IT'S SHOPPING HEAVEN IN NEW YORK

Diversity; momentum; energy; New York is a perpetual-motion machine. Nothing ever stands still. Manhattan is an island of surprise and enterprise; a place that keeps its visitors forever charged with energy that exudes from the streets themselves.

From towering department stores to recherché boutiques, New York City is also shopping heaven. Indeed, grabbing a bargain in the Big Apple is a rite of passage for any self-respecting globetrotter.

Just as with most other things for tourists, shopping is concentrated into the southern two-thirds of Manhattan. Chances are, if you arrive at the West Side piers, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, or Cape Liberty in New Jersey, you'll be spending at least a day in Manhattan. For those with the prospect of a cruise from the city that's 'so good they named it twice', it would be churlish for even the most ardent shopaphobe to resist the unique experience that is retail therapy New York style.

In this temple to conspicuous consumerism that never sleeps, the opportunities to do serious damage to your plastic are endless. But shopper beware, the giddy exchange rates against the dollar that have been enjoyed in recent years have fallen victim to the global economic downturn.

Credit crunch notwithstanding, exercising your flexible friend is still a sport few spectators can resist. And, after all, a few cents lost on the currency conversion are more than made up for by the considerably lower price tags.

Manhattan is a mélange of neighbourhoods that seem in a constant state of evolution - more status, less quo. An area that was dangerous last year is chic this year and, no doubt, will be gentrified by the end of the decade.

It appears to the first-time visitor that every neighbourhood has an acronym. In the 1970s, SoHo went from a no-man's-land to a downtown version of uptown; a little corner of cutting-edge trapped between corporate Wall Street and Midtown respectability. LoBro is an enclave nestled within the six blocks along Broadway between Houston Street and Canal Street where designer emporia and pretentious boutiques rub shoulders with second-hand clothing stores, flea markets, and ethnic marts.

TriBeCa (Triangle below Canal Street) is a cultural nexus where arty meets tarty. The Meatpacking District to the west of Chelsea has warehouse galleries that could star in any Sex and the City episode, while NoLita (North of Little Italy) has become the new SoHo.

Without doubt, New York offers a greater selection than any other entrep�t in the world. Indeed, you can find things here you can't find anywhere else. Shopping in Manhattan offers a unique mental challenge - resistance is futile. In these pages, World of Cruising offers cerebral stimulation for style mavens as well as common or garden bargain-hunters.

The flagship of the notorious budget department store chain Century 21 is next to Ground Zero in the Financial District. Frugal fashionistas who crave Armani, Lacroix, or Prada will be in their element here, but beware, this is no longer 'New York's Best-Kept Secret' and you'll be competing with locals as well as tourists from all over the world; but perseverance is rewarded by amazing finds at a fraction of the retail cost.

Close by is the electronics mega-mart J&R Music and Computer World which occupies a full city block. This is an Aladdin's Cave of cameras, MP3 players, DVDs, and software.

Savvy shoppers visit the Lower East Side Visitor Centre to pick up a copy of the shopping guide to this bastion of hip before exploring this neighbourhood that seems to be inhabited by bohemians and faux-hemians selling edgy clothes, funky accoutrements and, bizarrely, Japanese toys.

The Southstreet Seaport is mainly filled with chain stores typically found in every mall in America but, in good weather, it's a great place to stroll around if you're in need of some solace from the surfeit of shopping.

For Louis Vuitton luggage that's classy but fake; Ray Bans that are stylish, but simulated; or bling without the sting; head to Chinatown - knock-off nirvana. Wandering along Canal, Mott, Mulberry and Elizabeth streets is a surreal experience.

SoHo's elegant cast-iron architecture, cobblestone streets and ritzy vibe have an essence unlike any other Manhattan neighbourhood. The shopping grid runs from Broadway west to Sixth Avenue and Houston Street south to Canal Street.

Broadway is the most commercial strip, with such recognisable names as Banana Republic, Armani Exchange and H&M. In a volte-face from their Uptown sybaritic sanctuary, Bloomingdale's, D&G and Prada now have downtown branches here - a move that would have been perceived as heresy only a few years ago.

The West Village is an eclectic neighbourhood offering a pleasant respite from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Manhattan. This realm of winding streets, charming townhouses and tree-lined avenues exudes an altogether more felicitous take on boutique shopping.

NoLita is a matrix circumscribed by Elizabeth, Mott and Mulberry streets and is blossoming with a kaleidoscope of fashionable, independent designer boutiques offering ethnic designs from around the world. Here, small stores are an art form and the retailer is the curator, but like its scion - SoHo - chic doesn't mean cheap.

However, the real New York vibe is emanating from the Meat Packing District. At 14th Street and Tenth Avenue, designers such as Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen have established their flagship stores. This quarter has crossed the Rubicon from quaint to hot and is the current icon of style.

