Final Thoughts
I experienced my first Black Friday in a large mall when I was eleven, and since then, have made a point of remaining at home on the day after Thanksgiving. Today was a very welcome change from that tradition, for many reasons.
November 25, 2005
Times Square
Heading back towards Penn Station, I wandered through an insanely crowded Times Square, where every shopper in the city seemed to have gathered.
Fifth Avenue Windows
Strolling down Fifth Avenue, the brightly lit windows beckon like sirens to the weary pedestrians. And this is only between 57th and 52nd! Whatever your taste, there's something on Fifth Avenue to grab your attention...
Fendi:
Disney:
(Why don't they ever have Cinderella's pre-princess dresses? Shouldn't she remember her roots?)
Oh, the people you'll meet...
Fifth Avenue is packed with shoppers of every kind, most of them walking like typical New Yorkers: heads down, avoiding eye contact, at a brisk pace. It's a New York thing. We don't like to even look at strangers, much less talk to them. Once inside a warm Starbucks to update, however, I was forced by circumstance to sit at an already occupied table, and ended up chatting with a Scottish family visiting New York for the holiday– and for the bargains.
Stiff back or stiff knees, you stand straight at Tiffany's!
It was a little late for breakfast, but Tiffany's was bustling with a steady stream of people-- singles, couples, men, women, families, and many, many tourists. To my surprise, almost everyone I asked said that they were only there to browse, but did not expect to purchase any jewelry. One man even said that, flying in the face of every tradition of the day, he was there to purchase some cologne for himself. Outside, the windows glittered with every kind of jewel and crystal on display.
more scenes from NYC
snowblower
This New York window display gave a unique take on the snowblower concept.
FAO Schwartz
Across Central Park at the legendary toy store FAO Schwartz, parents and children line up around the block to get in. Have I mentioned that, with the sun going down, the temperature is returning to the 20's? It is. Children on the line cry and squabble as the wind whistles down 58th Street. A toddler wails “I wannit! I wanna doggie!” as she points determinedly at a realistic stuffed pooch in the window. Once inside, a four-year-old almost knocks me over as she races to grab an enormous pink dog that’s as big as she is.
Pashmina price wars
Something found only in New York. Street vendors engage in "price wars" seeing who can get rid of an overstocked trend from a few years ago- the pashmina. Priced as low as five dollars, the pashmina were a hit with tourists
Saks
The gorgeous decorations at Saks Fifth Avenue weren't the only thing on display in the cosmetics department. Women pawed through handbags that were 40% off, with the fierce determination found only when a New Yorker wants a discounted Kate Spade bag.
ready to end the day
With Black Friday coming to a close, contrasting images flood through my mind. Recalling the lavish decorations at the Peninsula Hotel, I rounded the corner and see a homeless man sleeping on the steps of a Church. In many ways, the Christmas Season juxtaposes our experiences in the same way Black Friday does.
city girl
Barbara, a native New Yorker and banker who works in Mid-Town, stopped by Ann Taylors on her way home from work. “I’m a big shopper,” she said, with friend John describing her as “a professional.”
college students
These two college students from the University of Michigan were out shopping for the day on their trip to New York. The foreign exchange students from Columbia and Mexico City respectively, said they have enjoyed sight-seeing on their first trip to New York
The Peninsula Hotel
As I trudged on through the afternoon, feeling like Atlas carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, I passed the Peninsula Hotel, where delivery men were unloading lavishly ornamented fresh decorations that would add just the right touch for the Christmas season. 
Food, glorious food!
Hello, kids. Miss me?
Having left the (relative) tranquility of Princeton behind, I’ve ventured north to the Upper West Side, where I visited the gourmet shop of gourmet shops, Balducci’s. Filled with the most expensive of fancy eats, Balducci’s has long been a beacon to foodies of every palate, including yours truly.
Red Hot Mamas
The self-proclaimed “Red-Hot Mama’s” were more than happy to oblige my request for a picture when I approached them on 5th Avenue. The quintent of women drew stares and smiles as they walked down the street, an unusual response for anyone in the oh-so-jaded NYC. 
New York photos
a moment of reflection
Resting my feet (in boots that definitely weren’t made for walking) I gaze out the window of Starbucks and contemplate my morning – a four am wake-up call followed by pounding the pavement in search of Black Friday shoppers (and bargains!).
