Combo Tours - Teen/Recessionista Shopping and Vintage/Chic Boutique Shopping Tours

Last week's Teen/Recessionista Shopping Tour skipped all the showy flagships and headed straight for the bargains! From their hotel, the towncar took us straight downtown to Noho where we stopped at Necessary Clothing. The teen found a super cute pair of gladiator sandals for just $19.99.

Next door, at Joyce Leslie, she found a lot of really cute tops and tanks while her mom browsed some of their jackets. I figured it would be a fun addition to head over to the Juno New York Sample Sale since the mom admitted to being the shoe addict when we drove through the shoe district. I also knew that the teen was looking for some black flats and they have a huge selection of them. The stop was a success! Not only did the teen find her black flats, but she found a cute leather bracelet as well.

Our next destination was TopShop and the ladies were super excited after I showed the a short video about the store. The teen was a huge fan of Urban Outfitters so I knew she'd love TopShop too. We definitely spent the most time here. How could we not with the three levels of endless clothing, shoes and accessories! The teen tried on a few things while the mom found some cute clutches for just $5.

After TopShop we headed over to the West Village to the Marc Jacobs Special Items store. The teen found a cute, hawaiian-print MJ tote and a few souvenirs for her friends at home.

As we headed back to their hotel, they enjoyed their yummy Magnolia Bakery cupcakes.

The other combo shopping tour we had last week was for a mother and daughter from the UK. They wanted to visit some chic boutiques along with some vintage boutiques. They were such lovely ladies.

We began the tour near Union Square and headed south on University Place where we headed to Jodi Arnold NYC and Pia. Following, we headed over to the shoe district where they visited some of the best shoe stores in the city along with Monk Vintage, where they enjoyed browsing the unique pieces.

From here, we headed past Washington Square Park and I told them a little bit about the historical MacDougal Street. We stopped at Cover Up and the daughter bought a cute headband that was also very practical in that, it was knitted and covered her ears.

Moving on, we walked over to Thompson Street, where I took them to Purdy Girl, where the mother found a beautiful necklace (all their jewelry was half off) and then to Stella Dallas, where the daughter found a pair of vintage shoes she absolutely loved. I told them that we had to visit both Purdy Girl stores, so we walked to the LaGuardia Place shop next, and we also visited Helianthus, which was just a few steps away.

At this point, I figured we should go to Soho, where they could find some more mainstream contemporary fashion at New York Look. The daughter was looking for a trench coat and I knew they'd have a good selection. She actually ended up loving a few of their spring handbags.

We were running on schedule for once, so I suggested we go to the Meatpacking District. The daughter had asked about ScoopNYC and I knew that their best stores are located on Washington Street. On the way, we made a quick stop at Chelsea Girl Couture where I told them they could find the famous Moon Bags by Patricia Smith along with some dead stock Diane Von Furstenberg.

We hopped on the subway up to the Meatpacking District next, and made a stop at Darling. The mother sat for a little, while the daughter tried on a few of their gorgeous, colorful silk dresses. From here we walked (it was a beautiful day) by Elizabeth Charles and Tracy Reese up to Gansevoort Street. Since the ladies were Carrie Bradshaw advocates, I mentioned Christian Lou Boutin and they wanted to take a quick peak inside.

Finally, we made it to ScoopNYC (they visited Scoop and Scoop Street) and I pointed out that the Diane Von Furstenberg flagship store was across the street. This was where the daughter found an adorable dress.

From here, I escorted them back to the subway and pointed them to their hotel.

If you'd like to take a customized combo shopping tour, visit our website for more information at www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours. We look forward to shopping with you!

Customized Family Shopping Tour - Something for Everyone!

It was a nice surprise coming to realize that we could customize a shopping tour perfect for an entire family. The tour was for a lovely family from Berlin, Germany consisting of dad, mom, teenage daugther and a six-year-old little girl. We started the tour at Henri Bendel where the mother was quickly drawn into the beauty department to try a new product. The teenaged daughter perused the signature accessories section in the Gazebo shop while the six-year-old watched her mom get made over in awe. The dad picked out some things to surprise the girls with while they were busy and then joined the teen on the second floor to check out some of their fragrances. On our way out, the mother and teen picked out some signature Bendel accessories to take back home to their friends.

From Bendel's, we headed downtown to the Meatpacking District where they had quickly toured earlier on their trip but didn't have time to experience the shopping. We started out at Tracy Reese, where the mom and the teen had fun trying on some colorful dresses and boho blouses. I knew this would be a great start for the two of them since Tracy's line is both youthful and sophisticated.