If time is of the essence and you're staying in a Midtown hotel, there's little need to venture far from this comfort zone. Indeed one name reigns supreme - Macy's - the self-proclaimed 'world's biggest department store.'

Located at Herald Square on Broadway at 34th Street, this miracle of a store, sprawling over six massive floors, includes a food department and an attractive designer floor. A Manhattan legend in its own right, Macy's is unquestionably the nonesuch of the city's emporia and the principal Mecca for shopaholics.

On West 47th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues is the city's famous Diamond District. Incongruously, this locale is also brimming with electronics stores. Many boast signs proclaiming 'Going Out Of Business' sales but, in truth, these traders have been selling up since the Pilgrim Fathers arrived.

The centre of gravity for most shoppers in Manhattan - whether window shopping or on a spree - is Fifth Avenue, stretching for 10 blocks as far north as 58th Street. Here you'll walk past elaborately decorated windows - never more so than during the Festive Season - and marvel at the stylish goods on display. But buyers beware: this is an area where pretension knows no bounds and shop windows can boast just two shoes - neither with a price tag.

Legendary names such as Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel are all mainstays of this most elegant boulevard. If you need something to pack all your new purchases in, then why not embark your ship in grand style having invested in a timeless steamer trunk at Louis Vuitton from their flagship store at East 57th Street.

The kids' paradise, aka FAO Schwarz at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street, is unmatched for those for whom the prospect of buying Christmas presents fills them with more apprehension than anticipation. If you have the little darlings in tow, they can amuse themselves playing the giant piano that was featured in the Tom Hanks movie, Big. The World of Disney Store at 711 Fifth Avenue covers a magical 24,000sq ft and showcases Disney/PIXAR merchandise and interactive entertainment.

Saks has been an internationally venerated symbol of class and elegance since Horace Saks and Bernard Gimbel opened their landmark store in 1924. Located at 611 Fifth Avenue at 49th Street, there are six floors of grand luxury stocked with exclusive items for men and women.

Another New York institution that's synonymous with stylish shopping is Bloomingdale's at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. Under a single Art Deco roof, you'll find a treasure trove of over more than 500 departments. Known city-wide as Bloomie's, the designer boutiques are excellent and, if you're lucky enough to find second markdowns, can there really be an excuse not to indulge? A no-brainer for ladies who lunch!

For many visitors, Barneys New York at 660 Madison Avenue is the apogee of chic and sophistication. Men's and woman's fashion designers range from the classically understated to the avant-garde.

Generations of Americans have shopped at Lord & Taylor since the acclaimed store was established in 1914. Located at 424 Fifth Avenue, this is where to go if you want the 'American Look'. Classical 'Preppie-style' American clothes are in abundance at Brooks Brothers in their swish stores at 666 Fifth Avenue and 346 Madison Avenue.

But, if I were askedto recommend just one single area of New York for the sine qua none of window shopping, it would have to be Madison Avenue between 59th Street and 72nd Street. This haute couture enclave for the Über-wealthy exudes a potent aura of sublime prestige and innate style. Names like Caroline Herrera at 954 Madison; Celine at 667 Madison; DKNY at 655 Madison; Krizia at 769 Madison; and Etro at 720 Madison, are but a sample of the achingly elegant purveyors of posh.

If all this hobnobbing with the beau monde imbues you with a longing to linger, there's nowhere better than Caf� Carlyle at the fabled Carlyle Hotel at 76th Street on Madison Avenue. The celebrity-infused nightly scene harks back to an old MGM classic with a soundtrack that is classic cabaret. And, wearing your new designer creation, there is no finer hostelry for recalling Oscar Wilde's acerbic observation: "Though one can dine in New York, one could not dwell there."

A Box of Fakes

Another word of caution is in order in Chinatown - steer clear of electronic goods, DVDs and computer software as they are highly unlikely to be legit, and you wouldn't be the first tourist to have bought a boxed brick rather than a CD player.

Beware Sales Tax!

With nearly all American shop purchases, it is worth pointing out the TICKETED price is not actually the price you end up paying. A SALES TAX is applied to all items once you reach the cash register.

However, even taking this levy into account, every New York minute of your shopping spree is a bargain bagged.

State Of The Union

UNION SQUARE is the au courant shopping habitat and a great place for would-be Sarah Jessica Parkers to hang out. The long-forlorn south side of the square now houses the inimitable Filene's Basement - covering three floors, a Virgin Megastore, and DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) - the biggest shoe warehouse in New York offering everything from Jimmy Choos to trainers. On the north side, Barnes & Noble is situated in a beautifully-restored1880 cast-iron building.

The Ultimate Experience

If you shop nowhere else in the city, make sure you don't go home without indulging in the 'SAKS EXPERIENCE.'

If you can't decide what to buy, there are personal shoppers on hand and, if you fancy a spot of lunch, then Caf� SFA is elegant without being stuffy and won't blow your budget.