Due to the population and diversity, it is no surprise to hear that Queens has no shortage of places to shop. Queens has many malls, strip shopping centers and specialty shops to keep any enthusiastic shopper busy for hours and thanks to the cultural diversity from neighborhood to neighborhood, shoppers are also treated to an educational experience while they shop.
The Queens Center Mall is the largest shopping mall in Queens and, with its recent expansion, encompasses some 150 stores. It is also one of the most successful malls in the country with the most money spent per square foot in the country. Queens Center Mall features most of the prominent national retailers with some local flavor mixed in.
Address: 90-15 Queens Blvd, Elmhurst, NY 11373
The Shops at Atlas Park is a new high-end shopping center recently opened in 2006 in Glendale. It features an open layout, unique restaurants, and hosts frequent events.
Address - 8000 Cooper Ave, Glendale, NY (at 80th St)
Bay Terrace is a an outdoor strip mall that features many of the nations top retailers and also many local retailers. The mall has a full compliment of eating establishments and a movie theatre.
Address: 26th Ave and Bell Blvd, Bayside, NY
The Flushing Mall is a traditional indoor shopping mall with all shops located under one roof. Its located in a traditionally Chinese area and thus has an Eastern feel to it with many shops selling Chinese inspired goods and even announcements are made in Chinese. Many of the restaurants, of course, are also Chinese, but have earned high praise for the quality.
Address: 133-31 39th Ave, at Prince St, Flushing, NY
Other Queens Shopping Destinations:
Toy Qube in the Flushing Mall is a toy store and home to some of the best designer toys or vinyl toys. Toy Qube offers not only designer vinyl toys and other collectable figures, but they also carry kicks, clothing, and other gear that comes with the lifestyle. Most of the toys come directly from Japan, Hong Kong and other European countries - too many to name. They also carry a variety of figures by local designers in the states.
Magic Castle is a Korean pop culture store that sells toys, stickers, stationery, and more emblazoned with cute characters like Hello Kitty, Kogepan, Pucca, Dragonball Z, and San-X. They also have pop music hits from Korea on CD, and they carry low-priced jewelry, hair clips, and more for teenage girls. (136-82 39th Avenue, Flushing, NY, across from the large municipal parking lot)
The gift shop at the Queens Museum of Art stocks vintage and reproduction souvenirs and gifts from both the 1964-65 and 1939 World's Fairs. They make fabulous NYC gifts and are nearly impossible to find anywhere else. Also find Queens-focused souvenirs for those who love the borough.
A cradle of hip-hop, Jamaica is where it still happens. Shoppers come by the bus-load for the latest and greatest in hip-hop fashions at good prices. There are hundreds of small retailers, and a few larger ones like Cookie's, lining Jamaica Avenue between Parsons and 168th Street. The center of the shopping district is 165th Street, where a pedestrian plaza takes over the street between Jamaica and 89th Avenues. Hot Point is one store stocking Baby Phat, Fubu, and Kangol (165-13 Jamaica Ave).
Opened by two Queens-born fashion designers, Stella Gialla brings city fashions, like C. Ronson and Joe's Jeans, to Middle Village. Don't miss their own VanRey line of miniskirts and tops, or their hand-knit dresses. (75-48 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY, 11354, 718-894-0919, closed Tuesdays)
The South Asian section of 74th Street in Jackson Heights literally glows from all the gold jewelry shops. Twenty-two karat gold is the style, with a rich, deep sheen not found on 14 kara gold. It comes in very intricate patterns and designs. Another plus is that the sale price is based strictly on weight, which with 22k is almost 100% gold, unlike lower karats. (Sona Chandi, 37-14 74th St. Jackson Heights, NY)
From About.com