FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ShopNYC Tours Receives 2011 Best of Manhattan Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

NEW YORK, NY, December 8, 2011 — ShopNYC Tours has been selected for the 2011 Best of Manhattan Award in the Tours category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

Finding the best way or a new way to experience New York city in a day’s time can be a real challenge. In attempt to solve that obstacle, ShopNYC Tours and Out on the Water Sailing have teamed up to create an unparalleled, action-packed experience in one day! With our Sales & Sails day in New York, you will spend 1/2 a day with a top-notch shopping tour guide and the other half with a captain sailing around bustling New York Harbor aboard your privately chartered 22ft sloop, Wanderlust.

ShopNYC Tours provides unique, behind-the-scenes shopping and lifestyle experiences for a wide range of shoppers from the splurging fashionista to the frugal recessionista. On our shopping excursions, tourists and locals alike discover hidden gem boutiques with their very own style-savvy guide. Did we mention our shoppers receive exclusive discounts? And guys—don’t be shy—we cater to male shoppers too! With this exclusive Sails and Sales promotion, ShopNYC Tours will be offering an All-in-One Shopping Tour, complete with a mix of trendy chic boutiques, hip vintage boutiques, men’s fashion boutiques and a handful of SALES hotspots! On this tour, you’ll also enjoy strolling the streets of unique Manhattan neighborhoods including Soho, Nolita, Noho and Greenwich Village—where, after you shop til you drop—you’ll meet your group for lunch!

The program is designed for groups of 4 or 8 people. 1 Group of 4 will shop in the morning and sail in the afternoon and the other group of 4 will do the opposite. We will all meet for lunch in the West village and then continue on with our new adventure. Up close and personal with the Statue of Liberty and an insider scoop on the hottest NYC boutiques in one day—what else is there to accomplish in the city?

$1995 per group of 4 

Contact us for reservations or custom arrangements.

ShopNYC Tours has recently teamed up with Robyn at True Hospitality to offer special discounted room rates for our customers!  All the hotels that True Hospitality works with are chosen based on quality, comfort, style and value in each city that they add to their collection of hotels we represent. Robyn would love to help you with your next group, meeting or single reservation. Contact her at 347-561-5430 or via email at robyn@truehospitalityny.com.  Make sure you mention that you’re taking a tour with ShopNYC Tours to get extra special offers!

Dicaprio was seen hanging with friends in the East Village clad in jeans, sneaks and a backwards baseball cap during the Vintage Boutique Tour while singer Sheryl Crow was spotted grabbing a latte at Starbucks in Soho during a Customized Mother/Daughter Shopping Tour.  Gaga, spotted during our Teen Fashion Tour, was bargain shopping at Necessary Clothing in Noho.  After all, every Lady needs to watch her pennies!

In July 1897, the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company began running 12 electric cabs round the city. By the following year, it operated 62 cars, before its rebirth as the more modern-sounding Electric Vehicle Company. In 1899, the firm had 100 taxicabs running.

On May 20^th that same year, the USA’s first ever speeding ticket was issued to one Jacob German, driving one of the Electric Vehicle Company’s taxicabs. Another national first occurred on 13 September, when Henry Bliss became the first victim of an auto accident, after being hit by a taxi. By the dawn of the next century, there were a thousand electric taxis on the city streets.

Following the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1907, and the loss of a huge portion of its fleet in a devastating fire, the Electric Vehicle Company collapsed. After such huge progress had been made, New York City was back to the horse and carriage. This was an expensive way to get around. Legend has it that, in 1907, Harry N Allen couldn’t believe the extravagant cost of a 0.75 mile journey, and decided to start a taxicab service that charged by the mile. He imported 65 gasoline-powered cars from France, and so began the New York Taxicab Company. Originally red and green, Allen repainted them all yellow so that they could be seen (and hailed) from a distance. In just a year, Allen had over 700 cabs in his fleet. The fare was 50 cents a mile – about a tenth of the cost paid by Allen on his mythical horse and carriage journey, but still well beyond the budget of most New Yorkers.

By the roaring twenties, industrialists began to recognize the huge potential of the taxicab market, with General Motors and the Ford Motor Company among those joining the ranks (ha!) of the New York Taxicab Company. The most successful of these new companies was the Checkered Cab Manufacturing Company, which produced the instantly recognizable, and hugely popular yellow and black taxis which became an integral part of 20^th Century New York.

