Where to Go for Back to School Shopping

With forms to sign, books to order, and a million events to mark on your calendar, getting ready for the start of school can be a hassle…but going “back to school” shopping doesn’t have to be! With local malls, boutique stores, online shopping and so much more, it can be hard to know where to start. So with the help of some of our Scarsdale neighbors we compiled a list of go-to stores to make back to school shopping a whole lot easier, and maybe even a little bit fun!

Just around the corner in White Plains, the obvious place to start is the Westchester. After grabbing a “Pink Drink” or some pretzels, older kids and teens are happy to walk around with their friends and check out stores like American Eagle Outfitters, Urban Outfitters, Aerie, and Aritzia among others. But while the mall is host to a Janie and Jack’s, and Nordstrom does have a decent children’s section…families with young children might want to check out venues like Ridge Hill just across the way in Yonkers.

Not only does Ridge Hill (an outdoor shopping mall) offer stores like Gap, Old Navy, and H&M (for kids who are still growing like weeds), it also has a playground, a host of kid-friendly restaurants, Rockin Jump, Monster Minigolf, Legoland, and a movie theater. So you can get all of your shopping done and have a fun-filled outing with the whole family!

While some, like Scarsdale mom and real estate agent Stacey Mayer, prefer the ease of shopping online, those who opt to shop in person (or need to make an in-person return) can also find stores like H&M, Gap, Forever 21, Aeropostale, and Zara at the Cross County Center. Another Scarsdale mom, Nancy Kaplan, loves stores like Zara for the basics but her favorite online stores for young kids are Rockets of Awesome and Lola & the Boys.

When shopping for trendier looks, Mayer is a fan of Denny's on Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale and Lester’s at the Rye Ridge Shopping Center in Rye Ridge. If you are over at Rye Ridge with your teen girl, you might want to pop into Mixology (if you haven’t already visited the one in our village), or Vanilla Sky. A couple doors down, you can find all your sport gear needs at Sport Tech and then pop into Cava, Chipotle, or Dig Inn for lunch.

To-Dao Casey, also a Scarsdale real estate agent and Fox Meadow mom, suggests going a little further afield and believes, “Woodbury Commons is perfect for back to school shopping. While it is kind of a hike, you can make it a full day activity- everyone can bring a friend and there is a store for every style!”

Several Scarsdale teens swear that the only place to shop is down in SoHo and other trendy NYC neighborhoods. But for something a little closer to home, they are also happy to spend a day on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich where they can find stores like Brandy Melville, Love Shack Fancy, and Roller Rabbit.

Lastly, this list wouldn’t be complete without a suggestion from Scarsdale’s own fashion maven Sandy Krupkin. Krupkin is a fashion consultant and curator of pop up shops in Westchester. She suggests that if you happen to be out east in the Hamptons as summer is winding down, you might want to check out Tenet for your teens as they have a great sale and well-priced shorts and coordinating tees for boys. Krupkin is also a fan of Off Fifth for teens because “they have great elevated basics at a good price. For more fashion inspiration you can follow Krupkin at @sandykrup or @popupwestchester.

If our readers have other favorite go-to stores for all of your back to school needs, please leave your suggestions in the comments!

Wendy MacMillan is a former teacher and a proud mom of two children.