10 Things to Buy in New York

If you're traveling to New York, don't forget to buy some souvenirs for yourself or your loved ones before heading home. In New York, you'll find shops with very good prices compared to European prices. And if you go on a trip to the best outlets in New York, you'll also find reduced prices on luxury brand items.

The city is full of tourist souvenir shops, but if you're looking for something different, in this post I'll tell you about 10 things to buy in New York in unique and original places. You'll love them!

The MoMA store is like a magnet for shoppers. Whenever I walk down 53rd Street or through Soho, I stop by the MoMA Design Store. I can spend hours browsing the shelves, especially the prints and fascinating art books. After all, MoMA is the world's most important museum of modern art. I'll tell you more in this post about the famous art gallery.

What to buy?

Although the prices are a little high, if you want to buy a unique gift for someone who loves design and art, you can't go wrong at the MoMA Design Store. They sell everything from lithographs, puzzles, and home décor to furniture, designer jewelry, and even Vans sneakers inspired by MoMA itself.

In short, all kinds of souvenirs for the curious and design enthusiasts. I'm sure you'll want to take everything home with you because many of the items they sell cannot be found in other stores.

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If you're traveling to New York to enjoy an NBA or NHL game, you'll need to dress for the occasion and cheer on your team. However, official team merchandise is often exorbitantly priced.

Modell's Sporting Goods is a store that offers the same quality guarantee but at much more affordable prices. It has everything from Knicks and Nets jerseys and caps to Mets and Yankees gear, New York's baseball teams. If you're looking for NFL Giants merchandise, you'll also find it at Modell's Sporting Goods.

And if you're thinking of buying a gift for someone who loves sports, another idea is regulation balls that you can take home deflated and conveniently packed in your suitcase. And if you have tickets to Madison Square Garden, be sure to visit the official merchandise and souvenir shops inside.

Old Navy

Speaking of sports teams, another store that also has baseball, football, and basketball merchandise at great prices is Old Navy, a brand that belongs to the same group as GAP. It's another option if you're looking for an outfit to wear to a game in New York.

However, if you'd rather show off your trip by taking home a souvenir with the eye-catching "I Love NY" logo printed on T-shirts, sweatshirts, or clothing accessories, check out Old Navy, as they have many original designs with the name New York in good quality and at attractive prices.

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So many movies and TV shows have been filmed in New York that the city has become a huge movie set. As you walk through the streets, you're sure to get that feeling of having been here before, thanks to all the productions set in the City of Skyscrapers.

If you're passionate about the subject, during your trip to New York I recommend taking a movie and TV series tour of the city, where you'll discover lots of anecdotes and interesting facts that you may not have known about your favorite shows. I'll tell you more about this tour in this post.

In addition to all the photos and videos you'll be able to take during the tour as souvenirs, you might want to take home a souvenir from your favorite series. Mine is "Friends" from NBC, which, in case you didn't know, has a store in Rockefeller Center where you can buy items related to this show and many others produced by this television network.

What to buy?

I bought a couple of coffee mugs like the ones the characters on "Friends" used when they hung out at Central Perk and a tote bag with the logo. But there are lots of other things at the NBC Store, such as T-shirts, key chains, and caps from other NBC hit shows like Saturday Night Live, notepads, magnets, and sweatshirts from The Office, Seinfeld, Law & Order, and many more.

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If you're looking to buy some original souvenirs from your trip to New York that are carefully designed and different from the usual fare, the New York Public Library shop is the place to go.

It has a wide range of gifts to suit all tastes, so you'll have no trouble finding the perfect one. Although you're sure to find the perfect gift for a literature lover thanks to its huge selection of classic and contemporary books, the New York Public Library shop also has some surprising items.

What to buy?

You'll find everything from Jane Austen and William Shakespeare-inspired home and office items, vintage-style calligraphy sets, themed jewelry and accessories, to postcards and beautiful gift editions of classics such as Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Emma, and Frankenstein. I bought the book The Little Mermaid and treasure it like gold!

Special collections

You may be more familiar with the Rose Main Reading Room, the main reading room of the New York Public Library, with its ostentatious decoration featuring hanging lamps, ceiling frescoes and dimensions similar to those of a football stadium. It is so famous that the Public Library's own shop has dedicated a collection of souvenirs to it: umbrellas, puzzles, scarves, jewelry...

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In an increasingly globalized world, where can you find a unique souvenir that you can't find anywhere else? My suggestion is Artists & Fleas, a flea market that brings together local artists, young designers, and collectors where you can find paintings, accessories, jewelry, clothing, and other unique items that are handmade by artisans, ensuring that they are truly special pieces.

The Artists & Fleas market is located in the SoHo and Williamsburg neighborhoods, although the Chelsea Market is also linked to the fabulous food market in this building in the Meatpacking District. If you're not familiar with Chelsea Market, I recommend reading the article I wrote about it

Did you know that Oreo cookies were invented at Chelsea Market? It's the former Nabisco cookie factory that's been converted into a market, where the building's beautiful original industrial style with high ceilings and exposed brick walls has been preserved. Plus, you can grab a bite to eat at the fast food stalls (sandwiches, noodles, tacos, sushi, pasta, donuts...) if you get hungry while shopping.

