The best summer shopping in NYC

After a successful launch last summer, this Queens market returned to Long Island City earlier this month. The flea (the largest in the borough) hosts more than 85 vendors selling food, jewelry, clothing, furniture and more in an empty parking lot not far from the iconic PEPSI-COLA sign. New this year: There are plans to sell booze, so shop wisely.

Trivia time: This pretty, tree-lined Lower East Side bazaar is located on the grounds of what was NYC's largest pushcart market in the early 1900s. Today, the Hester Street Fair packs in shoppers every weekend with a killer combination of curated vintage wares-retro jewelry, antique decor and old-fashioned hats. Look for surprising booths, like Compass Yoga, where you can get an assessment of your posture.

The popular Williamsburg Flea left East River State Park last year and opened in a new home on Sunday May 4. This location in the 'hood features 150 vendors with a variety of goods that range from deals (vintage locket earrings by Sharon London, $12) to splurges (aprons from Hartford Denim Co., $100).

This Herald Square location will be largest Urban Outfitters outpost in the world when it opens in June 2014. The three-story "lifestyle" store will house the usual Urban products, as well as a coffee bar, hair salon and more.

Birchbox, the online beauty and grooming sample service, is set to open a Soho store IRL in July. The permanent outpost will stock more than 2,00 products, as well as a B.Y.O.B. ("build your own Birchbox") area where customers can fill a box full of goodies for $15 each. And since the company is all about samples, you'll find plenty of product testing stations throughout the store.

Mallrats rejoice: When the Mall at Bay Plaza opens in the Bronx in August 2014, it'll be the first enclosed anchored fashion mall in New York City in almost 40 years. The state-of-the-art mall is anchored by JC Penney and Macy's, with more tenants being announced soon.