lil

Will be in Manhattan for 3 nights this month with my husband. I've heard a few things about shopping at Century 21. Is it worth going considering my time in NY is limited? Should I expect significant savings? How much time should I spend there? Is Century 21 like a Loehmann's or TJ Maxx or Marshalls?

Are there any other discount shopping stores I should consider?

melody

hey lil, being a bargain shopper myself

















Hey lil, being a bargain shopper myself I've found Century 21 to be quite tight. In other words, the store is always crammed full of people and merchandise, a lot of which is damaged. The last time I was there(9/99) I skipped the clothing department altogether and headed straight for the linen dept. If you enjoy luxury linens, C-21 has a pretty good supply. As far as saving money on clothes, you will but again make sure that you check out the merchandise carefully. There is a floor that has a lot of European designer clothes some of which are hard to figure out. Youre traveling to New York at a great time. I was there for the x-mas season and picked up a lot of great deals in Macy's. Things should be even cheaper now. I've also found some very nice things at the TJ Maxx in Manhattan. I guess it really depends on when you go. I hope that I've helped. Good shopping.

edie

century 21 is nothing like tj max or marshalls, it could be compared to loehmanns, the way loehmanns used to be. definitely go there. plan a day in lower manhattan, go see south st. seaport, the ny Stock Exchange, and Century 21, they are all nearby. also nearby is world trade center, so finish up by going to the top for the view or a drink at wild blue.

Mustangs81

I frequently stay at the Hilton next door to C-21. I dart over there to get something that I may have forgotten to pack. they open early, 7:45a.m. But IMO, that is the only reason that I go. During the week there are things to do in the area, but it's pretty dead on the week-end as this is primarily the financial district and places are closed. So, I would suggest not going out of your way just for C-21 and don't go on the weekend, while C-21 is open on the weekend, not much else is.

Anthony

Lil:
Century 21 is worth your time. Given that it is in the Financial District, it is in the area of other 'Must See' attractions(World Trade Center,NY Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, Statue of liberty, etc.), so spending an hour in a store which is only in NY (they now have a branch on Long Island) is worthwhile. Century's is layed out more like a regular department store, with both clothing and housewares. Their forte is high designer clothing at a discount. You will find many Italian labels such as Gorgio Armani Fendi, Prada, etc. that you will never find discounted elsewhere. The good thing about the store (at least in the men's dept) is that they carry 'clothing staples' like dress shirts, ties, underwear, socks, slacks, all at a discount. I now do all my shopping there, and can't remember the last time I was in a Macy's (maybe while traveling!)
Like those other stores you mentioned, though, sometimes you have to hit the store on a 'right' day to find a real bargain on items besides clothing staples.
They have good values on watches too!

lisa

Boy, do I disagree. I went to Century 21 on one of my weekend jaunts to NYC last summer and really thought it was a huge waste of time. I had been looking forward to it -- heard it was where "real" New Yorkers shop -- and when I walked in I thought I must be in the wrong place. I really thought it was a dump. It reminded me of a suburban JC Penney from about 15 years ago. Horrible florescent lighting, racks of clothing jammed together so close you can't get between the racks, merchandise completely thrown together unsorted by size or style, tags missing, no sales help. A lot of the merchandise seemed to have snags or buttons missing. What a waste of time. By the way -- this is the only unpleasant shopping experience I've ever had in New York.

Kelly

I have to agree with Lisa...I'm a "real" new yorker and wouldn't waste my time. Haven't stepped foot in the store in years, so it may have changed since I was last there but I doubt it. Not sure if you've ever been to NY, but I'd go to Macy's first. Their prices are pretty reasonable (buy a paper, they often have 20% off coupons) and while it certainly isn't as inexpensive as Century 21, it is more of a true NY experience. If it's your first time in NY, there are so many things to see and do...Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Statue of Liberty, Seaport, World Trade Center, Central Park, museums, etc. that I wouldn't waste my time picking through racks of damaged clothes. Check out the unique shops in Soho instead.

Anthony

Kelly:
Interesting you can make a conclusion if you havent't been there in serveral years. I too was born and raised here in NY, and shop in the store at LEAST one a week. I NEVER buy ripped clothing; I purchase calvin Klein and 2xist Underwear all at a discount, so I don't have to wait for a sale;I purchase beautiful ties for $16; Dress shirts, belts, ;have purchased a 1st quality Polo Ralph Luaren wool suit for $200; All cotton Queen size sheet sets for $30; the lastest in Nike sport watches at a discount. Maybe the women's clothing deptment is different; for men, there is not as many places to purchase quality goods at discount prices. From a man's purspective, I would take a Century 21 over a Burlington Coat Factory or Marshals any time.

