Shopping near the Statue of Liberty

AKO store + design studio

• Price band: 3/4

Located in the South Street Seaport, artist and designer Andrea Katz's space doubles as a store and a studio. Full of edgy wares for both men and women, the spot are also offers avant-garde handbags and accessories.

Any Body's Custom Design Embroidery

• Price band: 1/4

Even though it’s tucked away on the second floor of the South Street Seaport mall—not exactly a destination frequented by NYC locals—this shop offers excellent, speedy service that could turn anyone into a monogram addict. Choose from a slew of designs—cowboys, sports team mascots, flowers—and

Artsee Eyewear

• Price band: 3/4

As evidenced by the way proprietors Oleg Rabinovich and Julio Santiago treat their inventory like objets d’art—only 100 or so frames ($375--$5,000) are displayed on illuminated shelves at a time—this well-curated space is for the serious sunglass collector. The stock changes every two months and

Bloom

• Price band: 3/4

Former fashion executive Kimberly Perrone opens the second location of her floral-design and home-decor shop (the original is on the Upper East Side). Head to the giant back counter for fresh flowers ($40–$685) that come direct from the grower, meaning they’ll last longer than your typical

Boomerang Toys

• Price band: 1/4

Owner and mom Karen Barwick equips her roomy downtown stores with the latest Uglydolls and Bruder trucks, as well as staples like Playmobil sets.

Bowne & Co. Stationers

• Price band: 2/4

This restored 19th-century print shop makes quirky, retro-chic designs with on-site vintage presses. Find original letterpress note cards ($4) and customized stationery. plus quirky gifts like Yellow Owl Workshop stamp sets depicting mod sea and landscape designs ($38).

Center for Hearing and Communication

Our ears take quite a beating in New York City: traffic, construction, iPods, the scream of subway wheels rounding a corner. Luckily, this group (formerly the League for the Hard of Hearing) is looking out for us; they offer a wide range of services for those with trouble hearing, along with

Century 21

• Price band: 2/4

A Gucci men’s suit for $300? A Marc Jacobs cashmere sweater for less than $200? Stella McCartney sunglasses for a scant $40? No, you’re not dreaming—you’re shopping at Century 21. You may have to rummage to unearth a treasure, but with savings from 25% to 75% off regular store prices, this is a