Birkin in New York. Feedback on stores please.

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#16
Tao, Sushi Samba 7, Dos Caminos are great atmosphere restaurants
Suenos, Haru, Ayza Wine Bar, Pomme Frites, Arturos are good low key restaurants.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head as of now. I'm from NYC.... I haven't actually bought anything at Hermes yet but the Madison one is nice but a bit crowded. The WS one is nice but empty of customers whenever I've been there and kind of small.
 
#17
baileylab said:
thanks so much for the lovely recommendations, 880. i'll google map some of them as some aren't familiar.

any food recommendation? not fine dining but good eats
Click to expand...

Here is a list I give to friends

Best burger -casual - The Stand 12th St btwn Fifth and UNiversity; also really good shakes - burnt marshmellow - homemade marshmellows, choc. malt

Best burger (plus kind of a scene - Spotted PIg - meat packing district

Best Ice Cream, Laboratorio del Gelato - lower east side

cute brunch place - LIttle GIant, Lower east side

Over the top brunch place - Norma's, Parker Meridian Hotel

middle eastern and great mixed drinks - ILILI, 28th St on Fifth Ave; best middle eastern Naya (54th and Second Ave)

Bon Chon Chicken, Korean fried chicken - late night snack - Fifth Ave, 33rd St?

Kuma Inn, Thai Filipino Tapas, cash only, BYOB, about 60/person if you order everything. Everything is good except the scallops and the omelets (Uriel is maitre d)

Spitzers corner - very cute bar - over 100 American beers on tap and pop corn cooked in pork fat , Lower East Side

LES cute asian places - Kampuchea Noodle bar; and Fatty Crab (FC is near meatpacking)

Best Szechuan, Szechuan Gourmet, 39th btwn Fifth and 6th

Best texas beef brisket and ribs, Hill Country, 28th btwn 7th and 8th?

KOrea town, 37th ST (betwn 5th and 6th)

Best cute paella place, socarrat, 19th St, btwn 7th and 8th - this place is adorable and open for lunch (Nathan is maitre'd) (It is also somewhat hip and new)

Best Steak - pricey but worth it - Strip House, Wolfgangs

best Sushi, Sushi Seki, 62nd St on 1st Ave ( omekase and eat at the window side of the sushi bar where seki works) If you eat at the table, order little by little or the nori which is freshly toasted loses its crispness.

Best espresso - Via Quadranno, 73rd btwn fifth and Mad; note: I find the crowds tiresome, so I go more to Terre Mare - 65th and Mad (this is my local spot) or even to Sante Ambrose. Edited: better coffee is a place on 6th Ave btwn 55th and 56th, but I forgot its name and there are no seats.

Best Viennese Pastry - Cafe Sabarsky in the Neue Gallery - 86th St off Fifth (wonky hours mirror museums? - may be closed Tuesday?)

Favorite Italian- Il Gattopardo - 33 W 54th St (neopolitan but NOT red sauce)

mexican tapas (it adds up though) - toaloche, 50th and eighth ave
 
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#21
880 said:
Here is a list I give to friends

Best burger -casual - The Stand 12th St btwn Fifth and UNiversity; also really good shakes - burnt marshmellow - homemade marshmellows, choc. malt

Best burger (plus kind of a scene - Spotted PIg - meat packing district

Best Ice Cream, Laboratorio del Gelato - lower east side

cute brunch place - LIttle GIant, Lower east side

Over the top brunch place - Norma's, Parker Meridian Hotel

middle eastern and great mixed drinks - ILILI, 28th St on Fifth Ave; best middle eastern Naya (54th and Second Ave)

Bon Chon Chicken, Korean fried chicken - late night snack - Fifth Ave, 33rd St?

Kuma Inn, Thai Filipino Tapas, cash only, BYOB, about 60/person if you order everything. Everything is good except the scallops and the omelets (Uriel is maitre d)

Spitzers corner - very cute bar - over 100 American beers on tap and pop corn cooked in pork fat , Lower East Side

LES cute asian places - Kampuchea Noodle bar; and Fatty Crab (FC is near meatpacking)

Best Szechuan, Szechuan Gourmet, 39th btwn Fifth and 6th

Best texas beef brisket and ribs, Hill Country, 28th btwn 7th and 8th?

KOrea town, 37th ST (betwn 5th and 6th)

Best cute paella place, socarrat, 19th St, btwn 7th and 8th - this place is adorable and open for lunch (Nathan is maitre'd) (It is also somewhat hip and new)

Best Steak - pricey but worth it - Strip House, Wolfgangs

best Sushi, Sushi Seki, 62nd St on 1st Ave ( omekase and eat at the window side of the sushi bar where seki works) If you eat at the table, order little by little or the nori which is freshly toasted loses its crispness.

Best espresso - Via Quadranno, 73rd btwn fifth and Mad; note: I find the crowds tiresome, so I go more to Terre Mare - 65th and Mad (this is my local spot) or even to Sante Ambrose. Edited: better coffee is a place on 6th Ave btwn 55th and 56th, but I forgot its name and there are no seats.

Best Viennese Pastry - Cafe Sabarsky in the Neue Gallery - 86th St off Fifth (wonky hours mirror museums? - may be closed Tuesday?)

Favorite Italian- Il Gattopardo - 33 W 54th St (neopolitan but NOT red sauce)

mexican tapas (it adds up though) - toaloche, 50th and eighth ave
Click to expand...

i'm going to have to try your burger picks and italian pick.

