Shop 'Til You Drop
By Aimee Dowl
Posted Dec. 13, 2007, at 1 p.m.
Madison Avenue and Rodeo Drive, those two stretches of east-coast and west-coast retail heaven, may be America's most exclusive shopping destinations. But other stops along the country's consumers byways — galleries, mega-stores, thrift shops, farmers' markets and even malls — offer shoppers access to unexpected finds and a memorable dose of regional culture. With prices ranging from flea market to first class, these six destinations are places where you'll shop 'til you drop.
Fresh produce on sale at the Pike Place Market
© Richard Cummins. Lonely Planet Images.
Big City Bazaar
Representing the oldest toy company in the U.S., the FAO Schwartz flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City is one of the happiest places on earth. Little ones frolic amid mountains of stuffed animals and listen to storytellers, while their parents stare wide-eyed at the classic toys of their youth. Much more than a place to check off Johnny and Sally's Christmas lists, FAO Schwartz is also a factory, where kids can make their own Hot Wheels™ cars and dress their own Barbie™ dolls, and moms and dads can customize a Maclaren™ baby buggy. Professional dancers spin across the "dance-on piano," where Tom Hanks did his famous tap dance in the movie "Big," and Harry Potter has opened its first American merchandise shop on the second floor. This is the ultimate shopping experience for any kid and adults love it, too. Eat your heart out, Toys "R" Us!
Natural Northwest
Maybe you remember Spike Lee's famous Levi's commercial featuring apron-clad fishmongers throwing the catch of the day at unwitting customers? Those guys were tossing tuna at Seattle's Pike Place Fish Company, and although they don't really require that you catch your mackerel, they do insist on selling only the freshest seafood. Just a stone's throw from the magnificent Puget Sound and celebrating its centennial in 2007, Pike Place is one of America's biggest and most-beloved farmers' markets and one of the few that stays open seven days a week through all four seasons. Shoppers carrying bundles of freshly cut flowers wander through stalls and stores overflowing with the bounty of the Pacific Northwest and beyond — organic produce, fair-trade coffee, just-off-the-boat seafood and freshly baked bread. Antique hunters can peruse rugs imported from central Asia and woodwork from central Washington, and design aficionados will delight in the market's one-of-a-kind boutiques, vintage clothing shops and art galleries.
Miami Mod
Several years ago, Miami's doyennes of design shunned South Beach and set their sights on a bombed-out, inland neighborhood. Named after the high-end furniture showrooms that graced the neighborhood before World War II, the Design District is still the perfect moniker for this barrio full of cutting-edge art, furnishings and fashion. Dileto, Knoll Studio and Holly Hunt have all set up shop here in renovated and new buildings that are as cool and creative as the art and artists inside them. Every December, the Art Basel show — the American extension of Europe's biggest contemporary art-buying event — is also fun for nonbuyers, who can sip martinis with the well-heeled at exhibitions, receptions and musical performances. Moderately priced French, Ethiopian and Mediterranean restaurants transplant the district's design chic to the tabletop and give you energy to keep shopping.
Native Arts
With mixed Anglo, Hispanic and American Indian heritage and long-standing status as an arts colony, Santa Fe showcases local and regional arts and crafts against a backdrop of russet adobes and snow-capped mountains. More than 80 galleries in the small, New Mexican capital display and sell paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, jewelry and textiles. You can browse with no pressure, or buy with advice from helpful gallery owners. The annual Spanish market in July features basketry, textile and precious metals by more than 100 local Hispanic artists, while twice yearly the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts stages the Santa Fe Indian market, featuring the work of artisans from over 100 Native American tribes, and attracting admirers and collectors from all over the world.
Discount Highway
After visiting the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, cruise north on the New York State Thruway for an hour to arrive at a shopaholic and bargain-hunter's paradise. At Woodbury Common, an outlet mall disguised as a charming colonial village in Central Valley, N.Y., Prada, Armani and Versace meet discounts, discounts and more discounts. Get $500 Jimmy Choo stilettos for $79 or a Dior sweater at 80 percent off. More than 220 name-brand stores offer killer deals on clothes, shoes, luggage, jewelry and housewares to shoppers who make the pilgrimage, and there's nary a defect or last-season reject in sight. On the way home, shake off the shopping frenzy with tranquil views of wildflowers, autumn colors or snow-covered, Hudson river bluffs, depending on the season.
Colorful letter boxes, Canyon Road. Santa Fe, New Mexico
© John Hay. Lonely Planet Images.
Midwest Mall Culture
The French may have invented the department store, but America lays claims to the shopping mall, and the Twin Cities' Mall of America is the pièce de résistance of this all-in-one retail experience. With more than 500 stores — from Burberry to Bosch, J. Crew to Jenn-Air — the Mall of America is the only emporium where you can stock your wardrobe and your house, fill your belly on corn dogs or fine cuisine, and cruise through the air on a flight simulator or roller coaster. Located just three miles from the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, this commercial hub is classic Midwestern America, where the shopping centers are so big that people speed-walk through them for exercise and you can park 12,000 cars. Every member of the family — and even a mall-hater — should find something to love here.
Bio: Aimee Dowl writes about travel, food and culture from her home base in Ecuador.
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