What to buy?

You'll find everything among the stalls, so it'll be hard to resist buying something. I speak from experience! I bought a beautiful poster of New York, but there were lots of other things, from decorative candles and bags with messages to natural skin care products.

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One of the things I love most about New York is that when you walk through its streets, you let yourself go and end up discovering amazing places, such as Fishs Eddys in the Flatiron neighborhood, very close to Union Square and the Flatiron Building.

It's a beautiful country chic store that has become a real paradise for lovers of decoration and, in particular, kitchenware with original and vintage designs.

What to buy?

Among tourists, any item that references New York is a best seller. The most popular collection is the tableware decorated with the Manhattan skyline, and the tablecloths with the East River bridges printed on them are almost museum pieces. They are so beautiful that it's a shame to stain them.

As a curiosity, at Fish Eddys you will also find shot glasses dedicated to US presidents such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and more recent figures such as Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

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If there's one thing I love about Strand Bookstore, it's that it's a family-run bookshop that has been resisting the big chains in New York since 1927, something unheard of in this day and age. It has been open for so many decades that it boasts almost 30 kilometers of books on its shelves, or in other words, almost three million used and new copies, unique editions, and best sellers.

If you're a literature lover, you'll lose track of time at Strand Bookstore because there's so much to see and read in its Broadway store on 12th Street, just a few steps from Union Square. I'm not exaggerating. When you arrive, you'll see the outside of the store filled with carts loaded with dozens of books at great prices. There's a little bit of everything, so I recommend taking a look because you can find some real bargains.

Inside, there's much more waiting for you... three floors crammed with books of all genres! Whatever you're looking for, you're sure to find it at Strand Bookstore. Whether it's for yourself or as a gift.

What to buy?

As if the books weren't enough, Strand Bookstore is also a treasure trove for souvenirs. They have lots of interesting souvenirs such as packs of socks dedicated to writers and their works, music boxes, mugs, notebooks, key rings... Strand Bookstore has lots of gifts of its own design!

Personally, I like their tote bags because they're very original and perfect for carrying all your things around the city throughout the day. They come in a wide variety of sizes and designs. But if you're looking for a typical New York souvenir, I recommend checking out their section of books dedicated to the Big Apple.

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You know those shops where everything is so cute and cool that you'd buy everything without thinking twice? Kikkerland is one of those places. Since 1992, they have been making fun products for the home, toys, office gadgets, and technology that aim to make their customers smile.

Kikkerland's designers have traveled the world for inspiration and created each product with a fun aesthetic that adds an original and unique touch to your home or office decor.

Kikkerland started out as a wholesale manufacturer of gift products, but they were so successful that they opened this little shop in the West Village. As soon as you walk in, you'll want to get lost in every aisle looking at all the shelves. They have lots of quirky products, and you're sure to find a charming little gift for your friends or yourself.

What to buy?

There is a wide variety of travel items, which are very practical if you are someone who loves to travel: pillows, anti-snoring kits, portable luggage weights to avoid airport surcharges, eye masks for better sleep on planes...

However, Kikkerland has a wide variety of products that are well worth checking out because they are very original.

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A sweet treat will always be a sweet memory of your trip to New York. There are many shops in the city where you can buy candy, but Economy Candy is unique for its variety and prices, which are not as high as in other stores.

Economy Candy has a very interesting history. It started as a business that specialized in repairing hats and shoes. However, the owners had a cart at the door of the shop where they also sold candy. With the depression of the 1930s, the candy cart began to generate more income than the other products, and the business eventually converted into a candy store.

Today, it is known as a candy paradise for New York's sweet tooth and is a must-see, especially if you are traveling with children. You'll be amazed! It's located in the Lower East Side neighborhood and, despite its small size, it's crammed with products of all shapes, colors, and flavors, so you'll easily find a souvenir to take home. After all, nobody can resist a sweet treat, right?

What to buy?

There's something for everyone. There are chocolate bars, candies, gum, and every kind of candy you can imagine. In addition to selling by weight, you'll also find original candy tins and boxes of chocolates that are perfect for gifts.

At Economy Candy, I was really struck by the section with jars of candy from each decade. I thought it was a very original idea. There's even a table full of items for only $0.99. At that price, it will be very hard to resist the temptation.

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A fantastic souvenir shop that really surprised me when I discovered it is the Tenement Museum, located on the Lower East Side. It is a museum that tells the story of the immigrants who arrived in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to build a better future. In fact, it is located in an apartment building that was home to more than 700 immigrants from 20 different countries between 1863 and 1935.

With the help of a museum guide, you can learn about this chapter in New York's history and see some of the six apartments that have been restored to their original condition. It's a very interesting way to learn about the history of the city and its anonymous protagonists.

Back to tourist attractions, admission to the Tenement Museum shop is free, although I recommend visiting it after seeing the museum, as it's very interesting and well worth the time.

What to buy?

The Tenement Museum shop reminds me a lot of the New York Public Library, because they have unusual souvenirs and a nice section of vintage posters and novels set in New York.

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