Bloomingdale's, New York

Bloomingdale’s at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue is the flagship store of Bloomingdale's Inc., a luxury retail chain, founded in New York City by Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. More than 150 years later, the brand has become a household name denoting a network of 36 department stores operational across the United States.

But there’s still nothing like a shopping spree in Bloomingdale’s huge original location, with its characteristic black-and-white checkered marble floor and all-around luxe atmosphere. Ranking among the city’s top tourist attractions, Bloomie’s in Manhattan is extremely popular for the huge selection of quality items it carries. Over the years, their signature brown shopping bags (with a “big-”, “medium-” or “little brown bag” written on them) have become a girl’s best friend – you can see hundreds of them carried around the city, as you walk.

While the Bloomingdale’s selection is, indeed, the most extensive for younger or trendier women, featuring everything from shoes and handbags to designer duds and housewares, within its eight floors there’s plenty of merchandise for men, too. If not for themselves, you can often see them roaming the store to secure a perfect gift for their significant other. With this in mind, the Bloomingdale’s cosmetics hall is definitely not be missed whenever there is someone you know who deserves something special.

You can easy spend the entire day in this 815,000 square-foot venue, browsing high-end décor and merchandise from hundreds of brands, as well as indulging in their on-site dining options.