So you're in New York City for the weekend and you're obsessed with shopping and it's literally all you want to do…except maybe take some breaks to eat. Undoubtedly there are far too many districts in the city to do them all in one day, but luckily for you New York is a well organized and well connected city, so if you're uptown and you want to head downtown to check out SoHo, the Village and the Meatpacking District, you can do that without missing all the good bits on the way. We're going to start you out in Midtown because there's a lot to see and do along the way, and 5th Avenue is literally teeming with stores and delicious restaurants. So, if you head to 57th and 5th, you can start your day by fueling up with tea or breakfast at the world famous Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel or Demel Patisserie for a sinful snack. When you're done there you can head across the street to the Apple Store or FAO Schwarz and either pick something up for a special kid in your life or for the little kid that still lives inside you! Heading down 5th from there you'll be able to pop into Bergdorf Goodman, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Tiffany's, Prada, Fendi, Pucci, the Disney Store, Henri Bendel, Gucci, Brooks Brothers, Cartier, H&M, Zara, Sephora, the Gap, and if you're feeling really spendy… Harry Winston, one of the most famous jewelry stores in the world (which is always fun to browse in even if there's no intention to purchase anything!) Once you're done with that row of shops (and believe us, there will be many more to stop into along that way) you should check out the interior of St. Patrick's Cathedral because it is absolutely gorgeous and right across the street from Saks Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center! From there it's just a short walk down to the NYC Public Library, which is gorgeous and worth seeing (especially if you love "Breakfast at Tiffany's") and then to complete your first day of heavy duty shopping you can shoot down to the Garment District which spans from 5th to 9th Avenue, from 34th to 42nd St. In this district, in addition to Macy's which always seems to draw huge crowds, especially around the holiday season, you can also find tons of amazing little fabric and accessories shops if you're interested in making your own things, or having them specially made for you. Just down the street from Macy's is M&J Trimmings, which is one of the city's most famous "crafting" stores and is sure to delight anyone who lusts for ribbons, bows, feather trims, buttons, grommets, and all kinds of embellishments. Also located in this area are the Empire State Building, Penn Station, and Madison Square Garden, just in case you decide to get some sightseeing in along with the shopping. The Uptown and Midtown shops on the east and west side should be grouped into your first day of shopping because by the end of the day you'll likely be too exhausted to head downtown. The next day, you'll have three brand new general areas to explore, all filled with incredible shops and restaurants, and each as different but quintessentially New York as you can get. Once you head downtown you get to where the heart and soul of the City is, and probably where the most fun fashion can be found. Greenwich Village, the East Village, the Meatpacking District, and SoHo can all be tackled in one day and will take you from to sparse to the bohemian to the luxe and back again. Starting higher up and working your way down is always a good way to go because it allows for a significant amount of wandering. The Meatpacking District is an area of the city that has garnered a lot of attention recently because of its vast transformation from its seedy past as a center of the meat market in Manhattan and slummy apartment buildings to a veritable hub for designer shops. Here you can find Comme des Garcons, Jeffrey New York, Y-3, Paul Smith, Diane Von Furstenberg, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and many other stores of that ilk. Again, the cobblestoned streets and old warehouse-style buildings will bring a brand new ambiance to your shopping experience and you'll find it hard to believe that you're in the same New York as the Upper East or West Side. Next we think it's time for you to go to the West Village. This is one of the most charming areas in the city and after the Meatpacking District you can head to local favorite Pastis for a delicious French lunch to recharge your batteries (or one of the many other restaurants in the area). The West Village is a very popular location for new, fresh designers: Marc Jacobs, Intermix, Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture, Oliver Peoples, Reiss, Boutique Ludvine, Christian Louboutin, Bleecker St. Records, James Perse, Andy's Cheepees, and Catherine Malandrino to name a few. There's also a lot of history in the West Village, which has long been known for its Bohemian past, including the brownstone made famous by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex And The City. Cobblestones line the streets here which will make you feel like you're back in old-time New York. Housing Works Thrift Shop is also a lovely place to stop and shop for home goods and vintage clothing, and although the West Village is home to two of these charitable donation based shops, there are many throughout the city and the proceeds from all purchases go to charity. Famous Christopher Street might be an area you'll want to steer clear of if you're with the kids, as it's known for its sex shops and head shops selling paraphernalia and illicit videos, but if you're in the market for a tattoo, this is one of the best places in the city to shop for it. There's also a lovely spa called Avalon Day Spa on Bleecker and Christopher, where you can stop for a manicure or massage if the stress of all this shopping starts to get to you… Moving east, you'll run into the East Village which is known to be one of the last "true neighborhoods" in the City. St. Marks Place offers loads of cheap, fun things to buy (think sunglasses, jewelry, big earrings and necklaces, cheap bags, etc.) and it's also lined with local favorites like Mamoun's Falafel and Pinkberry, so it's a good place to start working on the East Village. There's no possible way that we could give you any kind of concrete guide to tackling the shops here because there are so many tiny but wonderful little known shops and the best way to go about finding them is to do it yourself. However, we can give you a couple of milestones that will surely help you connect the dots in between. First and foremost, Tokio 7 is one of the best consignment stores in all of Manhattan and offers fantastic, young clothes in great condition for half or more than half off retail prices.