Soho’s Pearl River Mart

Today the sun was out for the first time in nine long days, and I wanted out. It was time to venture out and check off another item on my New York to-do list. When I stepped outside into the windy fall-like day, I noticed that 8th Avenue was shut down for a street fair. (I love that about New York!) It was tempting - but I was bound and determined to get some Christmas shopping done, so I headed for the R train to Prince Street.

Yes, I said “Christmas shopping.” I’m no procrastinator. Usually I shop for gifts throughout the year and store them in my gift closet. (But here in my NY apartment my gift closet is more like a gift shelf.)

This year I am shopping for three siblings, their three significant others, three nephews, three nieces, my parents, an aunt and uncle, a couple of cousins, a handful of friends, and a couple family pets. That’s a lot of gifts.

But shopping is just part of the process. Then there’s wrapping, packaging, and shipping the gifts too, since I live so far from family. So when people ask why I shop in October instead of waiting until the last minute like the rest of the world, I ask them if they’ve ever been to the post office between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The lines during the holiday season are worse than lines at the DMV.

Today’s destination: the Pearl River Mart at 477 Broadway, in Soho. I have Sarah Jessica Parker to thank for that idea. She raved about it on Oprah a couple weeks ago, and that’s when I added it to my to-do list. After all, SJP is only the richest woman in New York – she must know where the bargains are.

The Pearl River Mart is a wonderful, huge, two-story store near Broome Street run by a Chinese family. It must be the most colorful store in Manhattan. They sell everything from flip-flops to tea pots. It was the perfect place to find a gift for sister-in-law Judy. I must go back there later, when I’m physically able to stay out longer and carry more.

There must have been an extra couple million tourists in New York this weekend. And they were all going to the same places I was. Sidewalks on Broadway were crammed with people and vendors, almost to the point of frustration. I dodged people right and left in Soho. When I got back from downtown there was still time to hit the street fair going on downstairs from my apartment.

I grabbed $30 cash and headed down to the fair. Before now, I’ve never lived in a place where I could step outside my home and be in the middle of a mile-long street fair. I spent all thirty dollars, bringing home a cashmere scarf, a leather bag, and a bag of kettle korn. Yum! What a bargain.