Shopping in the Big Apple, SPEAK UP

Language leve: Basic

Source: Speak Up
Standard: American Accent

Shopping in the Big Apple

Today New York City is a paradise for shoppers: the dollar is at an all-time low and a return flight to JKF costs little. So let’s take a tour of the Big Apple’js best shops and sights, and discover a few secrets along the way. First, visitors can safely use New York’s excellent bus and subway services to get around the city: 1-day Fun Pass costs $7,00 from any MetroCard vending machine.

LUXURY GOODS

Now let’s head for Fifth Avenue and famous department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Tiffany’s, the legendary jewellers.

Can’t afford anything in these exclusive stores? Go to the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman and enjoy a coffee, then try Bloomingdale’s on Third Avenue, where the prices are more reasonable. Next, fight the crowds in discount emporium Century 21, New York’s best-kept secret, for that incredible designer bargain. If high prices aren’t a problem, then go to the exclusive Trump Tower mall or the gigantic Macy’s –but get an 11 per cent discount card at the Visitors Center anyway.

DOWNTOWN

Do you prefer smaller shops? SoHo’s cobble-stoned streets and the NoLita district offer designer boutiques and the chance to do some serious star spotting. Don’t miss SoHo’s Apple Store, with its stunning glass staircase and translucent walkway, where you can play with all the gadgets and join a quiz at the upstairs Genius Bar.

Greenwich Village is the place to go for shoes, or play a game of chess against a master at the Village Chess Shop, then spend the evening at one of the Village’s trendy clubs. Finally, one last shopping stop: go to the Chelsea Flea Market for an amazing range of antiques, jewelry and T-shirt –this is the one place in New York where it pays to haggle over prices. Good hunting!

Other Attractions and Opportunities (no audio)

First-time visitors must take the Staten Island Ferry –it’s free, so be prepared for queues. The ferry takes you to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island (where a visit to the Immigration Museum is a must: check out your family name to visit your US immigrant ancestors), and Staten Island itself, with its botanical gardens and museums.

See New York’s famous panorama from either the Empire State Building or the Rock’s spectacular observation decks –buy tickets in advance at the Rockefeller Centre lobby to avoid queues. New York is synonymous with Broadway, so a show is a “must” for everyone. You can find last-minute half-price tickets and TKTS kiosk in Duff Square –payment is only in cash or travellers’ cheques. Lazy shoppers can take a day trip to Woodbury Common: a 220-shop city, where they’ll find discount prices for all the major designer brands, from Jimmy Choo’s to Timberland and Gap.