apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i haven't lived in the city for 8 yrs but one of the things i do when i go "home" is get myself to canal st and just walk. there are so many interesting shops/people--i usually hop on the N to the canal stop but there are many different ways to get there. (dont limit yourself to just canal--snake your way through the side streets too)

i have always found that the most interesting things in nyc are the ones you stumble on.

the summer is the best time to do this!!!

walking the brooklyn bridge is pretty great

take the free staten island ferry--you'll get the best view of the statue of liberty (if you do it at night you will also get a wonderful skyline view of the city)

My favorite store by far is ABC Carpet and Home...I could spend hours there.

Pearl River is a fun Asian store to check out.
This is their website with the store address and directions:
http://www.pearlriver.com/v2/index.html

Metro Mini's on the Upper East Side if you have a small child to shop for--slings, natural crunchy toys, cloth diapers, etc.

Strand bookstore has a kids department which is sometimes fun.

There's the Unoppressive-non-imperialist Bookstore (http://www.yelp.com/biz/unoppressive-non-imperialist-bargain-books-new-york) which is in my area. You can get coffee or beer (depending on time of day) at Grey Dog Cafe across the street and peruse what you've bought. If you miss the sound of child voices, our favorite playground in the city is Carmine Street Playground is right next door to the bookstore too.

If you're in the West Village anyway, Pumpkin is a cute little unique kids shop on Bleeker just past Christopher Street.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Time Out Kids--it lists lots of events, plus tons of restaurant and store recommendations for parents and children. It sounds like you might be traveling without kids, since it's for work--in that case, get a copy of Time Out New York (ie, for adults), which is pretty comprehensive.

I'll second the Brooklyn Bridge recommendation! My favorite way to do it (day or evening) is to start in Manhattan for dim sum in Chinatown, then walk across the bridge and finish with ice cream at Fulton Ferry, looking at the view. You won't regret the outer-borough detour! Have fun!

I'm new to the city, but I really like Books of Wonder. It's a pretty large children's book store that has lots of good stuff (http://www.booksofwonder.com/nycstorelocandhours.asp) and a few blocks away is a pretty good toy store called Kidding Around (it's on West 15th St). Those make a good trip, and there's lots of shops in that area I would love to check out if I were there without the little ones!

Oh, if you're going to Chinatown, Pearl Paint is supposed to be amazing, though I haven't had the chance to check that out yet. Hope you have a good trip!

I love Giggle. There is one in the upper east side (Lex. & 74th) and one in Soho (Wooster b/w Prince & Spring). It's a really fun store with so much great stuff and they even have storytime once a day.

Oops. I meant once a week :)