From Tracy Reese, we stopped quickly next door at Elizabeth Charles, where there were some beautiful New Zealand designs along with some Australian designs, although nothing that really suited the ladies' taste. And since I started to get a feel for their style by this point, I suggested that we head over to Scoop. (I also knew that there would be something for the dad at Scoop Men and for the youngest daughter at Scoop Kids--although to my dismay, the kids' store has closed and they discontinued the line.)

Scoop, however, was definitely successful for the mom, and the teen tried on some things as well. The teen was specifically searching for a handbag and I knew that they would have a cool selection. Also, while the dad shopped at Scoop Men, I suggested the mom and teen cross the street to the Diane Von Furstenberg flagship to check out her famous wrap dresses and her handbags.

By this point, the youngest daughter, who had been on her best behavior was slightly restless, so we headed over to the West Village so I could get their cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery. It was here that I also introduced them to the Marc Jacobs Special Items Store where I helped the six-year-old pick out a small NYC necklace with a heart and a statue of liberty charm. I suggested that the dad head over to Jack Spade, where he found a few things, and I sent the mom and teen to the Mulberry store to search for handbags since the teen hadn't found what she was looking for yet. They also checked out Olive & Bette's which is always a great option for the chic shopper.

Since the six-year-old had been so patient, her dad took her to the Little Marc Jacobs store where he bought her a beautiful wool-knit poncho. Her eyes just lit up when she put it on, so he couldn't say no :-)

We headed back to the limo and since we had time for one more stop, I suggested TopShop. I knew that they could all find something there (even the six-year-old could fit in their 00 Petite sizes!) They enjoyed their cupcakes on the way and I gave them a quick run-down of the store layout so they could find their way around more easily. Afterall, it is a HUGE store!

At this point we were out of time with the limo and they decided to stay at TopShop to continue shopping. Before I left them, they asked me about a place for dinner so I suggested the new Scott Conant restaurant in the East Village, Faustina. They absolutely loved it and they sent me this e-mail on their way back to Berlin:

Dear Natasha,

Now we're on our way back home to Berlin. We're still i
Pressed of the tour we had with you. We all want to thank you again for your assistence, your charme and helpful tips. Even the Faustino was à great event and we enjoyed the meal and the very sympathic waitresses. Thank's for all.

Best regards

Gudrun, Mara, Jo and Marco

If you'd like to take a customized shopping tour of NYC, visit our website at www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours. We look forward to shopping with you!

Chic Boutique Tour - Bachelorette Party!

Saturday's tour was the first Chic Boutique Tour that I've given in a while.  My Vintage Boutique and Teen Fashion and Fun Tours have been more popular, probably because of the state of the economy.  The Chic Boutique Tour definitely visits boutiques with higher overall price points than the other tours, but you can still find select items that don't cost a fortune, and window shopping is always welcome too.  

The group was a lot of fun.  There were two women from Reno, Nevada and then, of course, the bachelorette party, from Pittsburgh, PA.  Due to the size of the group, we took a limo, which always puts a smile on women's faces--especially when it's a surprise.  

First stop was in Greenwich Village at Make-up Forever.  The bride-to-be got some advice from the sales associates (who are all professional make-up artists) about how to do her makeup for the big day.  A couple other ladies in her party made some purchases too, while the ladies from Reno visited an art gallery across the street.  

Around the corner on University Place was Pia, where all of the ladies took a look at the beautiful handbags.  Bruce, the owner, was friendly, as always.  They all loved the store but the price range wasn't in their budget.  So I suggested, since it was a bachelorette party, that they head across the street to La Petit Coquette to take a look at the cute, feminine and funky lingerie selection.  The ladies from Reno showed a strong interest in gift shops and housewares stores so I pointed them in the direction of William Wayne & Company.  In the last 15 minutes of our stop in Greenwich Village, both groups ended up in Ibiza, which they all seemed to take a strong liking too.  They were all pretty amazed with their beautiful collection of jewelry, their cool hats and their funky handbags.

After Greenwich Village, it was back to the limo and off to Soho.  Since I had a good feel for the group by this point, I decided to take them to the west side of Soho rather than the east side, since the boutiques in that area are more unique than commercial but still reasonable in pricing.  They visited Laurel Canyon Vintage (one of the ladies in the bachelorette party wanted to see their cowboy boot collection after viewing the video), Chelsea Girl Couture (one of the ladies from Reno was interested in the Moon Bags after viewing the video), The Hat Shoppe, Lunessa and DKNY to name a few.  The ladies from Reno also visited Clio (a housewares store.)  This was a perfect area for the combination of groups since there is such a wide range of boutiques.  There was definitely something for everyone.  

