Printemps New York — Attraction in New York

PRINTEMPS is located in the lower part of Manhattan, around the corner from Wall Street, in a historic building that is part of New York city's fabric.

I had watched the ongoing work on the opening prep. I was there the day the store opened but did not go in. The cue was sooooooooooo long. I wanted to go when I had more time to learn more about the store decorated with colors of the movie "Wicked"- the pinks, the emerald greens, golds and ruby red.

I am happy I waited. My photos open a world of luxe to you even if all you do is stroll from entry to exit you will have a wonderful experience. Walking in to the store, from the front, you are greeted with a coffee and pastry bar. Near by are the concierges dressed in the way of the other Printemps locations in Europe.

Printemps is French which means "spring."

The hostesses are wonderfully pleasant and knowledgeable.

There is a track to follow from entry to exit, starting at the ground floor escalators that take guests to the second floor. One of the most innovate things throughout the store are the husbands chairs where men can sit and wait while their wallets are ding ding dinged.....

Departments flow in to departments. Displays are strategically placed and melt themes in to themes. Crossing from one building to the second, you come across a circular stairway downstairs, overlooking and running beside a golden sit down restaurant that then leads guests in to the infamous ruby room which leads to the exit, literally down the street from Trinity Church.

And, if you are able to, re-enter Printemps, retracing your steps to walk through the building back to where you entered in. And that's how you get to meet the most amazing historic shopping experience the French sent over to America- politics at its finest- shopping..... in the words of...

The most stunning new retail experience in the city, Margot. It’s smaller than I thought and it’s both luxurious and unstuffy, you can say quirky even, but in the best way possible.

The offerings are a tight & highly curated blend of Designer and contemporary brands. Nike men’s shop on 1 along with home/ gift.

But the main attraction is on the 2nd floor, where most of their offerings are impeccably merchandised. The design of all the spaces within the entire space is a balance of opulence and quirky that just works. Love the beauty area where the vault of this former bank once stood, it’s a tunnel that leads to the 3rd phase of your adventure in either direction.

The true star, however, is where women’s shoes are housed. 3 million tiny tiles line the space and it’s gigantic in height and width. The most breathtaking retail room in the city & perhaps, the country? It’s a dream for your artistic eyes.

The bars must be experienced at a later date but they looked chic.

Whoever designed this space was challenged with multiple levels of complexity and should be applauded for the most beautiful retail experience in NYC right now. This makes the Ralph Lauren mansion on the UES and BG seemed dated in comparison.

That said, most of the merchandise are not exclusive to this brand and could be found online. The pull of this brand (they like to say they’re not a department store, so what is these days ?) is the design of its spaces, the service & its adult beverage options while shopping (for me) but it could be different for you.

It’s worth two train rides and a 2 avenue walk because it’s a destination and an immediate NYC...

If you are interested in interior design or architecture, Printemps is an experiential classroom. If you want to shop for luxury items, go elsewhere; the store is very small and the space allocated to apparel, beauty products, shoes and accessories is even smaller. Further, what's found in-store is not hard to find elsewhere. I went with the thought I was going to see unique merchandise, but the only thing that's differentiating is the design. The expertise of the floor staff is inconsistent; I was shadowed by security at every turn (even though I just came from a Wall Street bank meeting and was in full Armani regalia), and the vibe is like a museum - "look but don't touch." For example, I wanted to purchase a Guerlain mirrored lipstick case + lipstick refill for my sister, but the young salesman told me I couldn't hold the item in my hand. The samples were glued to the display unit. Only after asking three times how I was expected to purchase something I couldn't examine did he put his cellphone away (gasp) and go to the back to get me a case. He let me hold if for a second, then told me he "couldn't sell me five styles that were on display." As if that weren't bad enough, he said, "Just go online and get it." So, I went to SAKS which had every design and color in stock. I spent $80 on a case and lipstick, and happily left with my gift, knowing I'll never have to return...