Markets and independent shops in Manhattan

61 markets, bookshops, record shops and makers in Manhattan.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 61.

BuyChinatown
2 Bridges Music Arts
2 Bridges Music Arts sells new and used records, tapes and books while staging exhibitions and events from their post in a Chinatown mall. The space is meant to host overlapping tendencies in experimental music, art and knowledge production internationally.
BuyGramercy Flatiron
ABC Carpet & Home
A sprawling NYC department store occupying two landmark buildings, it is considered by many to be an iconic institution in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. Its offerings include furniture, rugs, lighting and accessories.
BuyChelsea
Adorama
One of the country's largest suppliers of cameras, film, and photographic accoutrements of all kinds. Staffed largely by Orthodox Jews, Adorama is closed on Friday nights, Saturdays, and all Jewish holidays except Hanukkah, but packed to the rafters every other day. And they provide very good service.
BuyChinatown
Aeon Bookstore
This subterranean bookstore is a neighborhood gem, with a carefully curated selection of books. The books are fairly prices and cover a range of topics, such as philosophy, art, culture, history, mysticism, and esoterica.
BuyChinatown
Aji Ichiban
Hong Kong snack shop, very popular with locals and tourists alike. The staff are friendly and give samples.
BuyUpper East Side
Anthropologie
A small store selling boho-chic accessories, home decor, and womenswear.
Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-7PM
BuyMidtown East
Apple Store
Located beneath a giant glass cube, this flagship Apple Store is open 24/7 and is crowded with shoppers all day long. Come here on the day the company releases a new gadget and you'll see lines that wrap around the block.
BuyChinatown
Asia Market
Renovated several years ago from a dusty, old grocery store with tight aisles and rusty shelves into a brighter, more spacious store with a wider selection of goods, Asia Market supplies a variety of Asian ingredients, snacks, and drinks. Usually the difficult, hard to find Southeast Asian ingredients will most likely be available at this store. Even if something you want isn't available, the staff here is very friendly. You may leave the brand name of the product you want and they may try to order it for you. There is also a vegetable and fruit stand outside the store. Basically, this may be your one-stop store to shop for everything. One good example of the products this store has is fresh kaffir lime leaves.
BuyChelsea
B&H
Perhaps the best camera and photography equipment store in New York, this 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. It is owned and heavily staffed by Hasidic Jews, so it is closed on Friday nights, Saturdays, and all Jewish holidays except for Hanukkah. B&H provides its holiday closing schedule here.
BuyChinatown
Bangkok Center Grocery
This modest-sized store contains a large quantity of Thai goods of various descriptions, and also sells inexpensive prepared sweet and savory items. Friendly, helpful service.
BuyTheater District
Bergdorf Goodman
Very high-end designer clothing, jewelry and accessories store for women, men and kids.
BuyUpper East Side
Bloomingdale's 59th Street
An enormous department store that is frequented by the glamorous and the masses. A must-visit for any serious shopper, with 9 floors filled to the brim with designer clothes, dresses, handbags, shoes, and tuxedos.
Mon 9AM to 9:30PM, Tue 8AM-6PM, Thu 8AM-9:30PM, Fri Sat 10AM-9:30PM, Sun 10AM-9PM, closed Wed
BuyLower East Side
Bluestockings Radical Books
A fun radical feminist bookstore that also has a little cafe and a regular calendar of readings and other events.
Daily 11AM-11PM
BuyUpper West Side
Book Culture
Formerly known as Labyrinth Books, Book Culture is a scholarly bookstore, worth browsing for the books on science and the liberal arts. The sale tables on the second floor are full of bargains that will delight any booklover.
BuyFinancial District
Brookfield Place
formerly World Financial Center
Shopping, dining, events and the Winter Garden all open to the public.
BuyChelsea
Buffalo Exchange
Clothing and accessories bought, sold and traded locally with the public. The inventory changes every day and includes designer labels, vintage, jeans, leather, current basics and one-of-a-kind items. They also have brand new items, clothing for both men and women and is more upscale and fashionable than an average thrift shop.
Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM, Sun noon-7PM
BuyChelsea
Chelsea Market
The original Oreo cookie factory is now a block-sized market selling gourmet foods, flowers, and knick-knacks, and offering restaurants, bars, art space and special shows. Has free wireless Internet access throughout and smells like a slice of heaven.
Mon-Sat 7AM-2AM, Sun 8AM-10PM
BuyUpper West Side
Columbia University Bookstore
Run by Barnes and Noble, this is the best place in the neighborhood to pick up travel guides for anywhere as well as Columbia University branded gifts.
