Ikea
This stuff won’t last forever, but then again, you only need it for a few years. Rent a car or take the bus to one of Ikea’s tristate stores (Elizabeth, NJ; Paramus, NJ; Hicksville, NY) and you can furnish the entire nursery in your chioce of styles—including the company’s signature Swedish look—for a few hundred bucks. They’ve got it all here: cribs, changing tables, storage bins, colorful bedding, wood blocks, lighting, animal-shaped rugs, tents and plush toys. When you’re exhausted from walking the maze-like floor, relax with a plate of those famous Swedish meatballs. For store locations, visit ikea.com.

Pottery Barn Kids
While it doesn’t offer the most cutting-edge design, Pottery Barn remains a favorite for its sturdily built, moderately priced classics, like sleigh-style cribs, Moses baskets, gingham bedding and old-fashioned quilts. Not sure where to keep all that baby gear? Check out the selection of storage baskets and shelves. We’re also partial to the decorative rugs, lights, picture frames and mobiles. 1311 Second Ave at 69th St (212-879-4746, potterybarnkids.com)

Splurge

Bellini
This is the go-to store for Upper East Side princes and princesses—and surely where Sex and the City’s Charlotte would have shopped for her daughter’s room. Perfectly put-together ensembles of custom bedding and well-crafted furniture (from cradles to trundle beds) create nurseries worthy of a Town & Country layout. 1305 Second Ave between 68th and 69th Sts (212-517-9233, bellini.com)

Calypso Enfant
Brightly colored Calypso stores are blooming like spring flowers all across the city. This branch carries high-end baby furniture from modern designers Nurseryworks, Oeuf and Argington. 407 Broome St at Lafayette St (212-941-9700, calypso-celle.com)

City Cricket
This tiny store on Hudson Street is known for its eye-catching kids’ chairs. The handmade, one-of-a-kind Adirondack and club chairs (both custom and antique) are reminiscent of something you’d uncover in Grandma’s attic—if Grandma had excellent taste, that is. Heirloom-quality quilts are also worth looking at. 555 Hudson St at Perry St (212-242-2258, citycricket.com)

Kids Supply Company
Winner of the 2007 Time Out Kids NYC Parents Award for “Best furniture store,” this UES design studio/retail shop specializes in top-quality furniture, from midcentury modern to Swedish country. You’ll find armoires, bunk beds, rugs and lamps. And if you’re clueless about where to put it all, for $250 (or no charge if your order tops $1,000) the designers will come to your home, assess the space—or lack thereof—and create a floor plan. 1343 Madison Ave between 94th and 95th Sts (212-426-1200, kidssupply.com)

Modern Tots
Housed in a former paper warehouse in Dumbo, this loftlike store is just the ticket for parents who want their kids’ room to be as forward-thinking as the rest of the apartment. (It’s like shopping in a peewee version of the MoMA gift shop.) All the cutting-edge furniture designers are represented, including Ducduc, NettoCollection and Iglooplay. 53 Pearl St between Plymouth and Water Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn (718-488-8293, moderntots.com)

Yoya
The West Village shop carries NettoCollection’s streamlined cribs and changing tables, plus gliders, rockers and chic toys that would look right at home in any übertrendy Meatpacking District eatery. 636 Hudson St at Horatio St (646-336-6844, yoyashop.com)