It makes no difference how wealthy or worldly you are, or how many times you have visited New York City to shop. Every trip is a new adventure in designer labels, luxurious accoutrement’s and the best of the best. If you have never been shopping in New York City, make a point of putting it on your ‘life list’ today. It is an experience that you will not soon forget. If you want to take full advantage of the shops and designers that are at your beck and call in the Big Apple, you will want to read the rest of this article. Just make sure you take plenty of plastic with you – sticker shock is a given but for those of us looking for the ultimate in brand name and quality, it is always well worth the price tag. For an ideal strategy map to guide your shopping trip, I recommend shopping in the golden triangle of designer shops – Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue and 57th Street. Lucky for you, all of these locations are close to one another. As a matter of fact, if you start your shopping expedition at the corner of 5ue and keep walking up 57th, you will cross Lexington, Park Avenue, Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue – in that order.

Fifth Avenue
Running right through the heart of Manhattan, and along the east side of Central Park, Fifth Avenue is lined with expensive park-view real estate and historical mansions and is a definitive status symbol for the wealthy. Fifth Avenue is one of the most expensive streets in the world; comparable with Tokyo, London and Paris. Between 34th Street and 59th Street is the some of the best shopping in the world. Whether you are looking for designer threads, a trendy handbag or luxury jewels, some of the notables on Fifth Avenue include Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Bergdorf’s, Bendel’s, Saks and FAO Schwarz.

Madison Avenue
Madison Avenue is deep in the heart of Manhattan and the lifeblood of the city. The Avenue runs from Madison Square to the Madison Avenue Bridge. In the enclave between 57th and 85th Streets is what is called ‘Fashionable Road’ for the plethora of high end shops. This decisively haute couture area offers a whopping 15 blocks of designer glory including Georgio Armani, Prada, Hermes, Chanel, Calvin Klein and Jean Paul Gauthier. Other notable stores include Ralph Lauren Polo and Barney’s.

57th Street
Just two blocks south of spectacular Central park, and running east-west in Manhattan is 57th Street. Aside from many upscale eating establishments and trendy bars, some of the best shopping in NYC can be found on 57th Street. Traditional to trendy, contemporary to edgy – anything you want can be found on 57th Street. Some of the stores include Chanel, Buccellati, Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Victoria Secret.

When you plan your pond you have many different options. There are even plastic molds that can create the entire water flow and repository. These can be purchased online at several different web sites.

You waterfall(s) should be an appropriate height to allow for beauty, and a healthy flow, but not so much so that it makes it hard to hear conversation and it should not be so high as to splash its surroundings. There are several commercial pumps that are available to keep the water flowing. Make sure that any pump has an easy to access filter to allow you to quickly clean it when it becomes clogged.

The greenery you chose to surround your pond and waterfall should be smaller, leafier, but not so much as to overwhelm the water areas or obscure them from view. It is generally a good idea to avoid vines, flowers or shrubs that will grow to a height of over two and a half feet. You also should choose a stone base to lay into the bed of the pond. This not only will help fight algae but also will allow for the maintenance of the water quality.

Your pond and waterfall can provide you with a unique outdoor setting that both subdues background noise and provides an area to relax. The sound of water running is both soothing and somewhat mesmerizing. If you elect to go this route, careful planning and care can provide you with an oasis in which you can relax and block out the surrounding world.