Have you ever been to Gradisca? I forgot to add that is my favorite italian place. mmmm.
 
#22
I have to second the vote for the Peninsula and add one for the Waldorf-Astoria. When I was a kid and not living in NY, my parents and I would almost always stay at the Waldorf-Astoria because Cellini is located right outside the lobby (my dad was passionate about watches). They have some absolutely stunning jewelry, if you're interested in making your NYC trip even more fruitful.
 
#23
kipp said:
New York is wonderful in March! You will have a great time! Lucky you!!!

Now, to answer your question---I think that your best bet will be the WS store. Much lower key than Madison, and my SA Linda at WS is the greatest!!!! However, you should also go to Madison. Both sometimes have Birkins on the shelf, and pretty much always in the back. No Birkins at JFK.

While I don't know whether you will need to buy additional things to get a Birkin in NY these days, it probably wouldn't hurt! Maybe someone else who has had recent experience as a "walk-in" in NYC could comment.
Click to expand...

.. hihi kipp, Linda is also my SA, isn't she wonderful !?!
 
#24
.. baileylab, to answer your question, it depends on each store and each individual ..
Dh and i were offered the first time we were there, but it wasn't what i was looking for.
.. we did end up getting everything and then ^some and ^some .. lol.
 
#25
baileylab, I got lucky this past January while in New York. I was there for 4 days and visited both Wall Street and Madison. Lovely staff at WS as many have mentioned. I visited Madison 3 times and on the 3rd visit, I found the Birkin I was looking for. It wasn't on display, but I asked if they had one. The previous days I visited there were at least 2 Birkins on display daily and many more being shown to customers. I saw several 30's in darker colors. When visiting from out of town, I figure it can't hurt to ask. The worst things they can say is "no", but they may say "yes"!!!!

Have a wonderful time and hope you find your perfect H bag.
 
#26
880 said:
Here is a list I give to friends

Best burger -casual - The Stand 12th St btwn Fifth and UNiversity; also really good shakes - burnt marshmellow - homemade marshmellows, choc. malt

Best burger (plus kind of a scene - Spotted PIg - meat packing district

Best Ice Cream, Laboratorio del Gelato - lower east side

cute brunch place - LIttle GIant, Lower east side

Over the top brunch place - Norma's, Parker Meridian Hotel

middle eastern and great mixed drinks - ILILI, 28th St on Fifth Ave; best middle eastern Naya (54th and Second Ave)

Bon Chon Chicken, Korean fried chicken - late night snack - Fifth Ave, 33rd St?

Kuma Inn, Thai Filipino Tapas, cash only, BYOB, about 60/person if you order everything. Everything is good except the scallops and the omelets (Uriel is maitre d)

Spitzers corner - very cute bar - over 100 American beers on tap and pop corn cooked in pork fat , Lower East Side

LES cute asian places - Kampuchea Noodle bar; and Fatty Crab (FC is near meatpacking)

Best Szechuan, Szechuan Gourmet, 39th btwn Fifth and 6th

Best texas beef brisket and ribs, Hill Country, 28th btwn 7th and 8th?

KOrea town, 37th ST (betwn 5th and 6th)

Best cute paella place, socarrat, 19th St, btwn 7th and 8th - this place is adorable and open for lunch (Nathan is maitre'd) (It is also somewhat hip and new)

Best Steak - pricey but worth it - Strip House, Wolfgangs

best Sushi, Sushi Seki, 62nd St on 1st Ave ( omekase and eat at the window side of the sushi bar where seki works) If you eat at the table, order little by little or the nori which is freshly toasted loses its crispness.

Best espresso - Via Quadranno, 73rd btwn fifth and Mad; note: I find the crowds tiresome, so I go more to Terre Mare - 65th and Mad (this is my local spot) or even to Sante Ambrose. Edited: better coffee is a place on 6th Ave btwn 55th and 56th, but I forgot its name and there are no seats.

Best Viennese Pastry - Cafe Sabarsky in the Neue Gallery - 86th St off Fifth (wonky hours mirror museums? - may be closed Tuesday?)

Favorite Italian- Il Gattopardo - 33 W 54th St (neopolitan but NOT red sauce)

mexican tapas (it adds up though) - toaloche, 50th and eighth ave
Click to expand...


Next time in NY, I’m sure I will use your list. Tks!:ps:
 
#28
Thanks for the encouraging responses, fashionistaO, OrangeLover, tnw, fourtails and of course, 880!

i'm kind of overwhelmed with the hotel choices and of course i have to stay on budget. I was thinking about $350 / night would be good enough. I'd rather stay in a small cozy hotel than some big 5 star one where i end up paying for staff i won't be using.

I was thinking affinia gardens between 2nd & 3rd avenues on 64th street. I don't know how long i'll be walking to get to the H store. But it's still not final as i want to stay closer still to madison and bergdorf where some of the action is. I might also consider the regency or loewe's.

i sure hope the birkin will be there. i'm centering my planning around the H store (silly me) so i can go there everyday and check on it without the kids.
 
#29
You're among friends here. There are a lot of us who center trips around H stores (or at least map their locations and keep in in the front of our minds 24/7), whether we admit it or not. Fortunately, in a place like tPF, it's completely okay to admit it. :okay:

PS - The bunny in your avatar is cuter than cute. Makes me want to *boop* it right on the nose!
 
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