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FIND OUT MORESplashing out in New York
With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to start shopping again. In fact, the pressure to find that perfect gift for everyone is so great that one could be tempted to jump on a plane and fly across the pond in search of some festive shopping with added oomph. New York is only a non-stop flight away from Manchester, and if this isn't a big enough incentive for you, contributing writer Agatha Roberts reckons she can close the deal by taking you along on a shopping tour of her native city.
Greetings from the birthplace of shopaholism. New Yorkers are a very diverse bunch, but we are joined in our love of beautiful things and our uncanny ability to spot a good bargain. I hate to brag but if shopping was a sport I'd be doing my country proud in the Olympics. Michael Phelps who?
With so many fabulous places to splash your cash in the city, planning is key to a successful shopping trip. This is why we (me and you honey) are sitting in my favourite breakfast lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel on East 57th Street (www.fourseasons.com), sipping organic peppermint tea and debating whether or not to finish that cinnamon walnut sweet roll before we set off. OK, who are we kidding? The roll is history.
We are only a few blocks away from Barneys on 61st Street and Madison (www.barneys.com), so we'll make this our first stop for edgy designer fashion. From Manolo Blahnik stilettos and Diane von Furstenberg dresses for the ladies to Prada leather duffle bags and Ermenegildo Zegna ties for men, you might be tempted to camp here for the remainder of your shopping trip, but I'm afraid we'll have to press on. So many shops, so little time.
Straighten up, push your shoulders back and pout. We are about to cross over to Fifth Avenue, and we are going to do it in movie star style. This is the home of high-end designer shops like Versace, Fendi, Ferragamo, Chanel and Prada and it's as close as most of us will get to heaven. Walk inside and try everything on. Give yourself a big smile because you're gorgeous and you know it. Have a Sex and the City moment. And then walk away before you end up remortgaging your house to buy a designer scarf. Or don't; I'm not one to judge.
One of my favourite places on Fifth Avenue is a toy shop called FAO Schwarz (www.fao.com). No, I don't have kids yet, but I dare you to show me a girl who can resist a nostalgic peek at Victorian doll houses, complete with furniture and accessories, and Tutu Couture costumes.
Another thing I can't resist is shoes. I am a total sucker for designer heels, no matter how heart-stoppingly expensive. And there is one place on Fifth Avenue I like to go for my weekly fix: Bergdorf Goodman (www.bergdorfgoodman.com). We're heading straight for the second floor and we're gonna be a while so make yourself comfortable and enjoy. I have my eye on a pair of padded booties by Christian Louboutin that, at $1,030, cost more than my monthly rent. It makes the pink slingback platform pumps by Dior a bit further down look like a steal at $780. And don't get me started on my greatest unrequited love, the Jimmy Choos. It breaks my heart to see them again, so stubbornly out of my reach. If you buy anything here please don't show it to me.
On to another place on Fifth that is bad for your financial health. Tiffany's (www.tiffany.com) is a legend and no trip to NYC is complete without a pilgrimage here. So this is how it usually works: You walk in and fall head over heels with one of the spectacular statement jewellery pieces in platinum and diamonds that costs half a million dollars, and end up leaving with a $100 sterling silver key ring because you just have to have that little blue box.
How's your self-discipline holding up? Well, don't congratulate yourself yet because I've saved the best for last. Saks Fifth Avenue (www.saksfifthavenue.com), at 50th Street, puts the apple into the Big Apple and invites you to take a bite. You know you're damned if you do, but as soon as you walk through its hallowed doors you are no longer in control of yourself. Armani, Dior, Ralph Lauren, Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fendi, Gucci... need I go on?
If you don't trust yourself to be good, why not pop next door to St Patrick's Cathedral (www.saintpatrickscathedral.org) before your visit to Saks to pray for self-restraint? Your prayer may or may not be answered, but you will not regret the time spent in this stunning Gothic Revival cathedral, which is the largest in the US.
OK, now we got the midtown window shopping out of the way, time to go spend some smart money at discount designer emporium Century 21 (www.c21stores.com), in lower Manhattan. We'll need the subway for this one as it's located in the southernmost end of the city, near Ground Zero.
If you're a bargain hunter you'll adore Century 21, which is packed with designer labels, including Calvin Klein, DKNY and Versace, at 40-75 per cent off recommended retail prices. It is also perennially packed with shoppers, so don't even think about trying things on (the communal changing rooms offer zero privacy so unless you are an exhibitionist, stay away). In fact, you are better off seeing this as an adventure more than a shopping experience. As you walk up and down the endless aisles you get the feeling that you are on the verge of discovering a treasure. Will it be in the European Designers department or the linen section? How far will you go to make sure it doesn't fall in the hands of another shopper? Breathe. Your search for a deal can go from healthy interest to dark obsession in no time.
I hope you've saved some energy because now we need to head to the cobblestoned streets of fashionable Soho, below Houston Street (pronounced 'haouston' if you don't want to sound like a tourist) between 6th and Broadway. Tourists and locals alike flock to the cluster of art galleries here to bag the latest work by up-and-coming local artists. This is atmospheric shopping at its best and the best part is that the guilt which is normally associated with shopping magically dissipates here; after all, you are not purchasing disposable fashion but investing in artwork. I know I've just walked into Prada but hey, these handbags look like art to me.
Had enough of the Soho crowds? A bit further to the east is the ever-trendy Nolita (North of Little Italy), where you can buy everything from Nanette Lepore frocks to Karen Karch handcrafted jewellery. Two of my favourite boutiques here are the funky Tracy Feith on Mulberry Street and vintage joint Resurrection on Mott Street.
You are probably exhausted and starving by now, so how about some dinner? Nobu (www.noburestaurants.com), on Hudson Street, is world famous for its inventive Japanese cuisine. This place is insanely popular, so book before you get here. Nobu is co-owned by Robert De Niro, who also owns another lower Manhattan hotspot, Tribeca Grill (www.tribecagrill.com) on Greenwich Street. The latter boasts one of the most impressive wine lists in the city.
If your legs still work, follow me to our final stop. There is no better way to finish a hard day's shopping than a night chilling to the mellow sounds of live contemporary jazz with a glass of Californian Pinot Noir. And since we're still in lower Manhattan, I recommend the Knitting Factory (www.knittingfactory.com) on Leonard Street, between Broadway and Church Street.
A toast: to smart people who know better but go ahead and spend a small fortune on a pair of sandals anyway.
How to get there: There is a range of daily non-stop flights available from Manchester to New York. Visit www.manchesterairport.co.uk to book.