Shopping sprees in New York

There's never a better time to embark on a shopping spree in the Big Apple than in the summer. As one of the world's most exciting cities, New York offers glitzy entertainment 24/7, as well as options for shopping that look like they've come straight from paradise!

So where do you go for the best bargains? Most people associate shopping in New York almost exclusively with Manhattan and Fifth Avenue, areas which are often described as a ‘designer shopping nirvana'. But there are bargains to be had throughout the five boroughs of New York City, as well as in the malls of New Jersey, across the Hudson river.

If you want to shop exclusively in Manhattan then head to the island's self-billed “largest department store in the World”: Macy's, which you'll find in the shadow of the iconic Empire State Building on 34th Street. Shoppers can spend days trawling the nine floors of this immense store that takes up an entire city block and even boasts fast food restaurants within its walls - allowing you to refuel with minimum interruption to your retail therapy!

Whilst Macys offers cut-price designer essentials from brands such as Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and the like, Barneys on Madison Avenue is packed with Prada and other cutting-edge designer fashion, which gets less formal with each floor you ascend. Other notable stores include Bloomingdales on Broadway and Saks on Fifth Avenue.

But it's not just big stores where you'll find bargains. Take a trip south down Manhattan to the districts of Soho and Noho, where you'll find exciting and chic boutiques offering unique goods, as well as prestigious brands. Or, for a really alternative shopping experience head to New York Central Station at 42nd and Lexington for some amazing food shopping and arguably the best cheesecake in New York. Here in the corridors of the magnificently refurbished station you'll find local sellers offering everything from avocado to zucchini.

Of course, not even the most prolific of shoppers can spend all their time in the stores and New York offers great dining and entertainment options when you wish to take a break from your retail excesses. Striking skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and the aluminium-topped Chrysler Building are two of the city's most instantly recognisable landmarks, while no trip to New York could be complete without visits to Central Park and Times Square.

To enjoy the best shopping and the pick of the sights, be sure to choose a hotel in New York that is centrally located in mid-Manhattan, close to the entertainment area around West 42nd Street. From here, you'll be in easy walking distance of the best that New York has to offer.

Elisha Burberry is a freelance writer who loves her job and the occasional glass of red wine.