If a store is less than four meters deep it is most likely a fantastic store. If it is ten meters deep it is an okay store, and if it is thirty meters deep avoid it like the plague. Reverse these rules elsewhere in New York. Another good place to shop is in the lower section of Manhattan where the streets are still numbered, but using numbers between 14 and 20. The ones in the vicinity of Broadway tend to be especially good.
Books are probably the most popular item in the area.
Despite rumors, taxis are not expensive, and are often very quick. The taxi driver will not bother you with long winded conversations about the benefits of certain hemorrhoid creams, mainly because there is little or no chance that you both happen to speak the same language. Buses are usually a good intermediate choice. They tend to be rather safe, and cost only as much as the subway. There are no signs, messages, or announcements telling you where you are, so memorize the bus route map while waiting for it to arrive.