Following the depression, there was a glut of drivers on the market, and no passengers to fill the cabs. As a way of regulating the licensing, New York City brought in the medallion system, which is still in operation today. Around 29% of all taxis are owner-operated, with the rest leased by fleets.

The yellow taxicab is one of the many little bonuses you get when visiting New York which, along with hot dog stands and steaming vents, make you feel as though you are in a movie. To see for yourself, check out the Flight Centre website, where you’ll find flights to New York.

Next door, at Joyce Leslie, she found a lot of really cute tops and tanks while her mom browsed some of their jackets.  I figured it would be a fun addition to head over to the Juno New York Sample Sale since the mom admitted to being the shoe addict when we drove through the shoe district. I also knew that the teen was looking for some black flats and they have a huge selection of them.  The stop was a success!  Not only did the teen find her black flats, but she found a cute leather bracelet as well.

Our next destination was TopShop and the ladies were super excited after I showed the a short video about the store.  The teen was a huge fan of Urban Outfitters so I knew she’d love TopShop too.  We definitely spent the most time here.  How could we not with the three levels of endless clothing, shoes and accessories!  The teen tried on a few things while the mom found some cute clutches for just $5.

After TopShop we headed over to the West Village to the Marc Jacobs Special Items store.  The teen found a cute, hawaiian-print MJ tote and a few souvenirs for her friends at home.

As we headed back to their hotel, they enjoyed their yummy Magnolia Bakery cupcakes.

The other combo shopping tour we had last week was for a mother and daughter from the UK.  They wanted to visit some chic boutiques along with some vintage boutiques.  They were such lovely ladies.

We began the tour near Union Square and headed south on University Place where we headed to Jodi Arnold NYC and Pia.  Following, we headed over to the shoe district where they visited some of the best shoe stores in the city along with Monk Vintage, where they enjoyed browsing the unique pieces.

From here, we headed past Washington Square Park and I told them a little bit about the historical MacDougal Street.  We stopped at Cover Up and the daughter bought a cute headband that was also very practical in that, it was knitted and covered her ears.

Moving on, we walked over to Thompson Street, where I took them to Purdy Girl, where the mother found a beautiful necklace (all their jewelry was half off) and then to Stella Dallas, where the daughter found a pair of vintage shoes she absolutely loved.  I told them that we had to visit both Purdy Girl stores, so we walked to the LaGuardia Place shop next, and we also visited Helianthus, which was just a few steps away.

At this point, I figured we should go to Soho, where they could find some more mainstream contemporary fashion at New York Look.  The daughter was looking for a trench coat and I knew they’d have a good selection.  She actually ended up loving a few of their spring handbags.

We were running on schedule for once, so I suggested we go to the Meatpacking District.  The daughter had asked about ScoopNYC and I knew that their best stores are located on Washington Street.  On the way, we made a quick stop at Chelsea Girl Couture where I told them they could find the famous Moon Bags by Patricia Smith along with some dead stock Diane Von Furstenberg.

We hopped on the subway up to the Meatpacking District next, and made a stop at Darling.  The mother sat for a little, while the daughter tried on a few of their gorgeous, colorful silk dresses.  From here we walked (it was a beautiful day) by Elizabeth Charles and Tracy Reese up to Gansevoort Street.  Since the ladies were Carrie Bradshaw advocates, I mentioned Christian Lou Boutin and they wanted to take a quick peak inside.

Finally, we made it to ScoopNYC (they visited Scoop and Scoop Street) and I pointed out that the Diane Von Furstenberg flagship store was across the street.  This was where the daughter found an adorable dress.

From here, I escorted them back to the subway and pointed them to their hotel.

If you’d like to take a customized combo shopping tour, visit our website for more information at www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours.  We look forward to shopping with you!

First stop was Unpomela, where they had a limited selection but some really cool dresses.  There was one in particular that the teen was going to try on but the price was just slightly above the average prom dress price.

We moved on next to a few of the sample sales where they had some great deals on a few gowns, but nothing that peaked her fancy.  Over on West Broadway, we tried New York Look, Ariella and Max Azria.  They had some cute short dresses (which is a huge prom trend this year) but not much of a selection for long gowns.