BuyChinatown
Deluxe Food Market
This humongous store has almost anything you can think of and more, both raw and prepared. Seriously; go and see.
BuyTheater District
Disney Store
A 2-level store for Disney merchandise located in the heart of Times Square.
BuyGramercy Flatiron
Eataly
This is a branch of an Italian shopping center, which styles itself as a place to "savor high quality traditional Italian food products and beverages along with local produce and artisanal products." Many different products are for sale, including not only produce but cheese, wine, olive oil, and sweets, and there are also several places to eat hot food. Anyone who enjoys shopping or window-shopping for food-related products is likely to enjoy walking through. The prices range from average to high.
BuyChinatown
Elizabeth Center
If you want to purchase cute Asian accessories or dolls, Elizabeth Center (also known as EC, for short), is the right place for you to shop. Once you enter, go down the escalator and all the shops downstairs sell cute Asian merchandise. If you want to take sticker pictures, EC has it too. It's on the first level in the far left corner of the building.
BuyMidtown East
FAO Schwarz
This three level toy store in the heart of Manhattan New York City will make you feel like a kid again. You can take a selfie with the toy soldiers and watch live demonstrations of toys given by store employees. Also a good place to stop if you need a public restroom. Many toys sold here are either rare and hard to find or exclusive to FAO Schwarz
Wed–Sun 11AM–7PM
BuyGreenwich Village
Generation Records
Best place in the city to buy hardcore, metal, industrial, punk, and alternative records.
BuyTheater District
Hershey's Chocolate World
You are able to purchase all types of chocolate goodies and Hershey-themed products at this store. A few dollars can also get you a personalized message scrolled across their zipper outside on the store's facade. Hershey stores are all over the country but this particular store is the largest Hershey's store in the world. It has three floors of pure chocolate, and Hershey's products.
Mon-Sun noon-8PM
BuyUpper East Side
J.Crew - The Men's Shop
J.Crew features classic men's and women's apparel and a small but quality collection.
Sun noon-6PM, Mon Thu Fri 10AM-7PM, Tue 10AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-6PM; closed Wed
BuyEast Village
John Varvatos
A rather vivid example of the gentrification of the Bowery, this store is noteworthy for being the former home of CBGB, an underground nightclub that was famous for being the center of the New Wave and hardcore punk scenes in the 1970s and 80s. Today, it's a high-end men's fashion store popular for the many rock stars among its clients. Though the punk crowd is gone, the flyer-covered walls from CBGB have been preserved and rock memorabilia sits beside the store's designer jackets and shoes.
BuyGramercy Flatiron
Kalustyan's
A sensory experience for your nose, and probably the most complete source for Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian foodstuffs in Manhattan, though some things cost more than you'd pay at the smaller Dual's Natural in the East Village. While you're there, make sure to go upstairs and get some mujadara. Some of the other prepared products are just OK, but the mujadara is great. Eat in or take out. The building itself has some historic significance, as it's where one of the United States' less-remembered presidents, Chester A. Arthur, lived and took the oath of office; this history is commemorated by an unobtrusive plaque outside.
Mon–Sat 10AM–8PM, Sun holiday 11AM–7PM
BuySoHo
Kee's Chocolates
Kee is widely considered by chocolate-lovers to be one of the best artisanal chocolatiers in New York. Anyone who likes chocolate will find some of her creations interesting and enjoyable. Among her truffles are balsamic, fennel, smoked salt, and Thai chili, as well as less unusual flavors like almond and hazelnut praline.
Mon-Fri 9AM-7PM, Sat-Sun 11AM-7PMChocolates are $2.45 each. Macaroons are $2.55 each
BuyTheater District
Kinokuniya Bookstore
A Japanese book dealer, carrying a huge selection of Japanese reading material. It also sells a number of books by Japanese authors in English translation. It is also known as a source of excellent Japanese anime and manga, much of which is difficult or impossible to find anywhere else in the United States.
Daily 11AM–7PM
BuySoHo
LF Stores
LF Stores is not very big or well known, but it carries some unique items, such that celebrities have shopped here. The prices are a little bit on the high side, depending on the item for example, shirts cost about $50-200. The service is wonderful, and the staff is very helpful. Aside from clothing, there are such accessories as jewelry, scarfs, hats, and shoes. The outside of the narrow building is tan, and there is a doorman.
BuyTheater District
M&M's World New York
You can purchase all types of M&M goodies and M&M-themed trinkets here.
