“We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls.” — Bill Bryson

New YorkLast Friday was Buy Nothing Day. What is Buy Nothing Day? Its organizers explain, “Every November, for 24 hours, we remember that no one was born to shop. On November 24th and 25th — the busiest days in the American retail calendar and the unofficial start of the international Christmas shopping season — thousands of activists and concerned citizens will take a 24-hour consumer detox as part of the 14th annual Buy Nothing Day.”

“Reasons for participating in Buy Nothing Day are as varied as the people who choose to participate. Some see it as an escape from the marketing mind games and frantic consumer binge that has come to characterize the holiday season, and our culture in general. Others use it to expose the environmental and ethical consequences of overconsumption.”

I just hate to shop. I can’t remember the last time that I went to the mall the day after Thanksgiving. If I do shop, it’s usually when we’re on vacation. Cator Sparks at The Out Traveler interviewed Joe Lupo about how to get your holiday shopping done in one long weekend. This is my kind of shopping spree. Fly to New York. Take in the lights and the tree at Rockefeller Center and then get your holiday shopping done in one city-glam swoop.

Sparks writes, “Skip the mall and make a beeline to Manhattan, an island of fabulously misfit toys, to be sure, but also a place packed with so many goods that you can easily find a perfect fit for anyone on your shopping list. Granted, knowing where and when to go can be a bit overwhelming, so we brought in gay shopping guru Joe Lupo to help.”

Here are four tips reprinted below:

1. “Always shop on Monday morning. All the shelves are stocked, the salespeople are rested, and the crowds are at bay.”

2. “Avoid uptown shopping at all costs! This is tourist central, with lines, babies, and stressed-out salespeople.”

3. “Shop Chelsea and downtown for unusual finds. Take a walking tour of Chelsea, stopping at Behaviour on 19th Street, Jeffrey on 14th, and Barneys Co-op, and then go over to Bleecker for the ultimate New York stroll by Mark Jacobs, Polo, and Ruehl, where you will find amazing leather goods. To reward yourself for a well-planned-out shopping day, pop into Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake.”

4. “Another great area is SoHo. Walk down Broadway and hit Atrium for dozens of streetwear lines under one roof. Lounge is great for shoes; then head to Nom de Guerre and Opening Ceremony for up-and-coming designer finds. Nobody will have the same shirt in Kansas, I promise.”

Are you new to New York and worried about navigating all of this on your own? Then try Shop Gotham. “Shop Gotham offers a variety of unique regularly scheduled shopping tours that will introduce you to the hottest neighborhoods, private showrooms and quintessential New York boutiques typically known only to native New Yorkers, industry insiders and style icons.”

As I said before, I prefer not shop, but if I have to then I would rather combine it with some intentional travel to finish off my gift-list. New York is the perfect place to do this and December is my favorite time to take in the city.