Anthony

Kelly:
One other point to your comment. With macy's part of Federated Department stores, there are macy's all across the country, in small and large cities. And although none of them are the size of Macy's Herald Square, even an avid shopper such as myself does not find much uniqueness from shopping at Macy's Herald square. That can also be said about the majority of the 'chain' boutiques such as Gap and Bannana republic.

Tom

I also am a NYer and agree that Century 21 is a great place for bargains. I can always rely on finding the staples (dress shirts, underwear, socks) at great prices, plus I occaisionally find a suit or coat or trousers by great designers for far less than I would find at Macys best sale. Macys is just as crowded with merchandise and rude people, and I've never found the staff at Macys to be overly helpful. Century 21 is definitely worth a visit to find clothes you can afford, unlike shops in Soho. Its never to be confused with a luxury department store, but that's how we get rock bottom prices!

lil

Thanks for all of your comments on C-21. Have any of you been to Filene's Basement in Downtown Boston? It seems like Century 21 is like the the downtown Boston Filene's store--you have to look for clothes in bins and disorganized racks.

I still trying to decide if C21 if worth my time. If it's like Filene's, then it looks like I'll have to search through lots of racks to find bargains. Maybe if I'm in the area, I'll stop by.

NYCer

NYC has a few Filenes basements, and also Daffy's, on Broadway and 18th, which is pretty much the same thing. C21 is a little more upscale IMO, at least in terms of the labels. I personally would advise against taking time out of a short trip to a city jammed with great neighborhoods, world class museums, restaurants and shows, and stellar sites, to spend in a discount dept. store. That's the sort of thing you can do anywhere. But, I am not a big discount shopper. If you do go, for your own sake make it on a weekday but NOT at lunch time or between 5:00 and 6:30. It will be mobbed with people and they will most likely be short-tempered (I know, I've often been one of them). I will also add that we have a hefty sales tax here that can add up quickly (unless Giuliani manages to get rid of it by the time you get here), so you might not really feel you've gotten a huge bargain. Whatever your choice, good luck and happy hunting.

NYCER

One more thing: not sure if this is still the case, but in the past there's been only one small dressing room, and the lines for it tremendous.

Helen

Lil, I've been in the basement of Filene's Boston store (not to be confused with the discount chain called Filene's Basement.) Century is nothing like the basement in Filene's -- it's much more like shopping in the nice Filene's store upstairs, only much smaller, and the clothes tend to be rather jammed together. But it's nothing like my memory of the jumble downstairs in Filene's. And as people mentioned above, it's possible to find a bargain on some pretty high-flying names. However I find I do better when I'm just looking for the staples. I think it's worth a sweep through, especially if your tourism has you in the neighborhood anyway. Probably not worth a special trip downtown.

TC

I go to NY several times each year and won't waste time at C21. If you read the above posts carefully you'll notice that men tend to like the place and woment are less warm. There's a reason. The men's dept. is much better organized and has better merchandise. The women's designer clothes are in terrible disrepair and order. I couldn't stand the crowding and jumble. The kind of savings you'll find is: a $1000 something discounted to $600. Not that this isn't a substantial savings, I'm just not the kind of shopper to spend $600 on merchandise out of a bin or off the floor even if it is a discount. I personally think that junk shopping in Chinatown or Orchard Street is more fun. Not the same kind of merchandise, but a lot of fun just the same. If you're set on this kind of discount department store shopping, I think Daffy's is a better place.

michele

Lil,

Read TC's advice and heed it. The women's department is a mess. It's not worth your time.

Michele

jenshirk

Where are the century 21's located? Going on a business trip with my hubby and have nothing to do during the day while he is gone

vjpblovesitaly

http://www.c21stores.com/

panecott

Century's women's clothing department is hit or miss, but you can often find good buys there. I bought several Calvin Klein, Anne Klein and Michael Kors outfits for spring and summer this year, all for less than half price, and all in excellent condition.

Much of the European "Designer clothing" is junk, IMO.

And it's true that the dressing room always has long lines.

I love Century for housewares, linens, lingerie, and accessories. Those are your best bets.

I pop in whenever I'm downtown - which is often - and I never leave empty handed.

Only you can decide if it's worth your while to go.