Other shopping in North America
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Powell's City of Books
The largest independent bookstore in the US, this place is dangerously addictive. Bank on your quick one-hour 'browse' turning into three. Fantastic travel section.
reviewed
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Whole Foods Market
Austinites remember Whole Foods back when it was just a low-key hippie grocer, and look at it now, with more than 140 stores nationwide focusing on healthy, natural and organic groceries. There’s a great selection of takeout at this enormous flagship store, perfect for stocking a picnic.
reviewed
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Title Wave Books
Northern Lights Center (1360 W Northern Lights Blvd); W 5th Ave (415 W 5th Ave) The best bookstore in Anchorage with two branches, both equipped with internet cafés.
reviewed
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Half Price Books, Records & Magazines
A broad selection of excellent new and used books, with multiple locations around town.
reviewed
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Sna Jolobil
Next to Santo Domingo, Sna Jolobil exhibits and sells some of the very best huipiles, blouses, skirts, rugs and other woven items, with prices ranging from a few dollars for small items to more than M$32,000 for the best huipiles (the fruit of many months’ work). Sna Jolobil is a cooperative of 800 indigenous women weavers from the Chiapas highlands, founded in the 1970s to foster the important indigenous art of backstrap-loom weaving. It has revived many half-forgotten techniques and designs.
reviewed
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Melissa Guerra
San Antonio’s answer to Williams Sonoma, Melissa Guerra has upscale kitchen implements and table settings with a Latin flavor, layered in with Mexican craft items such as lotería jewelry and painted pottery. It’s one of the first stores in the new Pearl Brewery development.
reviewed
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Uncommon Objects
‘Curious oddities’ is what they advertise at this quirky antique store that sells all manner of fabulous knick-knackery. The merchandise is displayed with an artful eye that makes browsing akin to visiting a rambling museum of memorabilia, all of which happens to be for sale.
reviewed
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Room Service
Whether your style is ’70s moon chairs or art-nouveau fainting couches, this is the most fabulous place in the city for vintage furnishings. Plenty of smaller (and more portable) stuff is for sale, like gobstopping ashtrays, silk kimonos and more.
reviewed
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Waterloo Records
Waterloo is a landmark and the best music store in town, with a huge selection and low prices on new and used CDs and vinyl. There are sections reserved just for local bands, and listening stations featuring Texas, indie and alt-country acts.
reviewed
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Allen’s Boots
In hip South Austin, family-owned Allen’s sells rows upon rows of traditional cowboy boots for ladies, gents and kids. A basic pair costs from $50, while somethin’ fancy runs a few hundred dollars.
reviewed
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Fractal Naturaleza
A great place to check out souvenirs made by local Tuxtla artisans is Fractal Naturaleza, a store that does its best to support local art and textiles.
reviewed
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Dane County Farmers’ Market
On Saturday, the Dane County Farmers’ Market takes over Capitol Sq. It’s one of the nation’s largest markets, famed for its artisanal cheeses.
reviewed
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Fromagination
Fromagination specializes in small-batch and hard-to-find local hunks. Be sure to pick up some cheese curds to experience their squeaky bite.
reviewed
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Twig Bookshop
This great little indie bookstore located in the Pearl Brewery development specializes in regional interest, children’s books and author events.
reviewed
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Arboretum
About 20 minutes northwest of downtown, the Arboretum is a parklike collection of high-end stores like Sharper Image and Restoration Hardware.
reviewed
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Mizner Park
The Mizner Park is a ritzy outdoor mall with stores, restaurants and regular free concerts.
