We came to inflate five balloons on Saturday. Four days later actually already two days later they…read morewere starting to be much much less air of helium in them. I came back to try to see if they could replenish the helium because it must've been over inflated and this the material stretched out, but they refuse to even have a conversation about it.

The ghetto that is "Amster-damn" Ave. between 86th Street and 96th street just grew by one more…read morejunky store. Behold! A 99¢ store so small, as to be almost useless! You know, I really wouldn't mind it so much if the junk didn't spill out onto the sidewalk. Every day, more and more unattractive piles of cheap mops and plastic do-dads blot out the view from the sidewalk seating at the pizza restaurant next door. It's simply an eyesore. Forget about the fact that they don't have room to carry half of what you might actually go to a 99¢ store for, despite using the sidewalk as additional sales space. And having customers who allow their dogs to piss on the floor doesn't help matters at all. I want to say that they can't control their clientele, but messy attracts messy. And don't get me wrong.... I love a good 99¢ Store. But they tend to be larger and more comprehensively stocked. This one is just like the one further down ghettofab Amsterdam, only more sloppy on the outside. I know the sushi place didn't do much business, but this kind of downgrade on the block doesn't help the business that exist there at all. And here I was thinking things were looking up. *sigh*

This is too big to call a 99¢ store. It's more like an old-fashioned 5 & Dime. It's got everything…read more If you have to quickly put together a gift, there are balloons, grab a gift bag, some tissue paper, and then the gift. I'm sure you'll find something. They've got housewares, tools, baby items, an extensive cleaning section. They even have 5-gallon tubs of Tide for $35! If you have the room that's a good value. The best part is that they carry my favorite Avon roll-on deodorant. It was pulled from most other stores for some reason so I'm very glad to see it. The only negative is that they close when they want to, so be sure to get there before 7 pm just to be safe.

On the way to hang with a friend I dropped into this store. It's not a dinky .99 cent store as it…read morehas a variety of everything. From household items to toiletries to kitchen products to cleaning products the shelves in this place are loaded. Good prices since it is a discount store. For mothers day they also had an assortment of helium balloons to choose from. Seems like you can find everything in here.

Charge whatever they can get away with. No prices posted. Try to read you & whether or not you…read moreknow what an item should cost. Prices can vary from one visit to the next. Way more expensive than any other convenience store.

You can definitely find some hidden gems in here! It's kind of a mix between a luxury sample sale…read moreand TJ Maxx. They had a great selection of designer sunglasses, mostly for women, plus lots of Moose Knuckles jackets for men and plenty of Hugo Boss. One of the saleswomen told me they're having a super sale next week for Labor Day Definitely worth checking out!

This is a massive outlet store spanning over three floors. Most of the store is filled with apparel…read moreitems for men and women. In the lower floor, are the men's products and clearance sections. Main floor has home goods, sunglasses, watches, purses in limited quantity, also lots of women's apparels. Second floor has dresses and shoes. The store was mostly tidy. Walking thru the cramped aisles was little tough. There were only two fitting rooms from what I heard the staff saying . The Clearance sections had sale items up to 80%. I liked a $49 Scotch & Soda t-shirt tagged for only $7. The deal made my day. Checkout process was quick. I got to use my Bloomingdale's cash rewards for the purchase. Overall it was a nice store and seemed to be popular among the city locals.

A to Z 99 Cent Store has been part of the neighborhood for over a decade. They used to be right…read morenext to the Marrakech Hotel but moved across Broadway and down one block this year when the Marrakech's owner sold his place, closed and vacated the leases of the stores/restaurants below. Now A to Z has a brand new brightly lit store with clean, well organized shelves and wall displays with fresh items. The owners are still the same nice guys and the prices are great. At Duane Reade cortisone cream will cost you 4 bucks. Here it's $1.29. A 6 pack of sponges is $1.99 vs. Gristedes where it's $6. Open 9am-9pm, you can get toiletries,cleaning supplies, housewares, food staples,candy, batteries, stationery, first aid supplies, small tools and hardware, gloves, hats, t-shirts, balloons and seasonal items (Christmas decorations, Halloween supplies, etc.) We have a number of tourist hotels nearby and folks find the items they forgot to bring without breaking the bank. We locals who appreciate the value, convenience and personal connection shop here, too. We're fortunate to have a number of these independently-run small discount stores in this neighborhood and each one has something to offer. For certain you won't be stuck in a 15 minute check out line at the local chain drug store. Check this place out. (They also have a lovely cat.)

