10 things to buy in New York

If you're travelling to New York, don't forget to buy some souvenirs for yourself or your loved ones before you return 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 Museum shop is like a magnet for shoppers. Whenever I walk down 53rd Street or through Soho, I always pop into the MoMA Design Store. I can spend hours browsing all 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 accessories to furniture, designer jewellery and even Vans trainers inspired by MoMA itself.

In short, all kinds of souvenirs for curious visitors 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 shops.

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If you're travelling 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 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-size balls that you can take home deflated 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, American 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 films and series have been shot in New York that the city has become a huge film 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 this topic, I recommend taking a film and TV series tour of the city during your trip to New York, as you'll discover lots of anecdotes and interesting facts that you may not have known about your favourite 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 favourite series. Mine is "Friends" from NBC, which, in case you didn't know, has a shop 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 in "Friends" used when they met 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 rings and caps from other NBC hit shows like Saturday Night Live, notepads, magnets and sweatshirts from The Office, Seinfeld and Law & Order, among many others.

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If you're looking to buy some original souvenirs from your trip to New York that are carefully designed and a cut above 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 jewellery 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, jewellery...

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In an increasingly globalised 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, jewellery, 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 neighbourhoods, 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 has been converted into a market, where the building's beautiful original industrial style with high ceilings and exposed brick walls has been preserved. You can also grab a bite to eat at the fast food stalls (sandwiches, noodles, tacos, sushi, pasta, doughnuts...) 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 surprising places, such as Fishs Eddys in the Flatiron neighbourhood, very close to Union Square and the Flatiron Building.

It's a beautiful country chic shop 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 American 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 these days. It has been open for so many decades that it boasts almost 30 kilometres 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 shop filled with carts with dozens of books at great prices. There's a bit of everything, so I recommend you take 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 goldmine for souvenirs. They have lots of quirky 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 beautiful and cool that you would buy everything without thinking twice? Kikkerland is one of those places. Since 1992, they have been manufacturing fun products for the home, toys, office gadgets and technology that aim to make their customers smile.

Kikkerland's designers have travelled all over the world to find inspiration and create each product with a fun aesthetic that gives your home or office décor an original and unique touch.

Kikkerland started out as a wholesale manufacturer of gift products, but they were so successful that they have now 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 sweets, but Economy Candy is unique for its variety and prices, which are not as high as in other shops.

Economy Candy has a very curious history. It started as a business specialising in repairing hats and shoes. However, the owners had a cart at the door of the shop where they also sold sweets. 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 shop.

Today, it is known as a candy paradise for New York's sweet tooth and is a must-see, especially if you are travelling with children. You'll be amazed! It is located in the Lower East Side neighbourhood and, despite its small size, it is crammed with products of all shapes, colours and flavours, 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, sweets, chewing gum and all kinds of treats you can imagine. As well as selling by weight, you'll also find original sweet tins and boxes of chocolates that are ideal as gifts.

At Economy Candy, I was struck by the section with jars of sweets from each decade. I thought it was a very original idea. There is even a table full of items for only $0.99. At that price, it will be very difficult 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 the 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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