reviewed
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Papa Jim’s
If you have never visited a botanica before, be sure to make a special trip out to Papa Jim’s in the southern part of the city. It’s basically a religious and Santeria superstore (mixed with a bit of voodoo), selling items to rid you of the problem of your choice: Get-Rich candles, Do-As-I-Say floor wash, Jinx Removal air-freshener, Run-Devil-Run and Get-out-of-Jail oil, and Stop-Gossip soap, all for a few dollars apiece. The store also has books, herbal teas, incense, good-luck charms and other items related to Santeria, a synthesis of Catholicism and the Nigerian Yoruba folk beliefs of slaves brought to the Caribbean. Papa Jim’s motto is ‘Whatever Works, ’ and obvious…
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Summer Night Market
Much bigger than Vancouver’s Chinatown version, Richmond’s Summer Night Market has around 300 vendors and offers a multisensory glimpse of what Hong Kong–style bazaars are all about. Don’t eat anything before arriving and you can taste-trip among the 60 or so steamy food stalls. The highlight of an evening out here, they offer savory treats such as fish balls, shrimp dumplings, duck wraps, twirled potatoes, vegetarian gyoza (fried Japanese dumplings) and grilled squid. Most dishes cost from $3 to $6. Highlight vendors are the comparatively gourmet Roaming Dragon (go for its Korean short-rib tacos) and Sumo Bites (the sukiyaki beef rice burgers are recommended).
reviewed
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Portobello West
This monthly indoor market enables more than 100 local artists and designers to display and sell their work. Prices are reasonable and you’ll find an amazing selection that can include hand-painted boots, striking original paintings, unique ceramics and just about everything in between. There’s usually a party atmosphere, as DJs spin their stuff and food vendors give you something to munch on while you peruse the goods. To get here from the Main St-Science World SkyTrain station, walk east along Terminal Ave to Cottrell St. Turn right and the station building is just ahead of you. Admission is free in some summer months when the weather is good enough to hold the event ou…
reviewed
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Metropolis at Metrotown
The ever-expanding 470-store homage to materialism, the ginormous Metropolis at Metrotown is the only shopping center you’ll need to visit on this trip. Savvy shoppers arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds then rest their weary feet at the sprawling food court – Indian, Japanese and Chinese cuisines are recommended here. All the regular chain-store suspects are on site, as well as bookshops, cinemas, department stores and a large number of intriguing Chinese businesses clustered around the excellent Asian T&T supermarket. The mall is a 20-minute SkyTrain ride from downtown Vancouver – it’s big enough to warrant its own station.
reviewed
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Arthur Godfrey Road
If the main shopping drag in Miami Beach were a movie, it might be titled ‘Jews in Paradise.’ It’s no shetl, but Arthur Godfrey Rd is a popular thoroughfare for the Jewish population of Miami Beach, and possibly the best place outside Manhattan to enjoy a good reuben sandwich (and the only place outside Tel Aviv with kosher sushi houses). Just as Jews have shaped Miami Beach, so has the beach shaped its Jews: you can eat lox yarroz con moros (salmon with rice and beans) and while the Orthodox men don yarmulkes and the women wear headscarves, they’ve all got nice tans and drive flashy SUVs.
reviewed
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Railspur Alley
Seemingly far from the madding crowds of the public market – at least on summer days when every tourist in town seems to be there – this somewhat hidden back-alley strip is a relaxing alternative. You’ll find a string of unique artisan stores, including a painter, fiber artist and silk seller. Even better is the Artisan Sake Maker ([tel] 604-685-7253; www.artisansakemaker.com; 1339 Railspur Alley; [hrs] 11:30am-6pm), who produces small batches of junmai sake right here (tastings are $2 each or $5 for three). You can sober up with a strong coffee at the Agro Café, also a great spot for lunch.
reviewed
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Kids Market
A nightmare if you happen to stroll in by mistake, this two-story mini shopping mall for under-10s is bristling with kid-friendly stores, mostly of the toy variety. If your child’s interests extend beyond Lego and Barbie, there are also retailers specializing in clothing, candy, magic tricks and arts and crafts. If it all gets a bit too much, you might try enticing your sprogs away from the shops to the huge Granville Island Water Park (admission free; [hrs] 10am-6pm mid-May–early Sep) just behind the market (or perhaps sneaking yourself to the nearby Granville Island Brewing for a swift libation).
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