So nondescript on the outside I didn't notice it for the 4 years I've lived in the neighborhood…read more Averaged sized store that is MUCH better than the two 99¢ stores further south on Amsterdam, which is really saying something. I found a medium-sized padded envelope and a pack of small safety pins. Pretty random, but since they still carried it, it shows that they do have a fairly comprehensive selection.

It's a bit of a dump and a bit of a good old fashioned hole in the wall, but, they do have…read moreexcellent deals on clearing supplies here! Granted it's quite a limited selection, but it's much cheaper than Duane Reade or CVS; I got some 409 Bathroom Cleaner for $2.50...it was $5.99 at Duane Reade. A big bucket for mopping was $4.99 as opposed to $12.99. Also, dish soap is a $1.50 not $3.99. Sweet deals.

Unique Boutique has a store in my block Upper East Side. When I'm in this West Side neighborhood I…read morevisit this location. I am sure I took lots of photos and did a review but they're not posted here. Bottom line is they have a wide variety of unusual items that people donate. I really enjoy looking and sometimes I find a nik knack for my daughter! There's always CD's and books too. I'm recommending you visit either location.

An incredible jumble of a place, especially when without warning, they have just received a number…read moreof enormous bags of donations, which they hardly have space for and certainly cannot be expected to drop everything and process. But when things are normal, the lighting is excellent, the clothes are well organized and the staff is always, and I repeat, always polite and friendly. They are business people and this is their business and customers need to understand that. As with any business based on donations, you can find wonderful things at very reasonable prices or you can find nothing at all to your liking. But that is why Unique Boutique -- and each item is unique -- is so much fun. A note -- someone reviewed it saying "I called to ask about furniture and the guy said no and hung up the phone..." This is what I mean about customers not understanding retail...you asked a question, he answered it and why should he stay on the phone with you ? There is no way this store has the space to accommodate furniture and once that is clear, there is nothing more to say, so salespeople hang up. If you would like them to apologize for not taking or selling something impossible, that is what you expect culturally, but other people do not think that is necessary in what is not a personal relationship. You asked a question, you got an answer, good bye, move on.

The store layout was interesting. 3 floors. And i came twice this month just to see if the…read moreinventory changed. Couldn't find any food activewear. But if you're looking for luxury brands, this store has the goods.

3 floors of merchandise to help you find what you need and don't know what you need.Staff is very…read morehelpful and store is clean and well lit.

Oliver Zingone is the best bodega cat on the UWS! Don't skip…read moreout on this local treasure.

A great family owned and family run local market. They have a great variety of whatever you need…read moreand fantastic produce. They will even pick and deliver fresh produce to you! The owners and staff are especially knowledgeable and are truly the nicest people. Zingone Brothers market is what people think of when they say they love the Upper West side--Quality, Character, Caring.

My mother-in-law was visiting from Turkey and she let us know to meet her here. She really enjoyed…read morethis store a lot, I had never been here before but looking around they had a a nice variety of interesting things as well as some not so high quality stuff. But it did look like a great place to pick up some stocking stuffers or prizes that I can give out when we host Bingo night at our house. The store was very clean and orderly and the lines moved quickly. Especially being right near Times Square, expected it to be more messy. The staff here do a good job.

On my short trip to the city, someone in my party had forgotten to pack a necktie. While we were…read morevery short on time, I figured a quick run through some of the stores, might have us finding one. The first stop was Lot-Less. I wasn't sure if this was a thrift store at first, or a discount store. It is very similar to Job Lot. Everything's here. They have clothes, snacks, makeup, books, home supplies etc. but no neckties. This store is pretty messy, and very random with its inventory, but the prices are very low. I had to walk around for a while to find someone to ask about their merchandise. It is nice to have a store like this in an expensive and overpriced city, especially for the residents.