There's Nothing Like Shopping in New York—Here's My List of Must-Visit Stores

Take it from someone who shops for a living: When it comes to shopping during the holidays, there is no better place than uptown New York. Yes, I've shopped in both Paris and London this time of year, and no, neither came close to strolling from Bergdorf Goodman to Louis Vuitton, stopping for lunch at a Madison Avenue café or bistro, and then heading north to Toteme, The Row, and Manolo Blahnik. Oh, and you have to pop into Zitomer, the best old-fashioned pharmacy north of 10th Street. (If you're downtown, C.O. Bigelow is a must, but that's a shopping destination for another day.)

What makes shopping uptown so elite this time of year is the festiveness of it all. Every elegant uptown hotel, from the Plaza to the Carlyle, is decorated for the holidays. The windows at Bergdorf's have been transformed, transporting passersby into an extravagant fantasy. One store or another is always handing out gourmet hot chocolate, and if they aren't, you can probably receive a complimentary glass of champagne inside if you do a little bit of shopping.

Unlike walking up Broadway in SoHo, the streets and stores on Madison and Fifth are never jam-packed, even on the busiest of holiday shopping days. Plus, you can always find a reprieve in Central Park or Bemelmans Bar. As cheesy as it sounds, shopping uptown toward the tail end of the year is pretty magical and something that no visitor or local should miss out on. To ensure that you hit all the best stops, I created the must-visit store guide below. Now, you have no excuse but to head uptown between now and January 1.

Nothing compares to walking into Bergdorf Goodman during the holidays and being met by organized and somehow chic chaos. Even though the store's tight corridors are filled from open to close with guests trying to find the perfect gift or holiday outfit, the energy is never overwhelming inside. Rather, I find myself wanting to stay for hours, perusing the end-of-season shoe sales, popping into designated boutiques, and watching other people shop to see what they're drawn to from the luxurious selection. Sometimes, if I feel like treating myself, I'll stop into BG for a light bite and a coffee or tea with a view of Central Park. Café Ginori also just opened in the iconic department store downstairs on the beauty level, and the tableware alone is worth checking out.

If you're in New York this holiday season, you'd be remiss not to stop into the city's most talked-about store: Louis Vuitton. Which one? Well, I'd argue both. If you're in the area, you'll likely spot dozens of people taking photos outside of the French house's viral trunk-wrapped flagship, which is currently undergoing a multiyear renovation and has an eye-catching exterior. Once you've seen it for yourself (photos really don't do it justice), you're free to pop across the street to the just-opened temporary store on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. Trust me. After perusing as many square inches of the place as I could gain access to on the morning of its big unveiling—including its two dining options in Le Café Louis Vuitton and Le Chocolat Maxime Frédéric, both of which are opening stateside for the first time—I can tell you with certainty that it hardly has temporary energy. Then again, the largest fashion house there was never going to open just any store, even if it will likely only live on 57th Street for a few years. Did I mention that there's a very exclusive New York City–inspired collection that you can only buy there? Run.

Toteme's SoHo store might be bigger, but if you're not the type to wait in a line outside on a Saturday afternoon, I highly recommend heading to its uptown location instead. Located on Madison Avenue and 69th Street, the quaint boutique is nothing if not extremely chic. When you walk in, you're met with only a few sparse racks of beautiful clothing, a wall of It handbags, and a spiral staircase that you'll almost certainly want to take a photo of.

If you like shoes, stepping foot into the Manolo Blahnik flagship store on Madison Avenue for the first time will be a transcendent experience. Everywhere you look is a gorgeously constructed pair of pumps, boots, or flats, from the Maysale to the Hangisi, all of which are available in a kaleidoscope of colors. The space was designed by interior decorator David Thomas and inspired by the glamour of the Hollywood Regency. Think grand columns and black-and-white marble flooring.

Beauty lovers, meet your new favorite uptown destination. If you've never been to Zitomer on Madison Avenue and 76th Street, you're in for a treat. The pharmacy does a lot more than just fill prescriptions. It also houses rows of luxury skincare and makeup products from brands like 111Skin, Augustinus Bader, and Natura Bissé as well as French hair tools like the viral Mason Pearson brushes. It's dangerous to say the least, but also, it's a perfect place to get lost in while you warm up after window-shopping in the cold.

Whether you're in Paris or New York, visiting The Row is equivalent to stepping into a gallery or quaint art museum. Inside, you'll be immersed in quality, from the furniture to the art on the walls to, of course, the clothes, shoes, and handbags that are available on the sales floor. Bask in sumptuous cashmere, beautifully tailored outerwear and suiting, and plenty of Margaux bags (if you're lucky). If you're anything like me, you won't want to ever leave.

There are not one but two must-visit Ralph Lauren stores on Madison Avenue, one on the east side of the street and one on the west. On the east side is the Rhinelander mansion, otherwise known as Ralph Lauren's menswear flagship. Completed in 1898, the neo-Renaissance compound was originally built as a home for heiress Gertrude Rhinelander Waldo but remained mostly empty until Lauren purchased the space to make it into his retail store in 1986. According to the brand's website, the designer made a speech on the day the store opened: “New York can be a harsh place, and I want people to come in here and feel your warmth and feel like you really are inviting them into your home." Almost 40 years later, it still feels that way, especially during the holidays.

On the west side of Madison Avenue is the womenswear flagship store, a 22,000-square-foot building that Lauren had built in the beaux arts style, according to Architectural Digest. Though much newer than the men's store across the street, you wouldn't know it from looking at the space. It is undeniably exquisite and home to all sorts of treasures, from shearling coats to suede handbags.

It's been a little over a year since Argentinian Italian designer Veronica de Piante opened her New York store at 833 Madison Avenue, but it's already become an essential stop on every fashion person's uptown shopping tour. Inside the two-story boutique, you'll find the designer's signature elite tailoring and elegant silhouettes in a range of leather, silk, and cashmere, all of which were made in Italy, where de Piante was born.

The final stop on the tour has to be Elyse Walker, one of six stores the lauded purveyor of luxury clothes, shoes, and accessories has opened since 1999. (The first location was in the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles.) At the shop, located at 926 Madison Avenue, guests will be met with an expertly curated selection of designer goods, from suede handbags by Métier and Tod's to hard-to-find ready-to-wear items by Chloé and Miu Miu. Whether you need something to wear for an event or date night or are looking to finally splurge on that item you've been dreaming of for months, walking the extra few blocks to do it at Elyse Walker will never lead to disappointment.