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New York City

Shopping

Shoppers, rev up your credit cards, because you're in the big leagues now. From high-priced designer fashions to discount chic, electronics to rare books – it's all here, a dizzying array of choices from the exclusive boutiques of SoHo and Madison Avenue to the jewelers and department stores of Fifth Avenue. With so many choices, we could only mention a highly selective shopping-cartful of highlights here to point you in the right direction.

An obvious place to start is Fifth Avenue – there's nothing that quite exemplifies upper-crust New York like this fabulous shopping strip. The most elegant drag stretches from 49th Street to 59th Street and is marked by glamorous department stores from Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Ave. at 49th St.; 212/940-4176; www.saksfifthavenue.com) to Bergdorf-Goodman (754 Fifth Ave. at 58th St.; 800-558-1855; www.bergdorfgoodman.com), as well as upscale boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Dior, Versace, Cartier, and more. Some more moderately priced chain brands like Banana Republic and H & M are intermittently sprinkled in, letting regular Joes (or more, likely, Janes) play with the big boys (ahem, girls). If you have little ones in tow, be sure to hit up FAO Schwarz (767 Fifth Ave. at 58th St.; 212/644-9400; www.faoschwarz.com) - this elaborate flagship toy store is a fantasyland for just about any youngster.

The ritzy Upper East Side is another haven for upscale shopping from the high-end Madison Avenue boutiques (bring plenty of plastic) and exquisite (and oh-so-expensive) Barneys (660 Madison Ave. at 60th St.; 212/826-8900; www.barneys.com), to Manhattan's much beloved "Bloomie's" – or Bloomingdale's (1000 Third Ave. btwn 59th & 60th Sts.; 212/705-2000; www.bloomingdales.com) that garners good reviews from New Yorkers for service and selection.

The Shops at Columbus Circle (59th St. & Columbus Circle; 212/823-6300; www.shopsatcolumbus.com) comprise one of New York's newest, and most well-received shopping destinations, featuring a four-story spread of posh shops (like Coach, Boss Hugo Boss, and Williams-Sonoma) in upscale environs – you'll also catch some fantastic views of Central Park from the upper floors of Time Warner Center mall complex.

Make you way to 34th Street for a visit to Macy's (151 West 34th St. btwn Seventh Ave. & Broadway; 212/695-4400; www.macys.com), which bills itself as the world's largest department store. If by some fluke you can't find your goods in this mammoth mega-store, keep in mind that you can stumble right across the street, where the Manhattan Mall (Sixth Ave. at 33rd St.; 212/465-0500; www.manhattanmallny.com) boasts dozens of mall staples like Victoria's Secret, The Body Shop, and Foot Locker. Bargain-hunters with haute-couture tastes, meanwhile, may also want to venture to the blocks north and west of here, which comprise the somewhat gritty Garment District - sample sales can mean fantastic finds for those in-the-know; check Time Out New York (www.timeoutny.com) for listings.

Art connoisseurs interested in picking up original works should head straight to Chelsea, with its more than 200 galleries, while the Village promises more eclectic finds with its haphazard splattering of unique bookstores, antique stores, gourmet food markets, and gift shops. Venture east to the East Village's St. Mark's Place, a fun and funky block to peruse used records, bohemian jewelry, and various oddball wares.

Bustling Union Square is surrounded by mega-shops including Filene's Basement, DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse), Barnes & Noble, and a Virgin Megastore, while a few blocks north, the ABC Carpet & Home (888 & 881 Broadway; 212/473 3000; www.abchome.com) emporium boasts multiple floors with everything from knickknacks to hand-carved furniture.

SoHo rivals uptown for fashionable shops, touting such designer outposts as Betsey Johnson, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, and Prada, as well as the high-tech haven Apple Store. Big-name boutiques mix with one-of-a-kind shops, high-end street peddlers, and art galleries galore. If you like the designer look but not so much the price tags that go with, Canal Street, stretching from SoHo to Chinatown, is a haven for knock-off bags, watches, shades, and other accessories.

Bargain-hunting shoppers, meanwhile, flock to the Lower East Side to hit up the bargain beat of Orchard Street (note that due to the Jewish Sabbath, many of the stores are closed here on Saturdays) for discounted rates on shoes, luggage, leather bags, and more.

Across the street from Ground Zero, the three-floor wonder of Century 21 (22 Cortlandt St. btwn Broadway and Church St.; 212/227-9092; www.c21stores.com) is New York's premier discount department store for designer clothes and products touting discounts of up to 70 percent off; note that weekends are especially mobbed.