Come on, you know you want to shop!. Its getting chilly out there. Find that perfect grey sweater and leopard print boots. See what the fuss is all about with the new J + (Jil Sander) Kate Moss and Jimmy Choo lines hitting the mass market stores. Are they or are they not as cool as they sound?. Check it out on one of our NYC Soho & Nolita shopping tours with a Columbus Day savings of 15% on each ticket. Max of 4 tickets per purchase. Go to: www.shopgotham.com. discount Code:   Colum09

OR… explore the uber-cool, off-limits to the public Wholesalers on the Garment Center “Insider” shopping  tour.

15% is only good for tours taking place:

Oct 4- Oct 11. Hurry up and get shopping.

The visitors are leaving NYC, soon to return again. In the meantime, enjoy a 1st and last time Shop Gotham shopping tour special discount. 25% off tickets for any Regularly scheduled tour tours for the remainder of Sept. Max: 2 tickets per buyers. www.shopgotham.com. discount code: Sept09. See ya on the streets!

You keep reading about all those top name designers, such as Jil Sander and Jimmy Choo, who are now designing for the “cheap shops”? Or how Kate Moss and former Project Runway contestant have their own lines? What you don’t know is that only SOME stores will carry these goods, but Manhattan ones will get the booty first.

Each week on our Soho & Nolita shopping tour, we will seek out some of these “hot” items.  Come check it out with us!  www.shopgotham.com/daily-new-york-shopping-tours.php

Book a private Shop Gotham tour for your trip! Perfect for everything from Sweet Sixteens to Bachelorette Parties, you can’t go wrong with our exclusive all-day discounts, insider shopping tips, and guided access to NYC’s hippest neighborhoods. Book now!

Morning: Head downtown and grab some breakfast at some of Soho’s best–but affordable!–spots. Try the lovely Spring Street Natural Restaurant (62 Spring St., corner of Lafayette) for fresh, delicious options or grab some charming homemade goodies and coffee at Once Upon a Tart (135 Sullivan St.)

Late Morning: Your Soho/Nolita Shop Gotham tour kicks off nearby. For two hours you will have exclusive guided access to the area’s hottest shops–and you get to use your Shop Gotham insider discounts all day! Book here.

Afternoon/Evening: While Soho is renowned for its fabulous shopping finds, that certainly isn’t the only activity available in this NYC neighborhood! Head over to Lucky Strike (59 Grand, btwn Wooster & W. B’way), the city’s hottest bowling alley, frequented by celebs and locals seeking a good time alike–no reservations required. Great for groups, this spot also serves up yummy food throughout the day along with DJed music and a bar.

You can also check out “HERE,” a unique, cutting-edge art space producing comedies, dance shows, music pieces, and much, much more. If you’re interested in an unforgettable, authentically NY experience, view the event calendar here.

After all this exploration you’ll have certainly worked up an appetite. Here are a few great downtown suggestions:

• For casual Asian “comfort food” try Soho gem Mooncake Foods (28 Watts St., nr Thompson St.). This friendly spot offers super-affordable salads, sandwiches, and great snacks like wontons and chicken wings.
• For delicious Thai food in a stylish and unique setting, try Peep (177 Prince St.).  A very trendy dinner spot, Peep (pictured below) also offers amazing multi-course lunch deals for under $10!

• For fresh, reliable Mediterranean options, try Snack (105 Thompson St., nr Prince St.). This popular lunch spot has great sandwiches and salads, and if it’s hot out don’t miss their killer mint lemonade!

Be sure to book your Shop Gotham tour in advance and your tour guide will be happy to point you in the right direction toward any of these amazing NYC hotspots! Enjoy!

Shopping Tours for Specialty Groups

Happen to be Coming to NYC with a Student group in need of education and entertainment. Or a finicky Corporate Spouse group? Did you know that Shop Gotham hosts dozens of these type of programs each year, catering to the whims of young, discerning, and everything in-between. Let us give your peeps an insider shopping experience as only NYC can afford. Meet designers, shop like a VIP, enjoy discounts, special access and all kinds of other booty. For more info: http://www.shopgotham.com/custom-group-tours.php

3 More Reasons NYC Rocks

1) Almost All Shops are open on Sunday (exception: upper Madison avenue). We recommend taking our Soho & Nolita shopping tour at noon on Sunday. Wake up late. Take your tour. Follow it by a late leisurely lunch at a charming cafe in Soho or Nolita. Shop some more. Drag your bags home. Take a nap. A perfect sunday.

2)Cover bands at BBKings. Almost any musician you have ever loved is represented at BBkings by a “look-alike band”, who are often as good as the real deal. Typically $15. Civilized environment with food & bev.

3)Philharmonic in Central Park. True that about a zillion other people also show up to picnic under the stars. But there is always a patch of grass to snag and hey, its the NY Philarmonic for free!  July 17 2009.

Subscribe to Shop Gotham New York Shopping News:(1 issue per month) and we will send you our semi-annual NYC Resource List of the best fashion odds & ends (such as the VERY best stores for bras, special size shoes, plus size fashion) –www.shopgotham.com)

WHAT EXACTLY IS A SAMPLE SALE? Once upon a time, Sample Sales were the place to buy one-of-a kind items created by a designer for the purpose of selling his/her line each season to retailers. Some items never even went to production, making them oh-so-coveted. Typically these sample items were size 4-8, depending on what the designer determined as his/her “model” size.

Today (circa 2009) Sample Sales are synomous with OVERSTOCK – the goods left over after all the stores have made their purchases.  Which means that real people can shop these sales too, as ALL the sizes a designer produces can typically be found. Often, but not always, there are also those coveted sample pieces which were never produced (and sometimes past seasons’ items as well). Expect savings of 50-70% below retail.

WHY CAN WE BUY ITEMS “In Season” WHEN THEY ARE STILL IN THE STORES? The fashion industry sells their items 2 seasons ahead to the retailers.  When spring arrives (for instance) and you are ready to buy your wardrobe,  designers are busy selling their goods to the stores for the Fall.  Hence, if they have overstock, there is nowhere for it to go except to off-price stores, outlets and into the consumer’s hands directly via Sample Sales.  Although Sample Sales have become more and more abundant in recent years,(they are especially good in a failing economy) they are still frequented primarily by those who live and work in their respective areas, not the masses of shoppers. This is why the stores selling the same items at full price do not publicly object to their existence.

WHAT TO EXPECT? Some sample sales are truly amazing: abundant stock, well organized, ample dressing rooms and huge discounts. Some have none of these good qualities. Some will be designers with great name recognition and cache (in NYC this week one can find Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg and Lauren Moffet). Some for lesser known names, but for those” in-the-know”, these can offer the most unique and valuable finds.  These days, one can patch together a list online of  many sample sales (but certainly not all) .  But how does one vet out which sales are worthwhile? How to know if the sale restocks every day or if everything “good” will be gone after the 1st day.  What if you don’t know your way around NYC and its plethora of neighborhoods? This folks is one of the many reasons to take one of Shop Gotham’s shopping tours (forgive the blatant self-promotion). You are paying for our knowledge as well as an awfully good time.

check out: www. shopgotham.com to see what’s doing in the New York City shopping scene