Best Places to Shop for a Halloween Costume in NYC

  Compiled by Rebecca Temerario Halloween City 1555 Third Ave. at 87th Street 302-932-9109 Come for the cheap prices, leave with all your party decorations and a costume. Costumes can be purchased for less than $20. With a handful of locations on the Upper East Side and plenty more all over the City, Halloween City is crammed with bloodthirsty cups, decorative spiderwebs and Halloween CDs. Screaming Mimi's 382 Lafayette St. near East Fourth Street, 212-677-6464 Laura Wills, owner of Lafayette Street's Screaming Mimi's, loves Halloween. At the beginning of October, her vintage boutique is transformed into a Fright Night mecca, complete with an elaborate window display. If you can't wait for Macy's Christmas windows, head over to Screaming Mimi's, where you can try on an array of vintage costumes. They offer everything from Tudor-style gowns to cute sailor dresses. During the month of October, Screaming Mimi's showcases a daily "Costume Countdown" on their blog. Wills clearly adores Halloween; Target even approached her for Halloween styling assistance. If Halloween is your favorite holiday, look no further than Screaming Mimi's, where the staff is wild about the Witching Hour. Spirit Halloween 766 Sixth Ave. near West 25th Street, 845-397-0915 Be an Angry Bird ($34.99), Spider-Man ($49.99) or your favorite videogame character this Halloween ($34.99). With several NYC locations, Spirit Halloween offers a wide variety of costumes for everyone's inner ghoul. "Little Monster" costumes are available for babies and toddlers ($9.97 - $69.99). Older customers can enjoy sporting Halloween-themed contact lenses ($29), the Barack Obama or Sarah Palin masks ($19.99) or fake braces ($9.99). New York Costumes 104 Fourth Ave. near 11th Street, 212-673-4546? Spanning an entire city block, New York Costumes is an extensive costume warehouse complete with Mitt Romney masks ($8.99), strobe lights ($14.99-$19.99) and aviator caps ($24.99). No matter how off the beaten path your intended costume is, you'll find it at New York Costumes. The store is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and offers extended hours during October, often closing between 10 and midnight. New York Costumes has one of the largest collection of masks, props and wigs, and carries costumes for all ages, as well as for four-legged friends. The company also offers an extensive online inventory for customers who know what they want before they shop. Frankie Steinz Costumes 580 Broadway, Suite 309, near Prince Street, 212-925-1373 Costume designer Frankie Steinz operates her Tribeca design studio by appointment only. She accepts customized, one-of-a-kind orders and rents an array of professional-quality costumes at her upscale boutique. She has even outfitted the likes of Kate Moss and Jack Nicholson. Fittingly, Steinz was born on Halloween.