After Soho, we got back in the limo and they each enjoyed a glass of champagne as we headed over to the West Village/Meatpacking District.  Next stop was Darling, which is one of my personal favorites.  Darling is awesome because they have a range of contemporary fashion, vintage fashion, vintage-inspired fashion and of course, a lovely dress collection on the lower level.  They also have some amazing accessories like broaches, earrings, necklaces, belts, and hats to name a few.  Darling carries some select handbags and shoes and some scented candles and oils for the home, which gives the entire store the most pleasant smell.  

Everyone enjoyed this store but since the bachelorette party was taking more time than the other women, I suggested they head over to the next block where they could visit Mxyplyzyk, which is one of the coolest gift shops in the city.  I also suggested that they visit Tea & Sympathy across the street where they could find some great gifts as well.  I would normally suggest The Bathroom too but it turns out that they're Greenwich Avenue store closed.  Times are definitely tough.

The West Village/Meatpacking was our last stop and after some successful purchases, the limo picked us up and dropped off each group at their requested location (another advantage of having a small group), which they really appreciated, considering it was raining like crazy all day.  

If you'd like to do something special in NYC for your bride-to-be, visit www.shop-nyctours.com and book one of our tours.  Both public and private groups tours are available.  Hope to shop with you soon!

Teen Fashion and Fun Tour - Teen and Two Adults Had an Equally Awesome Time!

Saturday’s Teen Fashion and Fun Tour was great, not only for the teen, but for the adults too!  There were 3 ladies—one being a young lady of about thirteen.  I can honestly say that all three of them enjoyed the tour immensely.  From Fifth Avenue’s Abercrombie and Bendel’s to Noho’s and Soho’s Joyce Leslie and TopShop, they shopped, shopped, shopped!  They enjoyed the fashion videos I showed them along the way and seemed to gain a lot of knowledge from them.  (They were making comments about info from the videos when they visited some of the stores.) 

It was a rainy day but fortunately, with the spot-to-spot transportation provided, it didn’t really make a difference.  They barely even needed their umbrellas.

As usual, in the West Village, I picked up their cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery while they browsed the Marc Jacobs Special Items Store.  The ladies told me that they had been to the Georgetown Bakery outside of DC and were anxious to compare the cupcakes to Magnolia’s. 

When they finished their shopping, we dropped them off at their final destination, which was Chelsea Piers.  (Sometimes I can drop people off at a place of their choice as long as it’s in Manhattan and time permits.)  On the way to the Piers, they ate their cupcakes and came to the conclusion that Magnolia’s icing was much better but that if they combined it with Georgetown’s cake, you would have the perfect cupcake! 

As the tour came to an end, the ladies said they had a wonderful time and that they would have never found the stores I took them to on their own.  In fact, they were in Soho the day before the tour and said they had no idea about TopShop (which was one of their favorites) and passed it up.  They also absolutely loved having their own transportation around the city.  The commented on how nice it was to not have to walk everywhere.  They also said they would tell all their friends about ShopNYC Tours and that I should consider starting tours in San Francisco (which is where they were from.)  I think I’ll have to stick to NYC for now, but it’s definitely a possibility in the future!

If you’d like to have a ShopNYC Tours experience, visit www.shop-nyctours.com to book a tour.  

Teen Fashion and Fun Tour (with Pictures!)

Last Saturday's Teen Fashion and Fun Tour was aweseome!  There were two teens from Charlotte, NC with their moms and one teen from Texas with her mom.  They were such a sweet group.  They (teens and moms) were really excited to find out that since another group cancelled last minute they were all going in a limo!  Their faces just lit up.

We started at the usual first stop--the Abercrombie & Fitch Flagship which they LOVED!  They all took pictures with the hot male model in the front of the store (including the moms) and they shopped for quite a while.  They all came out with purchases so it was definitely a successful stop.

Next up was Henri Bendel.  The moms loved this store.  They got some mini-makeovers in Bendel's AMAZING beauty department where they have brands such as NARS, MAC and Chanel just to name a few.  

Juicy Couture was up next and we took some cute pictures!  Take a look:

After Juicy, it was back into the limo and time for the "Teeny" Cosmos.  Before they guzzled them down, I had a chance to take a quick pic:

They all kept their glasses as a souvenir :-)

Next we headed downtown to Noho to Joyce Leslie, which the teens ALWAYS love.  The price is definitely right!  

