If it's your first trip to Greenwich Village, you might be worried about lugging 10 pounds of old books to a suitable restaurant for lunch. Shopping is an integral part of New York, literally woven into the mosaic of the city. It's the very fact of its seamless presence within the rest of the sprawling urban center, however, that can be maddening to people from other parts of the country. New Yorkers have learned to deal with, and even thrive on, these far-flung locations. They enjoy shopping as a true adventure, partly because they have no choice.
Options abound, and shopping continues to evolve, just like everything else in New York.
Since Wine Spectator's last New York issue, four years ago, a warehouse district of far west Chelsea has become the home of the best new contemporary art galleries, and wine auctions have taken the city by storm. The constant is that the range and quality of shops in New York can't be beaten, whether you're buying antiques or toys. On the following pages, we present recommendations in 12 categories that reflect our expansive view of what shopping is. We include auctions, art galleries, cigar stores and antique shops, in addition to the more expected categories of home furnishings and fashion. New York just offers too much bounty in all these realms.