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1. Loehmann’s
The northern outlet of the Brooklyn-founded off-price retailer is small enough not to overwhelm bargain hunters, but it’s still a sweaty slog for discounted goods. Determined souls should drink plenty of water before embarking on the search for haute label gems from past seasons. 2101 Broadway at 73rd St (212-882-9990, loehmanns.com)
2. Barneys Co-op
The Co-op bills itself as “the wayward offspring of Barneys New York,” but it’s no rebel wild child. This uptown outpost’s reduced size keeps headaches and tourists to a minimum, and like the rest of the Barneys universe, the uptown Co-op stocks the likes of Christian Louboutin, Marc by Marc and Theory. While sales aren’t unheard of, don’t expect reduced prices to blow you away. 2151 Broadway between 75th and 76th Sts (646-335-0978, barneys.com)
3. Filene’s Basement
At the bargain palace’s West Side location, the dearth of crowds means you’re much less likely to see shoppers resorting to fisticuffs over discounted hoodies. It’s the calmest, if not friendliest, place in the city to find True Religion jeans for $130 or Prada sunglasses for under $100. 2222 Broadway at 79th St (212-873-8000, filenesbasement.com)
4. Westsider Rare and Used Books
For a neighborhood inhabited by literary and cultural types, the UWS south of Columbia has surprisingly few good comfy used bookstores with knowledgeable staff. Westsider tries to fill the void with a store that covers all the used-bookstore bases. It’s cozy, with floor-to-ceiling shelves, a stairway up to a lofty second floor and narrow spaces for biblio-treasure-hunting. You can get a first-edition copy of Lolita if you feel like shelling out $4,200, but treasures also come in cheaper packages—some vintage Nancy Drew (starting at $1) can turn a video game kid into a bookworm in seconds. 2246 Broadway between 80th and 81st Sts (212-362-0706, westsiderbooks.com)
5. Essentials Plus
In a city where a packed Duane Reade or an unstocked CVS can throw the most hardened urbanite into fits of tears, this innocuous drugstore is a godsend. The modest exterior hides a beauty store, salon, basic dry-goods store and second-floor toy store complete with play area. Where else can you pick up a decent $7 umbrella while you’re checking out Bert and Ernie puppets ($15 each) and about 70 billion different kinds of Thomas the Tank Engine pieces (starting at $7)? Anyone who doesn’t live in the area will be jealous of this neighborhood staple. 2259 Broadway at 81st St (212-724-4905)
6. Robot Village
If we’re to believe Terminator or Battlestar Galactica, robots are to be feared. But listen to the R2D2 blips and whirs outside this hobby shop and just try to imagine anything sinister here. Kits run from a manageable-enough mechanical giraffe ($20) to the Bioloid ($870), a system that comes complete with a behavior-control program . Okay, that last one is probably going to rule us all someday, but until then, a Robot Village party (starting at $40 per person to build a bot) deserves to become the fashionable soiree of choice. 252 W 81st St between Broadway and West End Ave (212-799-7626, robotvillage.com)Humanoid robot, $250
7. Laytner’s Linen and Home
Before there were big-box home furnishings stores, there was 45-year-old chain Laytner’s. It’s the perfect place to stock your home with staples like plain polyester standard pillows ($10) and score hostess gifts such as Votivo candles ($25). This manageable, small-scale depot also understands city living, as evidenced by the fact that their versions of Queen Anne or mission-style chairs ($95) can fold up to squeeze into a closet. 2270 Broadway between 81st and 82nd Sts (212-724-0180, laytners.com)Sierra twin quilt, $63
8. The Yarn Company
Nearly every inch of this second-floor cubbyhole is covered with something stitched or stitchable, with yarns ranging from $7 cotton workhorse to $50 cashmere balls better suited to petting than working with. Neophytes can sign up for lessons ($50 per hour, private) from owners Jordana Jacobs and Julie Carles, who’ll also whip up a custom beginner’s kit for less than $30. 2274 Broadway between 81st and 82nd Sts, second floor (212-787-7878, theyarnco.com)
9. Bluemercury
What if Sephora was a little smaller, a little prettier and offered facials ($90–$220)? Yeah, you’d probably blow your makeup allowance two times over. With brands such as Bobbi Brown and Fresh on offer and an impressive amount of makeup per square foot, this new skin- and body-care chain suffers only from overstaffing. Plan on being accosted—er, assisted—by at least a half dozen beauty assistants before you leave. Sure, they’re just there to help, but by the time you get to peruse the smooth and touchable Touch of Ivy cosmetic bags ($20–$30) near the back, you may start getting flashbacks to that last smothering relationship you had. 2305 Broadway between 83rd and 84th Sts (212-799-0500, bluemercury.com)Touch of Ivory makeup case, $21
