Vintage shopping in New York :)

[maisie]

Hi all,

Going to New York for the weekend and would love some tips for great places to do some vintage shopping. Vintage shops, flea markets or any other recommendations would be great !
I have been before, a few years back, and loved the flea markets i went to whilst i was over there, so would love to do the same!

Thanks!!!

 

[KittyT]

Have you checked the OB or the Steam Trunk? I'd be surprised if there wasn't a thread in there somewhere already.

As a side note, don't expect anything to be affordable. From what I've heard, vintage in NY is way WAY overpriced.

 

[Caroline]

I always had good luck at the weekend fleas around west 28th St. No real address you just bumble around til you find it - there are/were brick andmortar antique stores too in the general area. Something is telling me that there may have been a temporary hold on the fleas due to some sort of construction. Maybe dig around online to make sure it's running. Got some good records, baby clothes and housewares. They had very down-to-earth prices as well. Good luck and be sure to post pictures of your finds in the FL!

 

[maisie]

I have had a quick look, but there is nothing recent showing good places to shop . Yep, i'm sure things will be on the pricey side, but hopefully I can find a few bargins! After all I don't think prices could be much worse than what they charge over here, and especially up in London :O!!

Thanks

 

[Feraud]

The west side flea markets are mostly gone now. Whatever is left is a shadow of it's former glory.
Maisie, I pm'd you a few choice spots in NYC. Vintage shopping in the city is expensive but quality pieces are a bargain compared to modern offerings.
The exchange rate favors the pound right now.
Good luck.

 

[Kate O Potato]

I'm resurrecting this thread as I'm heading off to NY in 3 weeks... does anyone have any new recommendations for vintage or repro shopping in NY, or just fun places to visit for a lass stuck in the past? Thanks x

 

[Miss Golightly]

I made the mistake of just going to the vintage shops set out in The Lonely Planet guide and they were such a disappointment so I would recommend you avoid them at all costs! In fact, I have never bought vintage on any of my trips to NYC but I'm sure there are some amazing shops/markets
that some Loungers must know of - sorry I can't be of any more help to you.

As for great places to visit I was advised to visit The Cambell Apartment for drinks which was superb, also check out the famous bar at The Algonquin for some great cocktails and if you want to go somewhere wonderful for dinner do check out "21". Tomasso had these recommendations for me for my last visit to NY - http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?11504-What-Golden-Era-hotel-have-you-stayed-in/page16

Have a brilliant time Kate & happy shopping!

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

The Family Jewels near the Chelsea neighborhood http://www.familyjewelsnyc.com/, I don't really buy vintage clothing, only hats, so when I'm in town I drop in to look at their selection of hats. I think you'll like it because they have a large variety of clothing from different eras. I remember the prices being fairly reasonable.

 

[skyvue]

Kate, here's a note I wrote to someone on another board recently after he'd asked for some tips for visiting NYC. My advice naturally had a vintage slant to it (I have no idea if that appealed to him or not):

The first thing I might mention, given that you have an interest in history, is the Tenement Museum -- http://www.tenement.org. It's a tenement on the Lower East Side that was boarded up from the 19th century until well into the 20th century, so it's a sort of time capsule. They have guided tours of the building that, as they say on their website, "recreate immigrant life in the 19th and 20th centuries."

Everyone I've ever sent there has really enjoyed it.

I love classic eateries, spots that have been there for decades, and here are a few:

Eisenberg's, a sandwich shop/luncheonette on Fifth Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Streets, just across from the Flatiron Building (which you'll want to see). It opened in 1929 and looks pretty much as it did the day it opened. Open for breakfast and lunch and possibly dinner (it seems to still be open these days when I walk past it on my way home from work at 6:30 or so, but that's a relatively recent developement).

21. It's pricey but if you feel like splurging a little, this spot has such great history to it. If you're going to go there, rent The Sweet Smell of Success before you get here -- much of that classic NYC movie was filmed at 21.

