Here are some of my favorite specialty stores.

Candy.  The Economy Candy Store, on Rivington Street on the Lower East Side, has a huge variety of old-fashioned candy as well as some good chocolate.  You can buy some of my favorite English candy there, too.

Baking Supplies.  New York Cake supplies, on West 22nd Street near Sixth Avenue. I don't really bake, but I love this store.  It makes me want to bake!  They sell everything from muffin pans to sugar flowers.

Ribbons, trimmings.  M&J Trimming, on Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), around 38th Street. This store sells a huge variety of ribbons, bindings, buttons, beading, buckles, appliques, bridal headpieces and more.  A few years ago part of their building collapsed (it was old), but they managed to stay open and expand.  It's not cheap, but they sell great stuff.

Salvaged building materials. I love the Demolition Depot and Schmuck Brothers (yes, that's really their name), located across the street from each other at 125th Street and 3rd Avenue. If Schmuck Brothers is closed, ask in the Demolition Depot.  An amazing variety of stuff rescued from demolished buildings - Schmuck Brothers has lots of fireplace mantels and a floor full of just doors.  Look in the garden out back of the Demolition Depot too, for old wrought-iron gates, etc.

Stained glass lampshades. There's a store at the corner of the Bowery and Delancy (I think) that has dozens, maybe hundreds of stained glass lampshades.  Their prices are good, and they're very helpful and knowledgeable.  Say hello to the friendly cat with the stumpy tail if he's still around.  That whole area of the Bowery is the lighting district - store after store of lamps and chandeliers, at good prices.

I don't shop in Bloomingdale's.  Sorry.  The mirrors give me a headache.  I don't shop in Macy's much, either - it's just too big and crowded.  Though I occasionally hit the sales, and in the spring I sometimes venture in to see the Macy's flower show. And I really don't shop in the famous designer stores or high-end retail stores (except for the occasional gift).  Window-shopping is another story!

I shop in...

Century 21.  They own the trademark "New York's best kept secret," and it's for a reason. I got addicted to the store when I worked at the World Trade Center (See "Memories.")  It's just around the corner, on Cortlandt Street, with an entrance on Fulton.  And even now I make trips down there to buy clothes, housewares, all kinds of things at great prices.

Crafts Fairs.  Lincoln Center does big (and expensive) ones two or three times a year, just in time for big holidays. There's another recurring one nearby, on Columbus Avenue and 81st Street, behind the Museum of Natural History.  Not only are these fairs a great place to shop - it's also a lot of fun to wander around and chat with the vendors.  They are people doing something creative, and most of them love what they're doing.

Green markets. The famous one is Union Square, of course, but there are many others.  My favorite is at the school between 66th and 67th, First Avenue and York.  (Right now the area is undergoing major refurbishing, so it's a bit of a mess, but the vendors are still there.)  That one's a "Greenflea" market, which means they sell a lot of jewelry, etc. inside the school.  There's another good one on Columbus Avenue, at about 77th Street, every Sunday.  And of course, there's the famous 6th Avenue flea (not green) market, which recently moved from the antiques district (6th Avenue and 26th Street) to Hell's Kitchen, near the Port Authority bus depot.

Canal Street.  Pearl Paint is one of the greatest art supply stores in the world. It sells everything, and has recently expanded, opening nearby stores for crafts, frames and home decor.  There are still a number of hi-fi and electronics stores on Canal Street, though not as many as there used to be.  Canal Hi-Fi sells professional equipment, and the mostly Asian-owned stores scattered up and down the street have some good bargains if you know exactly what you're looking for.  (Make sure you have guarantees, etc., clearly understood, and be wary of buying things like batteries - some are fine, but some are knock-offs with a very short shelf life. I know!)

Lower East Side. I used to shop on the Lower East Side years ago, for fabric, back when I used to sew my own clothes.  But I, like every one else, stopped doing that, and many of the fabric stores have closed.  You can still buy designer clothes there at good prices, though.  (Keep in mind that the area is predominantly Jewish - don't expect to find stores open on Saturday.  Sunday's the day to shop there.) These days, of course, the neighborhood is newly fashionable, so you'll see more young people and bars than clothing stores.

Resale/thrift shops and church rummage sales.  I mentioned these to someone who was losing weight and concerned about investing in "transitional" clothes.  (Unlike me, she didn't have closets and boxes of clothes in various sizes, from various weight gains and losses!)  She looked aghast.  "You mean, clothes someone else has worn? No, I don't think so." Well, each to his/her own, but I disagree.  I have found some amazing bargains in these places. I once bought two brand new (labels still on them) Eileen Fisher silk t-shirts for $5 each in a thrift shop.  Then there was the pair of  Italian suede boots in my exact size and color - rust - for $10.  Again, brand new - not a mark on the sole.  The teal suit - jacket and skirt in different sizes (my exact different sizes) in the twice-yearly rummage sales at St. Francis Xavier church in Greenwich Village. Oh yes, and the Italian red wool coat (heavenly soft), from a more expensive resale store - all of $50.

OK, so you pay for cleaning anything you buy.  If you buy from a rummage sale or thrift shop, you pay for the cleaning.  If you buy from a resale store, they've already had it  cleaned, and you pay more for the garment.  Nevertheless, the bargains are amazing.

Window shopping.  New York is the greatest place to go window-shopping. Fifth Avenue, of course, is what everybody knows, and while Rockefeller Center, etc., are fun, Fifth Avenue is no match for Madison Avenue when it comes to window-shopping. 

Sooner or later every October, I take a walk up Madison Avenue after work.  There's something about the cool, crisp air, the clear , bright light of October, and all those new Fall fashions.  I pretend I'm young and thin, and could actually afford some of the stuff I'm looking at.  In the 60's, I walk past all the fabulous crystal stores - Baccarat, Steuben, Lalique; in the 70's - lots and lots of designer clothing showrooms, and in the 80's some fancy resale stores where I can actually afford to shop.

In the 70s, there's a restaurant called Sant' Ambroeus - good italian cakes and pastries, and the best gelato in town.  They closed that branch for a while, but they've re-opened.

And around 69th, there's a store called Zitomer's.  (It also has a branch on 57th Street.) Technically, it's probably considered a drugstore, but mostly what it sells is makeup and accessories. I bought one of their hair clips - couldn't believe I paid that much for a hair clip - and everyone complements me every time I wear it.  This time of year (October), Zitomer's is full of Halloween stuff - and not your standard costumes!