Ready, set, shop

Photograph by Stuart Tyson for Jeff Harris Studio, prop styling by Kristy Vant / Mark Edwards Inc.

Photograph by Stuart Tyson for Jeff Harris Studio, prop styling by Kristy Vant / Mark Edwards Inc.

When it comes to holiday shopping for the kids in your life, you may feel trapped in the Midtown Triangle—Herald Square, Fifth Avenue, Times Square. It’s time to break free. We’ve scoured the boroughs to unwrap some other must-visit shopping nabes. (We’ve hit the indoor malls as well in case it’s too cold outside to pound the pavement.)  Plus, don’t forget to check out our hot list of great gifts under $20. No matter what’s on your kid’s wish list, we’ve got you covered.

• Meatpacking District: Never mind the wandering celebrities, check out all the great kids’ clothes.
• Shop talk: Designed by dad Stephane Gerbier (daughter Hannah is 6), YoyaMart sells supercool gadgets, clothing, toys, furniture and more.
• Park Slope: It looks like the South—South Slope, that is—is rising once again.
• Shop talk: Family matters to Maggie’s Threads owners Tracy Lynch (here with son Charlie, 7) and Brenna Beirne.
• Tribeca: We dare you to go more than two steps below Canal Street without banging into a stroller.
• Shop talk: A dearth of toy stores in Tribeca prompted mom Karen Barwick (here with son Liam, 9) to open her own—Boomerang Toys—back in 2002.
• Forest Hills: The Austin Street area is one of the city’s hidden shopping gems—well worth the subway trip.
• Shop talk: Working as a waitress, Ariena Thomsen, the owner of Thank Heaven (here with daughter Kayla, 5), dreamed of someday opening a children’s clothing and toy store. Two years ago, she did it.

Plus:

• Cheap thrills: True holiday joy is finding a great gift for under $20.
• Inside job: Yes, Virginia, there are malls in the city. We scouted out five of the biggest.