Bloomingdale's New York

Sprawling over an entire city block at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, Bloomingdale’s flagship location is a more than just a department store. It is a New York City landmark. As one of the top destinations for tourists visiting the city, Bloomingdale’s or Bloomie’s as it is affectionately known features everything from designer clothing and jewelry to bedding and home furnishings. As well as the incredible range of merchandise, the store is famous for its iconic brown shopping bags and spectacular holiday window displays.

A Fashion Trend Starts It All

In the 19th century, hoop skirts were all the rage and brothers Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale catered to the demand in their women’s wear shop located in New York's Lower East Side. This was the first item the retailers carried at a time when shops just offered one type of clothing. In 1872, the Bloomingdale brothers started to think bigger. They decided to carry a wider selection of items, including stylish European designs. The concept of the “department store” was born with the opening of their East Side Bazaar.

By 1886 the brothers moved their store uptown to its present location, which featured large plate glass windows. The displays were innovative for the time, showcasing just one or two pieces of merchandise as props in a scene. Bloomingdale’s holiday windows are legendary and tourists and locals alike flock each season to see the beautiful and artistic scenes on display.

Like No Other Store in The World

Offering the latest styles by the hottest names like Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs, Bloomingdale’s particularly lives up to its slogan “Like No Other Store in the World” with its massive selection of merchandise. There are dozens of designer collections of men’s and women’s clothing and shoes as well as a wide selection of purses, jewelry and accessories. Whether you are shopping for the latest peeptoe booties or a more classic pair of oxfords, there is something to suit every type of shopper at Bloomie’s. The store’s designer store Paradox features unique pieces by the designers making waves in the fashion world, including cutting edge favourites like Japanese label Comme des Garçons and the Halston Heritage line.

The Infamous Little Brown Bag

The bag is almost as fun as the purchase when you shop at Bloomingdale’s. Swinging one of the Bloomingdale’s "Little", "Medium" or "Big" brown bags is all part of the shopping experience- one that has a long history. The store’s marketing team created the first designer shopping bags in 1961, and it became so popular that many of the bags designed by different artists have become collector’s items. In 1973 the iconic brown bags labelled by size came on the scene and to this day are symbolic of the department store giant’s long history as a premier New York shopping destination.

Visiting Bloomingdale's New York

Location: at 1000 Third Avenue at Lexington Avenue and 59th Street
Phone: 212-705-2000
Store Type: Department Store

Click here to visit Bloomingdale's official website