Daily 9AM-midnight
BuyTheater District
Macy's
Macy's Herald Square
Billing itself as "The World's Largest Store" on the large signs outside, this is the flagship store of the national chain and covers an entire city block. Its holiday window displays are so popular that they usually have a corporate sponsor. One useful tip for visitors is to go to the Macy's guest center on floor 1 1/2 and they will give you a guest card that discounts virtually everything in the store by 11%. This store features wooden escalators, a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus during the Christmas season. But, be prepared to wait in long lines for the elevators, as the store is always busy no matter what day it is.
BuyChinatown
Malaysia Beef Jerky
This is not a cheap snack, but their chicken and beef jerky are excellent and come in spicy and regular varieties. Unlike American-style jerky, Malaysian-style jerky is moist. Its sugar content may surprise you, so low-carb dieters, beware! There is nowhere to sit inside the store, so business is strictly for takeout.
9AM-6:30PM dailyBeef jerky: $28/lb; chicken jerky and pork jerky: $27/lb
BuyChinatown
McNally Jackson Books
Formerly McNally Robinson Booksellers, this independent bookstore features an extensive collection of magazines, fiction, and nonfiction. The store also features a cafe, as well as a number of ongoing events, signings, book clubs and discussion groups.
Mon-Sat 10AM-10PM, Sun 10AM-9PM
BuyTheater District
Midtown Comics
An absolutely gigantic comic book store, one of the largest and most well-known in the country, with two full floors of comics, collectibles, manga, and back issues, as well as a very knowledgeable staff. Signings by giants in the comic book industry are a regular occurrence here and the store also sponsors the annual New York Comic Con held every October. Smaller locations can be found in Midtown East and the Financial District.
Mon Tue Thu Fri Sat 11AM-7PM, Sun noon- 7PM, Wed 8AM-7PM
BuyLower East Side
Moishe's Kosher Bakery
This is an old-fashioned kosher bakery. Among their excellent offerings are their strudels, mandel bread, rugelach, black & whites, danishes, almond horns, cinnamon sticks and kichlach (big crispy sugar cookies), and their challahs are also very popular. Their hamantashen are also good. The Chinese almond cookies are good, but some of the smaller cookies are not too consistent in quality. The counterwomen are always willing to help you select items that were baked that day. Items that are in individual portion size, like black & whites, danishes, and almond horns, cost around $2.50-$3 apiece, but rugelach and mandel bread are quite a lot more expensive and must be bought by the quarter pound (minimum) or as an entire large piece, respectively. The staff will be happy to cut you a piece of strudel, and they will also slice challah for you without extra charge. Wednesdays and Thursdays are particularly good days to visit, as they have fresh chocolate and sometimes also cinnamon babka those days, and with any luck, you can get some that's still warm (unfortunately, they no longer sell it by the slice; you'll have to get half a babka or an entire one). There is no place to sit, so all business is for takeout, and they do not have napkins or utensils to give you.
Sun–Thu 9:30AM–6:30PM, Fri 9:30AM–3PM, Sat closed
BuyTheater District
Morrell Wine
Perhaps the best wine selection in the city, this is the place to go if you want to find that unusual bottle to take home as a gift. They also ship all over if you want to take home more than you can carry!
Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM
BuyTheater District
Nintendo World Store
more commonly just referred to as the Nintendo Store
A two-story specialty store that sells a wide variety of Nintendo merchandise, including videogames, t-shirts, and plushies of your favorite Nintendo characters. The most popular aspect of the store is their Pokecenter which has a wall dedicated to Pokemon videogames, DVDs, action figures and plush dolls. The plush dolls and action figures that are on sale change every week or so, so you need to be quick to find and buy your favorite pokemon’s plush counterpart. The store has a large section devoted to Wiis and 3DS/DS’s that are opened for customers to play and preview videogames before they purchase them. The store also sometimes holds tournaments and video viewings to promote upcoming releases of games.
11AM-6PM, daily
BuyGramercy Flatiron
Paragon Sports
This is generally considered one of the better sporting goods stores in Manhattan. It's pretty large and has a lot of equipment you might want for your next trip. It pays to check whether anything is on sale. For example, there are often some good sales on hiking boots. The sales staff is generally helpful and will work with you to help you find what you want. They often recommend items they themselves use, and not the most expensive items.
Mon-Fri 10AM - 8:30PM; Sat 10AM - 8PM; Sun 11AM - 7PM

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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Manhattan (CC BY-SA 4.0).