We booked a last minute flight to New York for our Christmas shopping largely because we could. We had been given some money at Thanksgiving, and we both had a week s vacation owing to us. We literally ran out of the terminal, caught one of the iconic yellow cabs downtown, checked in and then headed straight out. We went straight to Times Square, and managed to find some really cute (if not too cheap!) stores, including some great toys at F.A.O. Schwarz. That store is incredible, especially around Christmas time, when a lot of effort has been made with the decorations, and it s absolutely packed with children and families having a great time.
We had been put on to the string of second hand shops that line upper Broadway by a friend, and we were not disappointed. There are dozens, selling everything from maps to clothes and everything in between. My favourite was this tiny bookstore, on a second floor above a pizza restaurant, which had the most incredible collection of early hardback editions. I managed to pick up the 4th edition of Black Beauty for less than $100. Our Christmas shopping trip was put on hold as we traveled up and down this fantastic set of shops looking for presents for ourselves.