After they made their purchases it was time for Topshop in Soho.  The ladies from Charlotte had been in Soho the day before but said that they walked right past Topshop, not knowing what it was.  I showed them videos about Topshop in the limo on the way downtown and it got them really excited to see it.  It is the FIRST Topshop in the US afterall.  People love the fact that Kate Moss has a line there.  They also love the fact that you can find trendy, good quality clothing, shoes and accessories that won't break your budget!

Last stop for the Teen Tour was the West Village at Marc Jacobs Special Collections.  Again, both the teens and the moms loved the concept of Marc Jacobs for a fraction of the price.  Who wouldn't?  They also headed over to Olive & Bette's, which is a favorite of mine.  And they took a walk down to Magnolia Bakery to see the scrumptious cupcakes they would soon be eating!  

On the way back uptown the teens enjoyed their cupcakes while their moms enjoyed relaxing in the limo.  Anyone would enjoy it after all that power shopping!  

If you'd like to spend an afternoon shopping NYC with your teen (or your mom), visit www.shop-nyctours.com to book a tour.  I hope to shop with you soon!

Also, join ShopNYC Tours on June 25th for an amazing event to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure!  To buy tickets to the event or (if you're out of the NYC area) to make an online donation, visit: www.philanthropiceventssponsorspage.com/natasha

  

Private, Customized Tour for Two Lovely Ladies

As I walked into The Plaza Hotel with my ShopNYC Tours tote, I must say that I felt a little anxious about the palace-like decor and what it conveyed.  Were my customers staying here and, if so, were they going to be friendly or a bit prude?  I wasn't sure what to expect.  Maybe they were just exploring and touring The Plaza and staying somewhere a little more "low-key" like The New Yorker?  I quickly found out.  Just as I entered, they were conveniently standing in front of me, saw my tote and we introduced ourselves.  

There were 2 ladies and a gentleman who quickly explained that he wasn't going on the tour, but rather just seeing them off.  We walked out to the car and he took a photo of them getting in.  Then he smiled and waved goodbye.  The ladies were somewhat quiet when we first got into the car and even up until we neared the first stop.  

When we arrived at East 11th Street, I think they were a little apprehensive about the neighborhood.  They asked if it was more of a local area and I told them that it was but assured them that the most interesting boutiques are located in "local" neighborhoods.  I wasn't really sure what they were going to think about the boutiques on 11th Street but figured I would find out!  The boutiques in this area are mostly bargain/consignment boutiques, which can turn some people off.  Within a few minutes though, one of the ladies was trying on a pair of shoes in Tokyo Joe's so I knew they were liking it!

Next up was O Mistress Mine, which they loved!  One of the ladies bought a black patent-leather handbag with red, satin lining and the other almost bought one of their vintage hats. They had a great time exploring O Mistress Mine, as people usually do.

Even though they were loving the vintage and consignment, I decided to take them down to East 9th Street where they could find a nice mix of vintage and trendy fashion boutiques.  It's a beautiful block and it was a little difficult to see that since they were filming Step Up 3.  But I guess they thought it was interesting that they were filming there.  We visited a fairly new place that I hadn't been in before called DejaVu, which is both a boutique and tailor service.  I was extremely impressed with it.  They had a beautiful collection of dresses (some made in France) that were actually pretty affordable.  They also had some beautiful, unique handbags in the back.

Some other places we visited on East 9th were Local Clothing, Fialka and Meg.  We were going to head to East 7th Street but were running out of time allotted for the East Village so we decided to head over to Soho.  

I knew that they would absolutely love Chelsea Girl (I could tell by their reactions from the videos) and I figured that they might like Laurel Canyon as well.  I was also sure to point out INA since they took a liking to some of the designer consignment in the East Village.

At Chelsea Girl, one of the ladies tried on several vintage dresses but didn't have any luck with the sizes.  At INA they did more browsing and then headed across the street to the jewelry store, Lunessa, where they made a few purchases.  Last stop in Soho was Sacco and this is where they made quite a few purchases.  One of the ladies fell in love with their headbands which consisted of unique feathers, flowers and bows (a la Gossip Girl) while the other found a comfortable and stylish pair of shoes.  

Next up was their requested stop--Lulu Guiness.  This was something they told me they wanted to do when they first booked the tour.  Since Lulu Guiness is located in the West Village, I wanted to allow time for more than just one stop because I knew they would absolutely love the neighborhood.  

