Where the buys are for teens in New York

K.C. SUMMERS; Special to The Washington Post | • Published October 11, 2009

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fearless traveler Our daughter, a senior in high school, will be 18 in December and would like to travel to New York City with a friend or two (plus us) to have a mini-shopping spree, see some shows and maybe wander around at times by themselves. I am OK with the general idea but am concerned about the wandering around by themselves part. Any suggestions as to where to shop and whether it’s safe for 17- and 18-year-olds to be on their own for a few hours?

“Law & Order” episodes notwithstanding, you can put your mind to rest. New York consistently ranks among the country’s safest large cities, according to FBI statistics.

So let the kids explore on their own. They should be fine as long as they follow basic big-city precautions: Don’t flaunt jewelry or cash; be alert in crowds and on subways; and have a basic sense of where they’re going (check the map before leaving the hotel). Your hotel concierge can help with subway and walking routes.

But on to the really important question: where to shop. For the best indie boutiques, the girls should start in the SoHo and NoLita neighborhoods; for edgier options, try the East Village or the Lower East Side. Lots of good shopping in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods, too. For more traditional fare: Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. New York magazine (nymag.com/bestofny/shopping) and Time Out New York (newyork.timeout.com/section/shopping) have good online guides to what’s hot.

To remove some of the guesswork and maximize your time, consider signing the girls up for a shopping tour with a local expert. Shop Gotham (917-599-6650, www.shopgotham.com), for example, offers regularly scheduled two-hour walking/shopping tours for $37 a person that focus on specific neighborhoods or interests. Or you can arrange a custom outing for groups of up to four for $490. Private tours run four hours and include hotel pick-up, special discounts and a guide. A typical tour for 18-year-olds, said owner Marla Hander, might start out in SoHo or NoLita, then head to the East Village – “It’s very cool, nothing but indies, and not well-known to most visitors” – and end up on the Upper East Side, depending on the group’s interests. Participants fill out questionnaires and get a telephone consult beforehand to determine what best suits them.

For more on visiting New York, including tips on neighborhoods and lodging: NYC & Company, www.nycgo.com.

My husband and I want to travel abroad in March for our five-year wedding anniversary. My passport is still in my maiden name. Do I need to obtain a new one or will this one still be accepted?

You need a new passport. Per the State Department, all U.S. citizens must travel under their current legal names. Plus, your passport has to match the name on your ticket. The fee for a new passport is $75 (no charge if your old passport was issued less than a year before the name change), and you can apply by mail; you’ll have to include a certified copy of your marriage certificate, documenting the name change, as well as your current passport and new photos. Details: National Passport Information Center, 1-877-487-2778, travel.state.gov/passport.

My fiance and I are going to Turks and Caicos for our honeymoon next year. I have no regrets about the location, but after some research I’m getting a little worried that there’s not a ton to do there. Do you know much about this location, or is there a good travel guide for those of us who want to do more than sip cocktails at the pool?

As long as you’re not into casinos and clubbing, you’ve got no worries: There’s plenty to keep you busy on the TCI. First and foremost, the snorkeling and diving are world-class. But you also can take a charter cruise or a kayak trip, fish for bonefish or conch, whale watch, swim with stingrays, play golf on a championship course; go parasailing. … Whew, that cocktail by the pool is sounding pretty good. For a thorough guide, try Frommer’s “Portable Turks & Caicos” (second edition).