New York is the fashion capital of the United States, and is a major shopping destination for people around the world. The city boasts an unmatched range of department stores, boutiques, and specialty shops. Some neighborhoods boast more shopping options than most other American cities and have become famous in their own right as consumer destinations. Anything you could possibly want to buy is found in Manhattan, including clothing, cameras, computers and accessories, music, musical instruments, electronic equipment, art supplies, sporting goods, and all kinds of foodstuffs and kitchen appliances.

 • Fifth Avenue From 59th Street to 42nd Street Fifth Avenue boasts numerous flagships stores of national chains. Perpetually mobbed with shoppers and tourists, Fifth Avenue is a virtual standstill during the Christmas shopping season, when Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Cartier, Tiffany's, and Lord and Taylor put out their holiday displays.

 • Macy's 151 W. 34th Street (at 6th Avenue). The flagship store of the national chain, this is the largest department store in the world, covering an entire city block. Its holiday window displays are so popular that they usually have a corporate sponsor.

 • Bloomingdale's 1000 3rd Avenue (at 59th Street). An enormous department store that is frequented by the glamorous and the masses alike. A must-visit for any serious shopper.

 • Barney's 660 Madison Avenue (at 60th Street). Anyone who hopes to make it into New York's high society makes regular trips to Barney's, where the clothes and accessories are priced to empty all but the fattest wallets.

 • Madison and Lexington Avenues In the heart of the ultra-wealthy Upper East Side, Madison and Lexington Avenues are the center of New York's haute couture, full of small shops selling fabulously expensive clothes, accessories, and house wares to people who can afford not to look at the price tag. Even if it's out of your price range, it's worth a visit just to gawk.

 • Canal Street Centered near Broadway. The polar opposite of Madison and Lexington Avenues, Canal Street is the paradise of bargain hunters and people looking to buy counterfeit knock-offs of high-end clothes and accessories. If you want to impress people back home with the Louis Vuitton bag you got for $20, this is the place to go.

 • SoHo Formerly an artists' colony in a run-down part of town, SoHo is now a prime shopping destination, especially on the weekends, when the sidewalks of West Broadway, Prince Street, and Broadway become almost impassible.

 • NoLiTa First derided as a real-estate nickname and now repeated often enough to become official, the name NoLiTa (North of Little Italy) has become synonymous with avant-couture boutiques in charmingly dilapidated buildings. Some stores are so idiosyncratic that they appear not to sell anything at all, yet are perpetually crowded and passionately trendy.

 • FAO Schwarz 767 Fifth Avenue (at 58th Street). One of only two FAO Schwarz stores remaining in the country, this is the Holy Grail of toy stores, with toys and collectibles ranging from the small, cheap, and mainstream to the enormous, expensive, and exotic. Take a walk across the giant piano on the floor to feel like Tom Hanks in 'Big.'

 • Strand Books 828 Broadway (at 12th Street). The largest used bookstore in the world, reportedly housing over 18 miles of shelf space, all of it crammed to capacity. A recent renovation has opened up the space tremendously, though that will be a surprise to any newcomer, who will marvel at the wall-to-wall crowds. If bibliophiles are good in life, they get to go to the Strand when they die.

 • J&R, directly across from City Hall, is the most likely place in the city to find the electronics or computer accessories you're looking for, usually at a good price. They also have a separate section selling CDs. Their cameras are good, but they occupy second place to B&H in that category. Don't miss their Discount Annex, where they sell discontinued and remaindered items at very low prices.

 • B&H, on 34th St. and 9th Av., is the place to go for any of the cameras and camera accessories you might want. The selection is good and the staff is knowledgeable and willing to discuss things with you. The store is run by Chassidic Jews and is closed on Friday nights, Saturdays, and all Jewish holidays, but open on Sundays.

 • Three Lives & Company 154 W. 10th Street (at Waverly). This microscopic yet utterly delightful bookstore is the essence of Greenwich Village. With its extremely knowledgeable and passionate staff, Three Lives has carved out a place in the heart every New York reader. When people talk about the character of local independent bookstores, Three Lives is what they mean.

 • Zabar's 2245 Broadway (at 80th Street). Probably the most famous grocery store in the world, Zabar's has an enormous selection of delicious (and expensive) foods. On their second floor, they sell kitchen accessories at price points ranging from inexpensive bargains to very expensive luxury items. Going on a weekend is tempting fate, but it is wiser to go on a weekday: Beware of the crush of crowds. And do not go the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas unless you are either a masochist or dressed like a football player!

 • New York Central on Canal St. is considered by many artists to be the best and least expensive art supply store in New York. You can have a meal in Chinatown and then walk west to the store.

 • Adorama 42 W. 18th Street (b/t 5th and 6th Avenues). One of the country's largest suppliers of cameras, film, and photographic accoutrements of all kinds. Staffed almost entirely by Orthodox Jews, Adorama is closed on Saturdays, but packed to the rafters every other day of the week.

 • Kalustyan's, 27 St. and Lexington, has the widest selection of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Mediterranean foodstuffs in Manhattan. Don't miss a trip to their second floor for their fabulous mujadara sandwiches, which you can eat there.

 • Hong Kong Supermarket, Pike St. and East Broadway, is a large Chinese supermarket. Travelers unfamiliar with Chinese food will find it fascinating and those familiar with Chinese food will enjoy the selection and pricing.

Markets

 • Chelsea Market - the original Oreo cookie factory, now a block-sized market selling gourmet foods, flowers, knick-knacks and offering restaurants, bars, art space and special shows. Has free wireless Internet access throughout and smells like a slice of heaven.

Discount Clothing Stores

 • Century 21 across the street from the World Trade Center PATH Station. Carries various designer brands at prices only half as outrageous as the upscale department stores. No fitting rooms, so make sure you wear a T-shirt and/or presentable underwear.

 • Filene's has two locations: 79th and Broadway on the Upper West Side and a new branch at 14th St./Union Square. You may find their selection of discounted designer clothes more limited than Century 21's, but their prices are sometimes still cheaper.