Princeton Market Fair
One of Princeton's more upscale shopping centers opened at 9:00 AM this morning, long after most other stores in the area. They seem to be suffering for it.
sephora
For years Sephora was leading beauty chain in Europe. Since the opening of its flagship NYC store 6 years ago, this cosmetics giant has lured female consumers in with its candy-like displays and comprehensive collection of high end brands. Mirelle, a tourist from Baltimore Maryland, samples lip-gloss. In town for Black Friday, the teenager was also going to see a musical and do some shopping at Lord and Taylors. 
Barnes and Noble
Readers gather around a table of Sudoku game books at a Princeton Barnes and Noble.
Best Buy
By 9:00 AM, Princeton's Best Buy was the picture of calm, compared to the line that wrapped around the corner of the store four hours previously. Ever searching for a dramatic photo opportunity of screaming customers and violent fights, I must admit to being somewhat disappointed. Not even one fracas on Black Friday? What is New Jersey coming to?
X-Box 360 Scarce in NYC
It appears that the Best Buy in downtown Manhattan has completely sold out of X-B0X 360, living up to expectations that it would be one of the hottest items this holiday season. The Best Buy was also offering an incredible deal on the Panasonic PV-GS19 camcorder for only $200. Deals are obviously awaiting those willing to brave the crowds this morning.
male shopper
John Heidecker of New Paltz, NY traveled two and a half hours to Manhattan’s Black Friday to shop and spend time with his girlfriend, Kate. “It’s pretty crazy out here, but I like shopping the sales. My girlfriend has expensive taste, so finding the best deals is important.”
Techies!
There’s one in every family: the tech geeks who simply must have the latest electronic games, toys, gadgets, and tools. (Otherwise known, these days, as just about anyone under the age of 25.) In a Princeton CompUSA, shoppers scrambled for the fanciest and most affordable computer-related tools and gadgets.
Sunrise in Princeton...
An hour later, the sun is finally up, bringing more shoppers with it as they rise from their beds at a more reasonable hour.
Christmas Tree
In the pre-dawn hours of Friday morning, Macy’s Christmas Tree glitters as a beacon of hope, warmth, and sale-priced handbags as shoppers begin to pepper the street. Weighed down by packages, but high in spirit, Black Friday is just beginning. What motivates the early bird? “It’s not just about the bargains, it’s fun tradition,” said one shopper.
MACYS
Some scenes from the New York Macy's.
6:00 AM, Princeton, New Jersey
After the insanity of Wal-Mart, the Target store around the corner (God bless New Jersey!) seems comparatively calm. Three clerks watch the sleepy shoppers with quiet amusement. Kim Austin has been at the store since 5:30, but says that some staff members have been preparing for the day since 9:00 the night before. “It’s more exciting than exhausting,” she says with a calm smile, and admits that she enjoys watching the customers shop. Ami Patel has been here since 5:15, and is working her second Black Friday, which she wryly describes as “very busy.” Heide Atanasovski notes that the crowds were very orderly coming in, and Kim adds that this Black Friday is a marked improvement over the previous year’s, when people were literally diving for DVD players and fighting as the supply ran out. This year, she says, the store put their featured product, flat screen TV’s, towards the back of the store to avoid congestion.
Only in America
Serbian tourists sat quietly in the Macy’s café, enjoying lattes and pastry’s while watching shopper’s below. “We wanted to see the craziness,” said father Serge, who added that his Christmas shopping had been finished since July. “This is definitely an American tradition,” added his daughter, as she watched women peruse purses in the aisle beneath her. 
And so here we are...
It’s 20 degrees outside, pitch black, and we’re all still working off yesterday’s gluttony. And what better way to work off one deadly sin than with another?
camping out
Mother daughter duo Karen and Edie came out for the great deals in Manhattan’s Circuit City at 14th, and 4th. The two had been waiting in the cold for five hours when I arrived at four thirty am. Mom Karen had instituted a paper ticket system to help customers keep the peace. However, with unrest growing, police were summoned to the site to keep those after Circuit City’s promotional $199 laptop calm. “I want a laptop, but it’s not worth getting stabbed over,” said Karen, whose husband was simultaneously staking out the Circuit City in Queens. 
