You already walked to Times Square and took a selfie. You've already bought your ticket to a Broadway show. You've already climbed the Empire State. You walked into the M&M store or the Lego Store in Rockefeller Center. You visited MoMa, the Met, the American Museum of Natural History. You walked through Central Park and took a ride on the carousel. You got on and off the hop on hop off as many times as you wanted on the Downtown and Uptown circuits. You crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. You sailed the Hudson River. You toured Queens, Harlem or Staten Island. You saw the Statue of Liberty up close and entered the Ellis Island Immigrant Museum. You dined at Carnegie Deli (hurry up, it closes on December 31) and at Stardust Diner, as your friend suggested.

New York districts with their own identity

And now you want to go shopping. Okay. The truth is that in the city of the United States, you can make purchases on almost every block, at any time, unlimitedly – ​​or as long as your credit card gives – and end up exhausted, happy and loaded with bags. The big brands have their space here and you can find from a Best Buy for electronics on Fifth Avenue, almost almost in front of the Public Library (the Library), as well as the giant stores of H&M, Century 21 and Forever 21, for which They look for clothes. Iconic toy stores like FAO Schwartz and the Times Square branch of Toys R Us are gone, but you can still find trinkets at the Disney Store.

However, those who are thinking of shopping with capital letters, without going crazy walking from here to there, can consider escaping the city for a few hours and choosing one of the malls on the outskirts, such as The Mills at Jersey Gardens, in New Jersey. , or Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, in Central Valley, in the state of New York. It is the option of concentrating the consumer impulse in a single moment, a single place.

Both complexes belong to the Simon group –which manages regional Simon Malls, The Mills and Premium Outlets–, owner of 5 of the 10 largest malls in the world.

bags ready

We are at the Port Authority bus terminal and there is already a line of people waiting to get on the buses that go non-stop to the shopping centers: among those waiting, there is a lot of anxiety and several have empty suitcases that they plan to carry with them. .

“The Woodbury Common Premium Outlets shopping spree is one of the most requested, most popular tours in Manhattan. The competition to go one day to Woodbury or The Mills is in the great tourist attractions of New York. They don't compete with the shops on the streets of New York”, explains Ellie Perla, an expert in the field and a guide for a few hours in this consumerist adventure. Nor do they compete with online purchases: if you go to the mall you can try on clothes and find offers that are not found in other places or platforms.

New York, from bridge to bridge

The Mills at Jersey Gardens – more than 200 stores under one roof with another 80 planned, plus restaurants and entertainment – ​​is close to the Newark airport. "Being indoors" is not minor in this area: in summer it is very hot and shopping with air conditioning is a relief. And for the winter, heated corridors.

You can leave from the Port Authority bus terminal –buses 111 and 115 depart from here– and pay US$14 for the round trip ticket (there are organized shopping tours, but they cost US$40 to US$50). .

This shopping center has a very attractive mix of stores: fine brand outlets (such as Hugo Boss); stores with accessible prices (such as Charlotte Ruse); and popular brand stores (fast fashion, H&M type). The most attractive? New Jersey is a state where clothing and shoes are tax-exempt.

Just go to the mall directory to get an idea of ​​the stores: Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Century 21, Marshalls, Michael Kors, True Religion, Nautica, Kenneth Cole, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger –they say that here is the largest store in the entire US–, Puma and Coach, among others. Attention: bring a passport to obtain the voucher with the discounts at the customer service center.

Another day, another story, another landscape. Getting to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets – there are also outlets from the Port Authority – involves a slightly longer trip, between green hills that contrast with the building intensity of Manhattan.

“This shopping center has the most exclusive selection of fine brand outlet stores in the world, offers daily discounts from 25% to 65% on all merchandise and sells selections of fashion / brands of the current season”, details Ellie Perla .

Here you find everything from Armani Outlet, Banana Republic Factory Store, Burberry and Christian Dior to Dolce & Gabbana, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Balenciaga, Carolina Herrera, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada, Fendi, Givenchy, Godiva chocolates, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, L' Occitane or Prada and Versace, among the more than 220 stores (and it is in full expansion). Every high-end brand has its outlet in Woodbury. And here it is worth a clarification: outlet does not mean that they sell you failed clothes, but that it is from another season.

We enter Armani which advertises a 70 percent discount on some marked clothing. There are $1,600 bags, and $150 samples of various garments on a rack by the entrance. Unlike The Mills, Woodbury is an open-air mall, something to consider in the height of summer and in middle of winter.

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— Deep Patel Fri Apr 09 22:27:23 +0000 2021

Ready, Set, Go!

So that shopping is a pleasure and the investment of hours has a positive result, it is important to follow certain tips.

The most common mistakes are not planning ahead, not trying on clothes – you waste time with returns or you can't make them – and accepting orders that are difficult to solve. Ellie Perla is direct in this regard. The "I go and see what I find" does not work. It is important to prepare and carry a list with what you want to buy, stop to study the map of the shopping center to organize the route and do not forget the discount coupons: they can be printed from the web or, depending on the case, at the Service Center The Client can obtain a discount booklet.

The 130 years of the Statue of Liberty and some curious facts

"Latinos spend an entire day shopping and need another day," says Ellie, adding: "It is calculated that you need an average of 45 minutes in each store."

And without turning around she wields her advice:

1) Do not buy for others because you get frustrated.

2) Buy not cheap, but what you like.

3) If you buy out of necessity, let it be because it is much more expensive at home.

4) Set the amount of money you're willing to spend... and try to stick to it.

5) Dress according to the local climate and in two pieces: it will make trying on clothes easier. Also wear comfortable shoes and a crossbody bag that frees your hands to check coat racks.

6) Start the tour of the store from the back to the front since the items with the greatest discounts are usually located at the bottom.

7) If there is time, choose –and enter– two or three stores of brands that you do not know: some you may not like, but others may surprise you.

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