From the sparkling
Toy's 'R Us to Popcorn, Indiana, Times Square has something
to offer shoppers of all kinds. Part of the fun of shopping
in Times Square is the way your favorite stores are represented
in a completely different way, often with flashing lights
and crazy floor plans that make shopping a true experience.
Forty Second Street hosts a cornucopia of stores, many with stock that you won't
find in their smaller retail outlets. There's the Hello Kitty store for your
Japanese icon fix; Skechers for hip footwear; Swatch (with its self-named "Jelly
Fish design"); and an absolute must visit for baseball fans -- the New York Yankees
store.
Many of the stores that accompany the attractions in Time Square often have one-of-a-kind
merchandise. The ESPN Zone's sports store on 42nd Street and 7th Avenue has infant
rompers emblazoned with "I watch ESPN with my Daddy". The MTV store beneath the
TRL studio on the corner of Broadway and 45th Streets has everything from school
notebooks to Spring Break t-shirts. Across Broadway, Planet Hollywood offers
its own set of movie memorabilia to gaze at and its store has exclusive Times
Square Planet Hollywood clothing and accessories. The CBS store next to the Ed
Sullivan Theatre on 53rd and Broadway has mugs, sweatshirts and posters of the
gap-toothed, late night comic, David Letterman.
The Virgin Megastore on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets lives up to its
boast of "world's largest entertainment store". Even if you can't find something
to buy amongst everything from the latest pop offerings to eclectic European
titles, you'll at least get to watch and listen for free with the store’s
more than 600 listening posts and 100 video viewing stations.
If you're looking for harder to find items, try Colony at 49th
and Broadway. This classic music store is known for its extensive
collection of karaoke and sheet music. The store also has music
and movie collectibles. Look out for the original Rolling Stones
sneakers from the 1960's and Monkees lunchboxes.
About every three steps through Times Square you'll encounter the myriad souvenir
stores. With snow globes of the Statue of Liberty to FDNY caps, these stores
carry mostly identical stock of every possible New York trinket. Don't forget
the dozens of street vendors, crowded along the square, selling everything from
cell phone accessories to kitschy Americana.
If you're at Times Square on the weekend, venture down to the Hell's Kitchen
Flea Market on 39 th, between 9th and 10th Avenues, for a completely different
shopping experience. It's a must visit for bargain hunters and antique collectors. |
