🍜 Hungry after shopping? Check out our guide to the best fandom restaurants in New York City.
NYC is a fandom shopping mecca. From massive comic stores to hidden manga gems, the city offers more collectible-hunting opportunities per square mile than anywhere else in the country.
1. Forbidden Planet NYC — Broadway, Union Square
📍 Address: 832 Broadway, Manhattan, NY 10003
One of the largest and longest-running sci-fi, comic, and fantasy stores in the US. Three floors packed with graphic novels, manga, action figures, Funko Pops, board games, and indie comics. The manga section rivals specialty Japanese bookstores. New releases hit the shelves every Wednesday.
2. Kinokuniya Bookstore — Bryant Park, Midtown
📍 Address: 1073 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10018
Japan’s legendary bookstore chain has a massive NYC location with an entire floor dedicated to manga, anime art books, and Japanese stationery. The selection of original Japanese-language manga is unmatched in the US. They also carry exclusive Studio Ghibli merchandise and anime-themed gifts.
3. Nintendo NY — Rockefeller Center
📍 Address: 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020
The official Nintendo flagship store — two floors of Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, Splatoon, and Animal Crossing merchandise. Playable demo stations, exclusive NYC-branded items, and a giant Mario statue greeting you at the entrance. The exclusive NYC t-shirts and pins are collector favorites.
4. Midtown Comics — Times Square / Grand Central / Downtown
📍 Address: 200 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018
NYC’s go-to comic book shop with three locations. The Times Square flagship is enormous, with a huge back-issue selection, signed editions, and exclusive variant covers. Regular signing events with comic book artists and writers. The staff actually knows their stuff.
5. Image Anime — West 33rd Street, Midtown
📍 Address: 242 W 30th St, Manhattan, NY 10001
A hidden gem near Penn Station specializing in anime figures, model kits, Gundam, and imported Japanese collectibles. The figure selection — from prize figures to high-end scales — rivals what you’d find in Akihabara. Prices are competitive with online retailers.
Plan Your New York City Fandom Shopping Trip
The best fandom merch can’t be found online — it’s in these shops, waiting to be discovered. Add these stores to your next New York City itinerary and bring an extra suitcase for the haul.
Need flights and hotels in New York City? Search deals on Expedia and start planning your fandom shopping trip today.
Top Fandom & Pop Culture Shops in New York City
Here are the best comic, anime, and fandom stores you can visit in New York City:
Forbidden Planet NYC
Type: Comic/Anime/Fandom | Address: 832 Broadway, Manhattan, NY 10003
Iconic sci-fi/comic/anime megastore since 1981
Midtown Comics (Times Square)
Type: Comic/Anime | Address: 200 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018
Largest comic retailer in NYC; 3 locations
Midtown Comics (Grand Central)
Type: Comic/Anime | Address: 459 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017
Second Midtown Comics NYC location
Midtown Comics (Downtown)
Type: Comic/Anime | Address: 64 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038
Third Midtown Comics NYC location
Kinokuniya New York
Type: Manga/Anime/Books | Address: 1073 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10018
Japanese bookstore w/ manga cafe & anime merch
Image Anime
Type: Anime/Figures | Address: 242 W 30th St, Manhattan, NY 10001
Premium figures, Gunpla, imported Japanese merch
Toy Tokyo
Type: Anime/Fandom Collectibles | Address: 91 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Designer toys, vinyl figures & anime collectibles
Anime Castle
Type: Anime/Manga | Address: 35-52 Union St, Flushing, NY 11354
Go-to Flushing spot; hosts Pokémon & MTG events
BookOff New York
Type: Anime/Manga/Used | Address: 49 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
Japanese used books, manga & figures at discount
BookOff AnimeLab Brooklyn
Type: Anime/Manga | Address: 934 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Anime-focused branch in Industry City
Japan Village
Type: Anime/Japanese Culture | Address: 934 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Japanese marketplace w/ anime & manga goods
Desert Island Comics
Type: Indie Comics | Address: 540 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Beloved indie/alternative comics Williamsburg shop
Montasy Comics NYC
Type: Comic/Anime/TCG | Address: 35-32 Union St, Flushing, NY 11354
Cards, collectibles & anime merch with great staff
Anime Claw Store
Type: Anime Collectibles | Address: 133-20 39th Ave, Queens, NY 11354
Action figures & apparel; staff are avid fans
Dashop Corporation
Type: Anime Figures | Address: 8 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013
High-end anime statues & premium figures
Project KE Anime Club
Type: Anime Merch | Address: 36-12 Main St, Queens, NY 11354
Community-focused otaku paradise in Flushing
Galaxy Comics
Type: Comic/Collectibles | Address: 37 W 20th St, New York, NY 10011
Pop culture collectibles & comic back issues
Comic Book Station
Type: Comic/TCG | Address: 281 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016
Comics, trading cards & gaming accessories
Gotham Comics
Type: Comic/Collectibles | Address: 322 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036
Midtown comics destination since 1997
Greenlight Bookstore
Type: Comics/Graphic Novels | Address: 686 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Community bookstore with strong graphic novel section
St. Mark’s Comics
Type: Comic/Fandom | Address: 11 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003
East Village comics institution
Compleat Strategist
Type: Fandom/Gaming | Address: 11 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016
Games, RPGs, comics & fandom merch since 1976
Anime NYC Pop-Up
Type: Anime Merch | Address: Javits Center, 429 11th Ave, NY 10001
Annual convention pop-up; exclusive merch & events
Jim Hanley’s Universe
Type: Comic/Fandom | Address: 4 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001
Long-running Midtown comic destination
Variant Edition NYC
Type: Indie Comics | Address: Brooklyn, NY
Curated indie & alternative comics selection
Bulletproof Comics
Type: Comic/TCG/Fandom | Address: 2178 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11210
Community cornerstone in Flatbush since the 90s; comics, Magic, skateboards & gaming tournaments
NXT Legaci
Type: Anime/TCG/Collectibles | Address: 526 7th Ave, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10018
Near Times Square; Pokémon TCG, graded cards (PSA/BGS/CGC), autographed memorabilia & voice actor signings


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