Keeping with our theme of saving travelers money, New York has some incredible thrift stores that offer shoppers a way to purchase the latest from the world’s fashion capital without breaking the bank. Don’t let the term “thrift store” deter you, as we’re not talking about the Goodwill here. Instead imagine fashionable stores that sell super trendy vintage and brand-name clothing.

The Angel Street Thrift Shop in Chelsea is a good place to start, as it has a wide selection of designer brands at affordable prices. Even better than the great deals, all proceeds from the store benefit programs for New Yorkers with mental illnesses, addiction and HIV.

The Arthritis Thrift Shop, on the Upper East Side, is the place to go for diamond-in-the-rough type finds and exploring its cluttered racks can be a lot of fun. As its name suggests all proceeds from sales at this shop benefit the Arthritis Foundation.

Across the East River, Williamsburg is the place to go for vintage thrift store finds. This trendy neighborhood is at the forefront of hipster fashion and it has several shops worth checking out. Monk’s on Driggs Ave has a huge selection of vintage clothing and jewelry, including a large assortment of men’s clothing. Vice Versa on Bedford Ave is another great find with its large stock of clothing and accessories. Otherwise don’t miss the Buffalo Exchange, which is a nice and orderly break from the clutter of the other Williamsburg thrift shops.

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For those who want to experience a day in the life of real New Yorker (sans an apartment with five manual key locks or poor plumbing), staying at a boutique hotel is the closest thing to authenticity. Plus, you gain instant room service and a super hip, stylistic place to lay your hat and tired body down.

A boutique hotel is as unique as the city it represents, as independent as an artist, and friendly as a hometown neighbor. Intimate and often luxurious in unexpected ways–well, that’s a boutique hotel for you.

In fact–New York City is home to the whole boutique hotel craze, and it makes sense. Manhattan is a city that boasts one of the highest room rates ($238 on average in NYC according to Smith Travel). So traditionally in NYC, it used to be that you had to drop a ton of money or scrimp and wish for the best–don’t let the bed bugs bite!

But now there’s a middle ground. A boutique hotel offers a median rate between a luxury hotel and a 2-star low-grade vacancy. It takes the positive things from each of the extremes like superior service, fine amenities, yet with a smaller room count and more personal feel. Promising cool design and a nod to local flavor with reasonable rates–“budget boutiques” made traveling to metropolitan cities in style more of a reality.

At the MAve Hotel, our sharp staff works diligently around the clock to make you feel right at home. We try our best to remember your name and point you to all the cool spots in the city–or even right outside the door, like Pranna across the street, Nomad around the corner, and The Jazz Standard nearby.

Inside our sleek rooms you’re guaranteed free Wifi, deluxe bathrobes, ultra-plush pillow-top mattresses, the best boutique spa products, iHome for your gadgets, your own USA Today, videos on demand, breakfast on the go, lunch at your door, and someone there in a flash to clean up your entire mess. And with our location almost in the center of the island–the whole city is your calling card for adventure.

To extend your stay or book a visit with us, call us at: (212) 532.7373

We’d love to hear from you, and we promise to make it a stay you’ll never forget!

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The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a nationally viewed event so cemented in the minds of American culture that people travel from all around the globe to get a glimpse of the life size balloons, floats, cheerleaders, marching bands, and Hollywood celebrities that paint this historic 2-mile route. The parade showcases 10,000 participants, and crowds of 2 to 3.5 million spectators along the streets, as well as 50 million viewers on TV.

Each year the celebrity line-up is announced just one day prior to the event but it never disappoints. Last year’s appearances included the likes of: Cee Lo Green, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary J. Blige, Avril Levigne, Cobra Starship, and many more. But you can certainly count on old standby floats like Harold the Policeman, Uncle Sam, the Little Toy Solider (first introduced into the parade in 1949), and Macy’s Star “Virginia” (who is as wide as 126 taxi cabs, and high as a 389-story building) as noted on the parade’s official website.

When to arrive: Although the parade starts at 9am, onlookers start lining up at 6:30am along the designated parade route. Many people bring stools, folding chairs, or milk crates for sitting or standing–knowing they may be in one area for 4-5 hours if they plan to stay for the entire parade.

The parade path: This year, the 86th-annual parade will march along a new route. Beginning at Central Park West and West 77th Street on November 22, the procession will head down Central Park West and travel east along Central Park South to Sixth Avenue, then proceed south from West 59th Street to West 34th Street, ending in front of the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.

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