You don't need any help shopping in this city if all you want to do is spend — you can empty your wallet in a New York minute. But if you want something more than the relentless repetition of global and national brands you will need inside knowledge. Here it is ...
MoMA Design Store
This interesting outpost of the MoMA design store uptown is ideal for those who love great modern design but prefer shops to galleries. A great source of gifts ... more
Le Labo
Interested in perfume and want to find a midway point between mainstream marketing exercises and wildly expensive Parisian bespoke scents? Try Le Labo ... more
Pippin Vintage Jewelry
It's all Tiffany lamps and glass showcases inside the long, tall store, inviting a thorough exploration of the enticing vintage pieces, including brooches and cufflinks ... more
12th Street Books
Lots of specialist second-hand bookshops put effort into interior design. Not this one. You don't need to with a selection this thoughtful and staff this well informed ... more
Sur La Table
Kitchen- and table-ware junkies be warned: this will cause consumption arousal. It's run by and for people who eat, breathe and sleep food and entertaining ... more
CITY LIT: LOS ANGELES: Noir fiction casts a long shadow ... 
