DAY #2: Lower Manhattan
The goal that Julie and I had for the second day was to obtain knockoff purses. We started early, right outside our hotel. Julie found a cute Coach for one of her daughters. This was enough to get the adrenalin running to wheel and deal for more purses. The scheduled agenda that day started with a trip to Century 21, a Department store, similar to TJ Maxx. The store was located only a few blocks from Battery park and right across the street from the World Trade Center site. Several in the group wanted to go down to Battery Park to look across at the Statute of Liberty. Julie & I wanted to go to Battery Park for PURSES! We always see different stuff at Battery Park than we see in China town. The bus let some people off at Century 21, and then continued on to Battery Park. As soon as we got off the bus at Battery Park we could see the purse guys.
*For those of you who have never experienced the purse guys in Battery Park, they have very large cardboard boxes, like the size a large TV would come in. On top of the boxes they have a sheet, which you can see has objects inside it. It is tied in a knot at the top. They wheel their box around with a furniture dolly. Buying a purse from them is pretty much like doing a drug deal. They are on the lookout for the cops because selling knockoff purses is illegal. When you tell them you are interested in a purse, they have you follow them off to a side street, where they take the wrapped up sheet off the top of the box so you can see the purses inside the box, then they untie the sheet so you can see the purses inside the sheet. You pick out the purse or purses you want and then the fun begins. They usually want around $80 for a purse and you dicker back and forth with them, usually getting the purse for somewhere between $20-40 depending on the purse.
Julie and & purchased several purses and returned to the bus to deposit our stash. Sensing that Julie and I were "Jonesing" for purses, the purse guys came up to the bus and wanted to sell their wears. There were several of our tour group members who were on the bus and quite unfamiliar with the buying and selling of knockoff purses. We told them to watch and learn. We exited the bus and began the process of purchasing a purse, while they watched from the window. The bus door was also open so they could hear what we were doing. They were quite impressed with our knockoff purse buying skills.
We decided we had enough of purses in Battery Park, knowing that we would be going to China town in the afternoon, which makes purse buying in Battery Park look like Kindergarten. We did go to Century 21, and I found great stuff for the kids, including "7" brand jeans for Lauren.
Julie & I in China town.
Next it was on to China town. By now the entire tour group had returned to the bus and were quite amazed at the purses we had acquired. We gave a brief lesson in purse buying in China town, complete with secret rooms, dark alleys and negotiating. We had no idea what stories they would return with. Last year when Julie and I were in China town they would not let us in any of the secret rooms, I presume because we had our kids with us, so purse buying in China town was challenging last year. This year was a different story. We had no problem getting into secret rooms.
*For those of you not in the know, most of the stores in China town have a secret room where they have to knockoff stuff. Its just like a murder mystery with a secret passage. It looks to be one wall, but a button is pushed and the wall opens up allowing entry into the secret room. Before you can leave the secret room they radio outside to see if it is clear so the cops do not see individuals exiting the secret room. The advantage of the secret room as opposed to Battery Park is that you can look for a long time, in Battery Park they want you to hurry and pick a purse because they are out in the open and afraid of a cop walking around the corner. The selection in the secret room is significantly larger than the purse guys at Battery Park. Also in China town they have individuals who stand on the corners and ask if you are interested in a purse. Those individuals will then take you down alleys, into buildings, and sometimes down into basements. Those make me a little more nervous than the secret room, but I have done in twice. I was able to locate purses and knock off Chanel sunglasses for myself, my mother-in-law Linda and my sister-in-law Courtney.
My knockoff purses!
Final Total: Julie =9, Tiffany = 10
When returned to the bus our tour mates had wild tales to tell of purse buying in China town. One mother daughter team got shoved into a van and locked inside while selecting purses. Two ladies from our tour ended up in locked in a jewelry shop with the store keeper wanting them to buy a $4000 ring. They escaped with money still in tacked and no new jewelry. Still others in our tour could not manage to locate any knockoffs and wanted to know where they were. There is nothing like China town in NYC.
After China town it was on to SoHo. In my three prior trips to NYC I have never made it to SoHo. Its a great shopping area. I loved all the boutique stores and window shopping. My only regret, not enough time.
Every day we returned to the hotel around 4:25 p.m. because our bus turned into a pumpkin at 4:30 p.m. With the exception of the first evening when we saw the Broadway show, we were free to do what ever we wanted. I still had not had enough time at "The Mother Ship" so Julie agreed to return to Macy's with me. I spent two and one half more hours in Macy's. I managed to do something that had eluded me in my three prior trips to NYC, make it though the entire plus size section of Macy's. I did minor damage to my Macy's card, and came home with about 10 new articles of clothing all for ME.
The view of Times Square from our hotel balcony.
