“The Big Apple,” “The Capital of the World,” and “The City of Dreams.” New York City is as extraordinary as all of those names imply, but it also houses rats, packed living quarters, and some of the steepest prices in the world. That duality captivates foreigners and annoys residents. I am on the former end of that spectrum, and one of the most superficial annoyances about being a teenage girl living in the city is the lack of places to properly thrift.
Thrifting has become a growing trend because of social media. This activity has gone from something done out of necessity to something that teenagers have become addicted to. This, in turn, raised prices of thrift stores in many states, but nowhere near as much as in New York City. If you are planning to thrift in the city, there are a couple of hidden gems you need to know.
Manhattan:
Manhattan lives up to its reputation of having the most expensive and high end “thrift stores,” which are mostly just second-hand vintage designer stores in disguise. The best places to look for real thrift stores in Manhattan are on the Lower East and West sides. These stores are still considered pricey for thrifting, but they are definitely worth it because of the quality you can find.
Walking into this store, the space and amount of clothes it had made this thrift store feel akin to a fast fashion store. I first picked up a sweater for thirty two dollars. This is relatively expensive, but upon looking further, I found a skirt for eleven dollars, and I even found jeans for around twenty dollars. These prices are below market price, but they are still expensive for used clothing. However, after previously seeing sixty dollar jeans at another thrift store in Manhattan, these prices were definitely heading in the right direction. The main appeal of this store, however, is definitely the shoes. The rows of shoes, which would be hundreds of dollars for each pair at market price, are almost perfect in quality and are much cheaper.
The cherry on top for this pleasant first store were the dressing rooms. Any teenager who has gone thrifting with their friends knows the experience of trying to tell whether a pair of jeans will fit while trying to get a glimpse in front of the only small mirror in the store. In these cases, it might be even better if the store had no mirror at all. Thankfully, this was avoided because of the fact that this store had at least ten dressing rooms which were all clean and had their own personal mirrors.
By the name alone you should know this is much more of the stereotypical “thrift store” in Manhattan that carries expensive vintage clothing and designer brands. However, although the jeans are sixty to seventy dollars, the T-shirts and sweaters are much lower at twenty to thirty dollars. While rummaging through the trendy clothing that we knew we were not going to buy because of the prices, my sister and I found a Juicy Couture zip up hoodie for thirty dollars, which is quite reasonable. The clothes are also in pristine condition, so much so that I had to double check to see if the clothing is actually second-hand. Even though this was the more lavish experience of New York City thrifting that I was trying to downplay for this article, the store is so enthralling in its clothes selection and vibe that it deserves some recognition. It also seems that this store caters towards more of the college crowd in the city, as it is a huge space with a bar in the back. If you are looking for individual and statement pieces when it comes to jewelry, bags, and even records, this is a great place to go.
This store is a perfect mix of the first two places that I described. It is well stocked, clean, and has a middle price range. It does not carry as many women’s tops as the first two stores, but most of their selection includes in-style jackets, sweaters, and shoes. The store is smaller than the first two, and the clothing was relatively plain and nothing was ground-breaking. Yet this shouldn’t cause too much shock, as this is the reality for most clothes you find thrifting. The notion that thrift stores carry the most individual and unique pieces is a romanticized version of the activity on social media that is not always true. Overall, this store was still very enjoyable and is a great option to visit when you are downtown. However, it is not worth traveling hours on the train to go to this store in particular, unlike some other stores that I mention throughout this article.
Flamingo’s Vintage Pound offers the best blend of reasonable prices, good style, and quality clothing that you can find in a Manhattan thrift store. Yet the most entrancing thing about it is the vibe you get while walking in through the door. The neon pink walls to the retro clothing to the Elvis Presley statue in the window create a little island of paradise inside the store where you forget the gray, ugly streets you just walked in from. The pricing in this store is the most reasonable that I found in Manhattan, where the big sign in front of the store advertises, “$17.99 SOLD BY THE POUND!”
There are rows of high-caliber leather jackets, a whole rack given to animal print clothing, unique statement stops, fur coats, imitation silk dresses, and too much more to list. They also have quality-material plain T-shirts and jeans.
This is definitely worth a decent amount of travel time to visit, and its location in downtown Manhattan is a great place to spend a day in the city.
Other thrift stores in Manhattan were suggested by Ila Misra ’26. “The best places in New York City to thrift are the most affordable. Usually this means the more local “small shops” such as Unique Boutique (83rd and Columbus) and housing works thrift shops (74 and Columbus),” Misra said.
Queens:
These stores are “the bins” as they are famously referred to, so named for their shockingly low prices at $1.69 a pound. The Goodwill bins are the epitome of thrifting. They are known for people having to dig their way through them to find the “good pieces of clothing.” This is a great spot for the traditional thrifting that is found in other cities and states where the prices are not just reduced, but truly affordable to all. Marisa Quigly ’26 noted that “the best place to thrift in New York City is the Goodwill bins because it is represents the essence of true thrifting. It is authentic, and you actually can get good things for good deals.” The fact that the bins have maintained this low price even while being in New York City is award-worthy. The vibe, store, and experience are the complete opposite of Flamingo’s Vintage Pound, but the bins are also at the top of my list as one of the best places to thrift.
There are many Housing Works stores including some in Manhattan, and most are the same. This space is huge and holds good quality clothes. Many items are out of style, but if you look hard enough, you can find a bunch of trendy tops. Their denim selection is also better than any thrift store on this list and is the most affordable price for that caliber of clothing. If you are thrifting in Queens, this is a great local place to stop because you would never find the same quality for these prices in any other borough. The same chain of stores are likely to be more expensive in Manhattan. Finally, the clothes are much cleaner and neater than the bins, and having a mirror is another plus.
Even though Queens is typically a much better place for low prices than Manhattan, I have noticed that Saint Francis thrift stores prices remain the same in both boroughs. They are also a chain in Queens and Manhattan and its selection is mostly from donated clothes. The clothing selection is small, but you can get the tops for a relatively low price, such as a 4-7 dollar tank top.
Some other stores that you can visit were suggested by Avery Pfluger ’26, who said, “Currently, my favorites are L Train, Thirteen Crosby, and Angels on A. These are all located in the East Village and Lower East Side, which are definitely my favorite two areas to go thrifting. I think there’s a great energy in those areas, and they typically attract really interesting people. These specific stores are my favorites because you’ll never really find two of the same item on their racks. Everything is super unique, and this makes a good find feel even better. I would also definitely recommend checking out The Grand Bazaar and Thrift 2 Death. The Grand Bazaar is open every Sunday and is located on 77th and Columbus. Thrift 2 Death is usually a massive monthly pop up – all of the information is on their instagram (@thrift2death).”
This thrifting article definitely is not representative of the whole city. That is the beauty of thrifting in a place so packed and bustling like New York City; there is always another amazing store that hasn’t gone viral or been discovered yet. You might prefer the “high end” thrift stores in Manhattan or the more affordable ones in Queens. Even if public transportation is being slow or if some of the thrift stores are a hit or miss, the experience of thrifting is undoubtedly worth it in the end.
Thrifting has become a growing trend because of social media. This activity has gone from something done out of necessity to something that teenagers have become addicted to.