near Midtown unless they have business
there and have to.

I ate once at Tavern on the Green because I was a guest of an
out-of-towner who wanted to experience it. It was pretty, but the
meal was overpriced and only so-so.

One trick to remember -- if you want to have a good meal at a
pricey restaurant, make it lunch. The prices are far lower, but the
quality is not.

On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 13:39:35 +1100, "Julie"
wrote:

Please tell us where to eat! All you tell us is where not to eat.

Julie

Give us some specifics of what you're looking for, at what price
range, and what location (if you care). _Then_ we'll be able to help
you.

Michael

If you would like to send a private email to me, please take out the TRASH, so to speak. Please do not email me something which you also posted.