When one of the ladies stepped into Lulu Guiness, you'd have thought she stepped into her personal heaven.  She quickly scoured through every little, unique handbag with glee!  They didn't have the one that she wanted in the correct color, which was disappointing, but the disappointment quickly went away when I pointed them in the direction of the Magnolia Bakery, where they bought two cupcakes.  On the way to the West Village, I had shown them the video of Darling, so they decided that in the remaining time they wanted to shop there.  So we hopped in the car and headed that direction while they finished their delish cupcakes. 

They really adored everything at Darling.  They both ended up purchasing a lovely pair of earrings.  And one of the women bought a belt as well.  So the tour ended on a good note for both of them!

On the way back to The Plaza, the ladies said they had a wonderful time.  They said that they thought 4 hours of shopping would be too much, but that it went by so quickly.  They also commented that they would have never found the boutiques that I introduced them to if it weren't for the planned shopping tour itinerary and transportation.  I was really glad to hear it. That's what I'm trying to provide people:  a relaxing, unique, comfortable NYC experience that you just can't have when you're on your own in the Big Apple.  

If you'd like to have one of these NYC experiences, visit my website for more info at www.shop-nyctours.com.  Thanks for reading and I hope to shop with you soon!

Private Shopping Tour for "New to the City" Local

Saturday's tour was definitely a nice surprise.  I'm so accustomed to giving tours for people from other parts of the country and especially other parts of the world that when I asked my customers where they were from (a cute, 20-something couple), I expected to hear the same.  But I didn't.  I was shocked when the girlfriend said she lived on the Upper East Side.  I always thought my tours would be great for locals, but it was cool to have a local finally attend one of  my shopping tours.  It made much more sense, however, when she told me that she had just moved to NYC and didn't know where to go for shopping, dinner and nightlife.  So "New to the City" is a customer base that I've now experienced.  It was definitely different, but also relatively easy and fun.

Even though the girlfriend lives in NYC, and her boyfriend visits her from Philly every weekend and they explore together, the couple needed some guidance about where to shop, go to dinner, go out, etc.  They knew about some of the obvious places, of course, but seemed really impressed with my extensive knowledge about the more "local" side of the city.  They asked how it was that I knew so much and I explained that having lived in the city for five years and having given tours for four of those five years, definitely helped.   

We started the tour in Greenwich Village on University Place.  Some of the girlfriend's favorites included Pia and La Petite Coquette.  Well, at least that's where she made her purchases.  Her boyfriend seemed to enjoy La Petite Coquette too, of course.  I mean, what guy doesn't enjoy shopping for lingerie for his lovely lady?  They were looking for some coffee along the way and I told them about one of my favorites - Grey Dogs: great coffee, great sandwiches and a great chill, downtown atmosphere.  

Next up was Soho, and what was great about the tour being private for just the two of them, was that I could cater to their taste and their needs.  Rather than taking them to the more commercial stores in Soho that I usually take customers to on the Chic Boutique Tour like BCBG, Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui, I decided that they'd like something a little more unique.  So I added some vintage and consignment shops that my Vintage Boutique Tour visits in West Soho.  They really liked INA (well, at least the girlfriend did) and the boyfriend seemed to enjoy the selections in Flying A.  I thought they would have a little more interest in Laurel Canyon Vintage but it wasn't one of their favorites.  

After shopping, I pointed out 60 Thompson as a great spot for happy hour and/or dinner.  I raved about their rooftop bar which I've never been to personally, but have heard amazing things about.

I insisted after the Soho stop that we visit Darling in the West Village/Meatpacking area.  I had gotten a sense of the girlfriend's style and knew she would absolutely love it.  So they enjoyed their champagne en route in the comfortable towncar and I took a cute photo of them.  I also showed the video of Darling, but I'm not sure if they really got the point of it--or the point of any of the tour videos for that matter.  We'll see what they have to say in their review, I guess.

When we arrived at Darling, the girlfriend tried on about 10 different items.  Her boyfriend sneaked one to the register to surprise her for the next day, which I thought was sweet.  The boyfriend, who was from Naples, said they wanted wood-fired brick oven pizza, so I dropped them off at Napoli on Carmine Street at the end of the tour so that they could have an amazing pizza dinner.  

I'm anxious to hear what this couple thought of the tour.  They were trendy, young and hip so they could end up being a very difficult customer to please.  I'm hoping they decide to write a  review so I can post it.  I'd love to get their feedback.  In my experience, locals can be tough.  But I guess I'll just wait and see.....  Thanks for reading.  Don't forget to visit my website http://www.shop-nyctours.com and stay tuned for the new ShopNYC Web Series coming soon!