A warm summer day once brought droves of New Yorkers to the corner lot at Essex and Hester, which housed one of the city’s largest pushcart markets at the turn of the century. The lot has been sitting empty for the past few decades—until media personality SuChin Pak and her partners at The Big Social recently brought the fair back to life, still drawing crowds of New Yorkers who come for the local goods, the vintage finds, and of course, the food. Open every Saturday and Sunday through December from 10 to 6, the Hester Street Fair is a celebration of the rich culture and vibrant spirit of the Lower East Side.

With over 100,000 pieces organized by theme, What Goes Around Comes Around boasts one of the most impressive vintage collections in the city. Available alongside the vintage selection is a ready-to-wear collection launched by owners Seth Weisser and Gerard Maione a few seasons ago. And after shopping the SoHo retail space, be sure to make an appointment to see the WGACA showroom in TriBeCa as well.

Opened in the early 1970’s, Trash & Vaudeville (two separate stores in their original locations on St. Marks Place) became famous for dressing punk rock darlings like Debbie Harry and Joey Ramone, as they still do today. Upstairs, Vaudeville sells Punk, Rock, Goth, and Glam clothing for men and women; leather, rubber, lace, and old school punk plaid is the main location for the Tripp NYC label. Downstairs at Trash, you’ll find kitsch accessories, a vast variety of shoes, the largest selection of Doc Martens—in all styles and colors—fetish club wear (think leather undergarments), rubber dresses and bondage strap pants, and high-end clothing lines like L.A.M.B. and Miss Sixty. The stores have evolved from their humble beginnings and are still a vital part of New York Punk Rock history not to be missed.

Don’t let the funky green and gold paint job fool you: This East Village consignment shop is no polyester palace. Loyal customers come here to cruise the racks for gently-used designer apparel from Japanese labels like Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto to industry standard-bearers like Prada, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana. Sharp-eyed shoppers quickly scoop up high-end staples and accessories in luxe materials for a fraction of the retail price, but pieces from upscale denim brands like Acne and Diesel, for instance, rarely break a Benjamin. Though roughly equal space is devoted to men’s and women’s wear, many coats and basic shirts are labeled “unisex.” A warning to those who like to try before they buy: There are no mirrors inside the dressing rooms, so shopping with a trusted friend is the way to go.

This East Village mega boutique is located on the Bowery and includes 2 floors of over 4000 square feet of fuchsia and leopard print. Visitors can browse Fields’ playful fashions as well as White Trash Charms. But it is more than just shopping—it is an experience; the store features artwork by De La Vega, Martine, and Jojo America as well as a full service hair and make up salon in the lower level. Her styling team is ready to assist with your vision. For brides, Field offers ruffly undergarments and ready-to-wear corsets and garter belts.

After years of scouting online auctions, flea markets and estate sales, and suppliers of hard-to-find pieces, owner Honey Moon opened up this small vintage shop in 2008 to sell her hand-picked collection of womenswear and accessories from the forties through the eighties. The focus is on feminine, flowing apparel from the sixties and seventies, especially mod disco dresses and colorful knee-length skirts. With a background in fashion, Moon maintains an eye for quality tailoring, mixing pieces with interesting patterns and unusual cuts in with well-known labels.

Housing Works is a New York City based non-profit organization providing housing, social services, and national and local advocacy for homeless and formerly homeless people living with HIV/AIDS.  To lower their dependence on grants and donations, they raise money thru a chain of nine thrift shops selling gently used ’designer’ clothing, shoes, accessories, books, and furniture. Locations are scattered throughout the city, including Soho, Tribeca, West Village, and Chelsea.  They also have online auctions for some of their more “high-end” items.

This vintage Nolita hot spot has a selection that stands apart with sought-after pieces by Emilio Pucci, Courreges, Gucci, and Halston, to name a few. Though prices are lofty, Resurrection’s stylish customers don’t mind laying out the cash for what they know will be elegant designer or modish ’60s and ’70s pieces. And, the funky store is easy to navigate since it’s arranged by color and style.

Die-hard vintage hounds know that this fair comes but twice a year to NY, mark their calendars for it long in advance, and stand in line before doors open. Both local boutiques (like No. 6) and upstate and out-of-state sellers set up booths to hawk their findings. Don’t anticipate finding any bargains here, but you won’t waste your time digging through moth-eaten sweaters and ratty polyester nightgowns, either. Expect top-quality stuff from all decades and all degrees of dress.

Several times a year on Saturday afternoons, the Tribeca Grand plays host to EMG, Mandy Coon’s mini-mall of expertly picked vintage. Coon selects a handful of merchants to curate their own racks, and usually someone is on the decks to ensure pleasant shopping music for all. It’s almost like shopping in the closets of your stylish friends—if your friends would part with their black suede Alaïa platforms or slouchy crocheted sweater for a small fee.

A recent visit to the Fort Greene market turned up an amazing 90’s-era Gaultier tribal silver belt/neckpiece nestled among kitcshy Disneyana and old wristwatches. Like the Chelsea Antique Garage, some of two hundred-or-so vendors here work the East Coast antique fair circuit and price their goods well outside of bargain territory, but there’s still a tantalizing element of unpredictability here. Brooklyn Flea is open Saturdays in Fort Greene and Sundays at One Hanson from 10am to 5pm, rain or shine, through November. During the winter, the market moves indoors to a smaller location in DUMBO.

While there are no guaranteed bargains here—vendors change from week to week, and most of them know their Versace from their Vittadini—your odds are still good of leaving with unexpected treasure. There are two expansive floors laid out with tables teeming with old costume jewelry and racks of everything from hundred-year-old tailcoats to your mother’s Bill Blass. Die-hards come at the beginning of the day to have first pick of the week’s options, but show up close to closing time and you have a better chance of haggling for a little don’t-want-to-haul-it-back-here-next-week discount. The Antiques Garage Flea Market is open 9 - 5 every Saturday and Sunday.

Prices here are far from affordable, but this shop, just opposite the Chelsea Antique Garage has earned its bragging rights for housing one of the most impressive selections of 20th-century vintage eveningwear and accessories for sale to the public, all in time-capsule perfect condition. A tangerine jersey Halston gown is a self-contained master class in draping. The selection of mint-condition 1920s dropwaist dresses is astounding for unusual and intricate detailing. The shoes, gloves, evening bags and other accessories here are just as lovely.