I know East River Plaza for a while. I’ve been there several times – and, occasionally, I recommend the place on my social media, but I’ve never written a post about the place with more details. Located in Harlem, it is a great choice for anyone looking to save money on shopping – without leaving Manhattan.
East River Plaza is nothing more than a plaza that brings together some stores of major American chains, famous mainly for the variety of products and the affordable prices. The area is quiet and the place is visited by local families. Moreover, Harlem is a good unusual place in New York, with really nice restaurants and bars. Also, you can you get there by subway. From Grand Central, it takes about 15 minutes by subway + a 12 minute walk from the station to the place.
One of the reasons I really like East River Plaza is because Target has a location there. And a Target’s location in Manhattan makes all the difference. I’ve been in other Target addresses here in New York and I can say that this store in Harlem is amazing. It is huge and has all kinds of products: clothing, toys, babies, cosmetics, food, appliances, electronics, stationery, decoration. And the prices are also super reasonable! I think this Target is better than Target at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn.
Other highlights of East River Plaza are Burlington and Marshalls. These two are discount stores. You will find women’s, men’s and children’s clothing from well-known brands – Calvin Klein, for example – with super generous discounts. In addition to clothing, the stores also offer shoes, accessories and some cosmetics. One of the things I like in Marshalls, for example, is the home and decor section . You can find items like bath towels and sheet sets for very cheap prices and various nice decorative items also for very reasonable values. At Burlington, the highlight is the variety of men’s and women’s coats for winter. It is, in my opinion, one of the best places to buy coats in New York. But, take it easy: in both shops, it takes time and patience to explore and find cool things – as in any discount store.
Bob’s Furniture is a furniture store. It may not be of great value to anyone who is traveling, but is a good option for those who live here and want more options besides Ikea. It has many different furniture for fair prices. Also, it ends up being a place to find inspiration and trends in decoration. In addition, East River Plaza has an PetSmart location, which offers supply for pets, as well as Old Navy, which is from Gap group, and has clothes in the best basic style for men, women and children. You can always to find something nice and the prices are also affordable! Oh, and to games aficionados, there is a GameStop store too. Cool, right?
Oh and thre is a bonus! If you go there, be sure to go to the last parking floor and check out this wonderful view of the city! This day was very cloudy, but imagine how beautiful it must be with sunshine and blue sky?
Tip: If you shop a lot of things and think it’s not convenient go back to hotel by subway, use an app like Uber. On this post here, there is a list of apps available in New York and also discount codes for your first ride.
East River Plaza is located at 517 E 117th St and you can get there using the 6 line and getting off at 116st Station.
Laura Peruchi is a Brazilian blogger, author, and entrepreneur. She has lived in Manhattan with her husband since 2014. Since then, she has shared on her blog varied content about the Big Apple. From travel tips, including unusual things to do, shopping tips, etiquette, restaurants, and a lot more, her blog has become a reference in Portuguese (also available in English) for anyone planning a trip to New York City.