Bemelmens Bar at the Hotel Carlyle. A must-see if you want a sense of old NYC. It's been there since the 1930s and is little changed. It's named after Ludwig Bemelmans, the artist who illustrated the Madeline children's books. He painted murals throughout the room in return for a year's free rent at the hotel, and it's just a classic space. It's pricey (drinks from $15 to $20), but my wife and I get there at least once a year (and we are not made of money, believe me). There's always a pianist (or a trio) playing standards and the mood is just unbeatable, if you want a bit of old-fashioned casual elegance. Go early and leave early to avoid the $20 cover charge (it kicks in at 9pm, so you'll have plenty of time). Even if you just have one drink, it's worth experiencing the place. You'll feel like you stepped back in time. And across the hall is Cafe Carlyle, which is even pricier. They have cabaret style shows (Woody Allen plays jazz there every Monday), but I'm not sure if they have shows in the summer. You could check, if that's of interest.

Sardi's is a classic spot in the theatre district; it's the spot famous for the caricatures of famous performers on the walls; it's been there since the 1920s. I'm not sure how good the food is, but there's a bar upstairs that is great for a late drink after you take in a Broadway play. We always take out-of-town friends there, and they always enjoy it. http://sardis.com/

For pizza, head downtown. You can't go wrong with any of three classic spots, each of which has a long history:

John's of Bleecker Street (since 1929) -- http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/
Arturo's -- http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/arturos/
Lombardi's -- http://www.firstpizza.com/

A few classic spots to get a drink (all downtown):
McSorley's Old Ale House (since 1854) -- http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/
P. J. Clarke's (since 1884, and one of Sinatra's haunts) -- http://pjclarkes.com/
Old Town Bar (since 1892) -- http://www.oldtownbar.com/
Pete's Tavern (since 1864; allegedly where O. Henry wrote Gift of the Magii) -- http://www.petestavern.com/
White Horse Tavern (since 1880) -- http://www.newyorkontap.com/reviews2show.asp?show=120

You can take tours of Grand Central Station, Radio City Music Hall, and Carnegie Hall, any of which would be worth doing, I think (I've done none of them, I'm embarrassed to admit). Definitely check out the Empire State Building (the lines to go to the top can be daunting; you'd be better off at Top of the Rock -- http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/) and the Chrysler Building, two classic Art Deco skyscrapers. Be sure to step in and admire the lobbies of each.

And though it's not vintage, I would also recommend you stroll the High Line. It's a new park that was constructed on an abandoned elevated rail line that used to carry freight up and down the west side of Manhattan. The line was slated to be torn down, but some people got together to pursue the idea of turning it into a park, and, after years of effort, they succeeded. It's a one of a kind park and makes for a great stroll (and you get interesting views of the city from "up there"). It's free, of course, and you can stroll the whole thing or any part of it. It goes roughly along Tenth Avenue from 30th Street to the Village (a few blocks below 14th Street). It's open till 10pm (perhaps even 11pm) and really is a delight. http://www.thehighline.org/

 

[Kate O Potato]

Thank you everyone for detailed responses - you are really too kind!

As for great places to visit I was advised to visit The Cambell Apartment for drinks which was superb

As a massive cocktail fan, this has been on my to-do list for a good few years

 

[MissMittens]

There used to be a place called Trash.........a lot of musicians used to go there. I don't recall the exact location

 

[MissMittens]

Found it

http://www.trashandvaudeville.com/trashandvaudeville.html

but looks like they're all punk and new now not vintage anymore

 

[Feraud]

Did Trash & Vaudeville ever stock vintage clothing? I don't recall that but could certainly be wrong. The 80s were a long time ago..

 

[MissMittens]

Did Trash & Vaudeville ever stock vintage clothing? I don't recall that but could certainly be wrong. The 80s were a long time ago..

They had a lot of 50's and 60's stuff once......doesn't look like they still do Looks like it's all "tripps" and brand-name punk/goth clothing now, instead of "grab this old shirt/dress and make it look punky"

 

[Feraud]

Ah o.k. I spent more time buying records at Sounds a few steps away than in T&V.

I miss the racks and racks of vintage clothing Canal Jeans used to have. The place was a vintage shopping Nirvana!

 

[flat-top]

During the swing revival T&V had tons of retro style clothes-- bowling style shirts, Western shirts, things with dice and flames etc. I think they still actually carry some of that. The shoe section downstairs was always fun because in the midst of all the punk and goth there were always high end British 1950's style shoes.