After Shopping: Points of Interest and Dining Near the Big New York Department Stores

Shopping in New York is a major reason many visitors come to New York City, and it's not for the faint of heart. Making the rounds of several stores, especially the well-known large department stores, can seem like an athletic event and requires endurance and fortitude. After browsing or shopping, patience can become short. The feet grow tired. Arm muscles grow weary holding shopping bags. Companions and family begin to bicker over what to do next.

It's time for a long break. This post is designed to help shoppers at the big New York department stores find pleasant places to sit down and eat. Resting in a nearby park can also provide a healthy balance to the vigorous consumerism. Finding a barstool may also work for some.

Lexington Avenue between 59th and 60th Street, night.

The map at the bottom of the post includes a list of major NYC department stores and suggested places to visit and to eat and drink nearby.

• Century 21 (22 Cortland Street between Broadway and Church), a large discount store in Lower Manhattan, happens to be near Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, St. Paul's Churchyard, and Zuccotti Park. Believe me, if you've been shopping at Century 21 and then want to sit down in Zuccotti Park to lend a little solidarity to Occupy Wall Street, you will not be the first to do so.

Lord &Taylor

• Macy's. (34th Street, Herald Square) The store is vast and seemingly endless, but several pedestrian plazas nearby as well as Greeley Square provide a good place to rest. In the Garment District, try Ben's Kosher Deli for a feeling of an older New York. Later in the day, wander over to the Mé Bar at the top of La Quinta for an extraordinary terrace view of the Empire State Building.

• Lord & Taylor (424 Fifth Avenue) is just two blocks south of Bryant Park, making the park an excellent place to visit. To combine shopping and sightseeing, check out the renovated New York Public Library.

• Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Avenue) especially during the holidays, seems ideally placed in the middle of a bustling tourist district. One convenient place to sit down is a pew in St. Patricks Cathedral. Rockefeller Center, and all that entails, is across the street. For a great burger and old-fashioned diner experience, check out Primeburger. Find Paley Park, one of the most successful "pocket parks" in the city, for a restorative break from the bustling midtown sidewalks.

Bergdorf Goodman

• Bergdorf Goodman sits at an elegant intersection of Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. After shopping, pick up a lunch to go at The Plaza Hotel's Food Court, walk across to street to Central Park, and find a park bench near The Pond.

• Barneys on Madison Avenue also provides easy access to the park, but also consider lunch at Viand, a popular diner among locals. Other good options include Rouge Tomate, Geisha, and The Post House.

• Bloomingdale's, a large store that stretches a whole block from 59th to 60th between Lexington and 3rd, can also provide a transition into quieter sections of the city on the east side. For a complete adventure package, walk over to Tramway Plaza and ride the tram over to Roosevelt Island. Find a bench, put down the shopping bags, and marvel at the Manhattan skyline.

Consult the map below for more ideas.


View Attractions and Dining Near New York Department Stores in a larger map

Read also the post, Flagships of New York: A Self-Guided Walk to New York's Department Stores.

Images by Walking Off the Big Apple.