I knew it was time to head uptown to the stores where there would be gowns, gowns, and more gowns.  On the way, we took a look at the Prom Hairstyles video.  The teen really liked the side sweep hairdo with loose curls, which actually ended up to be the perfect style for the dress she chose.

Uptown, we started in the garment district where they have gowns galore.  We came across a few that were similar to what she was looking for, but not the exact style and color that she wanted.  We skipped over some of the accessories stores since we hadn’t found the dress yet and headed over to the huge BCBG flagship store on Fifth Avenue.  They had some beautiful dresses on the second level, as usual, but nothing that quite fit.  Same with Saks Fifth Avenue: beautiful gowns at reasonable prices but nothing exact.

Our last stop was Bloomingdale’s and it was a winner!  There were several gowns in the color and style that she wanted but she also picked out a completely different color: a beaded aquamarine blue dress.  It was really beautiful!  In the dressing room, it came down to a cream-colored dress and the blue (both of which had very unique backs.)  I gave my two cents and said she should get the blue since it was more youthful and fun.  Cream is definitely something you can wear when you get older.  Her mother agreed.  Dress?  Check!

We had a little extra time to shop for shoes after she bought the dress and decided that since the beading had some purple in it, that purple, metallic purple, or dull silver would work best.  I was disappointed in Bloomingdale’s non-designer shoe selection though.  $1500 for prom stilettos is a little steep…  They decided they would just get shoes at home.  (The teen said that she would be kicking them off early in the night anyway!)

We headed over to the MAC makeup counter where one of the makeup artists applied a beautiful blue and purple smokey eye for the teen.  Mom watched very closely so she could recreate the look on the big night!  Makeup?  Check!

If you’re interested in enjoying our NYC Prom Shopping Experience, visit our website for more information at www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours/nyc-prom-shopping-experience.  We look forward to prom shopping with you!

At first, they had mentioned shopping for vintage, but when I explained to them the difference between vintage and consignment, they decided that it was more the consignment that they were craving. Vintage, I explained, is from another era, (even though the 80s can be referred to as vintage now)…. Yeah–I don’t think Madonna and Cindy would be thrilled to hear this…nor is my mother. Consignment, on the other hand, is second-hand as well but it can be from someone’s closet just last week. In the case of New York City, many of the consignment shops contain ready-to-wear from recent fashion weeks along with red carpet recently worn by the likes of Chloe Sevigny and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Our first stop was West Soho–INA. They carry some of the most amazing consignment in the city. Their shoe collection contains names such as Lou Boutin, Choo and Blahnik–enough said. One of the women was looking for a recent Gucci handbag, but she wanted it at a consignment price. That’s the one thing about consignment that can be difficult–having one specific thing in mind. Because there is only really ONE of everything when you shop consignment. It’s very rare that you’ll find two of the same pieces.

The next stop was the street vendors for many along with a bite for lunch at Snack–a stylish Soho cafe. It was a beautiful day so they enjoyed leisurely strolling the streets.

After West Soho, it was back in the limo and time to head to the East Village. I wanted to introduce them to Buffalo Exchange. INA was a little pricey for their liking. There was a small distraction when we headed over to East 11th Street–Viniero’s Bakery–a delicious distraction. The ladies loaded up on treats to take back to the hotel for later. They have some of the most amazing pastries in the city.

Buffalo Exchange didn’t really peak their interest although some of the ladies enjoyed browsing Min K next door and Tokio Joe’s (aside from the crowded factor.) I figured we should try out Tokio 7. They carry very similar designer consignment as INA but the pricing is a little more reasonable and the clothing slightly more dated. Nonetheless, they really enjoyed it and some of them even tried on some things.

By this point, since they had decided to incorporate lunch and dessert into the tour, we only had time for one more stop. I figured that Cadillac’s Castle would be the best option. This was one of the most successful stops where almost everyone left with something including jewelry, shoes and dresses. Cad’s Castle really is a hidden gem and their prices are extremely reasonable for what you can find. All in all, it was a great tour and the ladies had an enjoyable afternoon.

If you’d like to tour some of the most amazing consignment shops in NYC, visit www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours for more information. We look forward to shopping with you!