Shopping near the Empire State Building

The iconic open-air Chelsea flea, brought back from the dead by the team behind  Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea, showcases 40 veteran vendors selling mostly historic collectibles. If you love eclectic costume jewelry, quirky furniture, midcentury art and ceramics, records, antiques and art, and more, you’ll spend hours combing for treasure here. Plus, you'll now be able to grab a rewarding snack on the way out from various Smorgasburg food vendors that will soon be revealed. 

Everything you need to know about visiting Chelsea Market (75 Ninth Ave, New York, NY 10011). The former home of the National Biscuit Company is a hot spot for foodies and shopping addicts. Primarily known for its wide-range of eateries, Chelsea Market is hands-down one of New York’s most notable food halls boasting more than 35 vendors. Whether you’ve got a hankering for a steaming-hot cup of lobster bisque, perfectly aged cheese or a strong and smooth shot of espresso, Chelsea Market has you covered. Aside from finger-lickin’ fare and sweet merchandise, the attraction offers historical charms such as the market’s iconic fountain, which was crafted using discarded drill bits and exposed pipe from the former Nabisco factory.   The grub: Mexican food lovers, rejoice! Chelsea Market is home to one of the best taco joints in the city: Los Tacos No.1. Next time you’re craving crepes, hit Bar Suzette for its French onion soup-inspired creation or opt for a sweet, Nutella and fruit-filled pancake. Seafood worshippers will go nuts inside The Lobster Place—a wholesale and retail fish market, which serves fresh and prepared meals like lobster roll and sushi. When you need to oblige your sweet tooth, hit the pint-sized Doughnuttery stand for mouth-watering bite-sized desserts. (You can watch the doughnuts come fresh off the conveyor belt and choose your own toppings.) The market also reps great restaurants like a rustic, classy spot called The Tippler.   The shops: Chelsea Market is a

Since opening in Soho in 1993, Ina Bernstein’s minichain of designer consignment shops has expanded to six locations throughout NYC, including spots on the Upper East Side, in Nolita, Noho and now Chelsea. The spacious store is painted stark white to let the covetable preworn pieces—including Prada wool coats ($375–$625), a pair of Miu Miu leather boots ($250) and a Louis Vuitton leather mini logo purse ($595)—stand out on its well-edited racks and organized shelves. If you’re saddled with name-brand threads, make an appointment to unload your gently worn castoffs for up to 40 percent of the overall resale value. Keep an eye out for INA’s own eponymous house label of unisex basics that complement the higher-end merchandise, such as comfy cashmere beanies ($90), arm socks ($85) and fingerless gloves ($75).

This flower shop in the heart of the Flower District has many blooms to choose from at affordable prices. Some of the best sellers start at just $50, while some of the more expensive bouquets are still on the cheaper side at $70. This shop has different kinds of flowers for all different types of occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and dates in NYC.

There’s a rotating mix of astoundingly well-preserved designer and nonvintage clothing here, as well as one-of-a-kind housewares, shoes and accessories. We’ve found vintage Yves Saint Laurent blouses for $12, striped skinny ties for $6 and a pair of classic Salvatore Ferragamo pumps with bows on them for $10. Pretty much everything is a find, but you still get that thrill-of-the-hunt feeling.

Right by Rockefeller Center, this posh Fifth Avenue department store is the place to go to for high-end retail and international luxury brands. Along with browsing through houseware, clothes and accessories, linger at in-store designer boutiques like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, its mecca shoe department or the beauty counter.

It's cool to donate your old duds and furniture to Housing Works, so the shelter-oriented charity's thrift stores are among the city's best. The prices aren't the lowest, but the stock is quality. If you're lucky, you can score designer pieces (in clothes and furnishings) you'd never be able to afford new. You just have to do a little rummaging.

This massive food and drink complex from Oscar Farinetti is the largest Italian market in the world. The New York flagship takes inspiration from the first Eataly location, which opened in Torino, Italy, in 2007. The Eataly NYC Flatiron location sprawls 48,000-square-feet and is a maze of awe-inspiring aisle after aisle filled with hard-to-find, high-quality Italian produce and products, fresh counters, cafés and restaurants. It's a chance for New Yorkers to educate their tastebuds on the nuances of Italy's 20 regions.

Vogue photographs featuring the store’s antique garb line the walls at this living-history reservoir, where everything from 19th-century walking suits to neon Vivienne Westwood platforms is neatly arranged by era. Here you can rent a Chanel quilted suit ($1,025) or a Missoni knit dress ($895) for a fraction of the purchase price. Walk-ins are welcome, but it’s worth calling ahead to peruse the appointment-only upstairs area. There you’ll find a priceless ostrich-hemmed 1920s gold lamé gown by designer Charles Frederick Worth, a 1960s chain-link Paco Rabanne vest and Josephine Baker’s rhinestone-encrusted 1920s bra (recently rented by Lady Gaga). Pricing depends on the item and length of rental; there is a minimum fee of $200.

The long-running New York institution’s flagship store, Academy Records and CDs—next door to the tiny niche where it originated back in ’77—boasts the city’s best selection of used classical CDs and LPs, plus an impressive array of rock and jazz discs. (The store is connected in name to NYC's other two Academy Record locations, though those spots focus mainly on vinyl). Approachable help and knowledgeable buyers add to the overall experience. Plan to spend time—and money—at both locations.