Shopping in North America
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Japonesque
Wabi-sabi is not something you smear on sushi, but the fine appreciation for organic forms and materials you can experience first-hand at Japonesque. Owner Koichi Hara stocks antique Japanese bamboo baskets and contemporary ceramics, alongside Ruth Rhoten's molten silver vases and Hiromichi Iwashita's graphite-coated, chiseled-wood panels that look like bonfire embers.
reviewed
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B
Miracle Mile Shops
A staggering 1.5 miles long; get a tattoo, drink and rock star duds.
reviewed
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Shopping Strips
Shopping Strips offers everything for the urban hippie, from handmade sidewalk-vendor jewelry to head-shop paraphernalia. Most appealing are, irrefutably, its terrific book and music stores.
Another strip of shops is along College Ave in the Elmwood District.
On 4th St, north of University Ave, you'll find upscale clothing, kitchen supply, book and gift stores.
reviewed
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C
FAO Schwarz
The toy store giant, where Tom Hanks played footsy piano in the movie Big, is number one on the NYC wish list of most visiting kids. Why not indulge them? The magical (over-the-top) wonderland, with dolls up for ‘adoption,' life-size stuffed animals, gas-powered kiddie convertibles, air-hockey sets and much more, might even thrill you, too.
reviewed
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D
Maui Swap Meet
Skip the mall and head to this quintessential island scene where you buy direct from craftspeople and local farmers (admission 50¢). You'll not only find fresh organic Hana fruits, Kula veggies and homemade banana bread, but it's a fun place to souvenir shop for everything from Hawaiian quilts to Maui designed T's. This place glows with aloha and the prices are unbeatable.
reviewed
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E
North Bennet Street School
The North Bennet Street School has been training craftspeople for over 100 years. Established in 1885, the school offers programs in traditional skills like bookbinding, woodworking and locksmithing. The school’s on-site gallery sells incredible hand-crafted pieces made by students and alumni. Look for unique jewelry, handmade journals and exquisite wood furniture and musical instruments.
reviewed
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F
826 Valencia
'No buccaneers! No geriatrics!' warns the sign above the vat of sand where kids rummage for buried pirates' booty. The eccentric Pirate Supply Store sells eye patches, scoops from an actual tub o' lard, and McSweeney's literary magazines to support a teen writing nonprofit and the Fish Theater, where a puffer fish is immersed in Method acting.
reviewed
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G
Boutique Kettö
Illustrator Julie St-Onge-Drouin started up Kettö after her illustrative designs kept finding their way onto ceramic surfaces. Now at this big, bright and beautifully set-up boutique, they’re on everything from plates and mugs to ceramic jewelry and necklaces. Great gifts, her designs are sold in small boutiques throughout Québec, but here you’ll find the best selection.
reviewed
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H
Ja Moisan Épicier
Established in 1871, this is considered the oldest grocery store in North America. The store is beautifully set up and fun just to browse – ever seen black-and-white, zebra-striped bow pasta? The products do generally fall on the ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ side of expensive but there will be products here you’ve never seen before along with heaps of local goods.
reviewed
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Aquarius Records
When pop seems played out, this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius Records, featuring Armenian blues, Oakland warehouse-party bands and rare Japanese releases. Recent staff favorites include Sounds of North American Frogs, groovy '60 Brazilian tropicalia from Os Mutantes, woozy folk from New Zealand's Torlesse Super Group and SF's own Prizehog, enthusiastically described as 'dirgey doom pop slowcore!'
reviewed
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Forum Shops
Franklins fly out of Fendi bags faster at Caesars' fancifully gaudy re-creation of an ancient Roman market, housing 160 catwalk designer emporia.
reviewed
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Strange Cargo
The retro store stocks kitschy iron-on T-shirts featuring Ditka, Obama and other renowned Chicagoans.
reviewed
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L
Sustainable NYC
Across from Tompkins Square Park, this ecofriendly shop offers all sorts of home and office gear for living green. Organic T-shirts, shoes made out of recycled auto tires, compost bins, biodegradable beauty products, recycled stationery, and books on going green are all on hand. The store itself sets a fine example: the interior is built from 300-year-old reclaimed lumber and fixtures are recycled (and for sale).
A small cafe onsite sells snacks and fair-trade coffee.
reviewed
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M
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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Rockridge
Rockridge is a popular shopping district. The lively, upscale neighborhood is centered on College Ave, which runs from Broadway all the way to the UC Berkeley Campus. College Ave is lined with clothing boutiques, good bookstores, a vintage record shop, several pubs and cafés, and quite a few upscale restaurants - maybe the largest concentration in the Bay Area. You could easily spend a satisfying afternoon or evening browsing, eating and drinking here.
Exiting BART at the Rockridge station puts you in the thick of things.
reviewed
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O
The Grove
This outdoor mall is one of LA’s most popular shopping destinations. Its recipe for success? Fill a faux Italian palazzo with 40 name-brand stores and restaurants, toss in a fountain, the Pacific Theatres and a sprinkling of celebrities, then top it off with a trolley rolling back and forth down the middle. PT Barnum would be proud. Check out the roof of the parking garage for stellar city views. Highlights include little-girl fave American Girl Place and grown-up-gal boutique Theodore. Parking free for the first hour; $3 for two to three hours.
reviewed
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P
Santa’s Quarters
This place keeps the Christmas spirit alive year-round, with ornaments, lights and every festive trinket imaginable. Now, you have to wonder about people who might be tempted to purchase Christmas ornaments on one of August’s most sultry days. And what about the zero-receipt days this shop surely endures for much of the year. So is it a front for something more sinister? Or is it simply a vanity concern for St Nick? And, if so, why is it New Orleans? Or is the fat man indulging a local filly he’s keeping on the side? Anyway, on with your shopping…
reviewed
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B&H Photo-Video
Visiting NYC's most popular camera shop is an experience in itself – it’s massive and crowded, and bustling with black-clad (and tech-savvy) Hasidic Jewish salesmen. Your chosen item is dropped into a bucket, which then moves up and across the ceiling to the purchase area (which requires a second queue).
It’s all very orderly and fascinating, and the selection of cameras, camcorders, computers and other electronics is outstanding.
reviewed
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R
ByWard Market
The ByWard Market, at the corner of George St and ByWard St, is the best place in town for one-stop shopping. Vendors cluster around the old maroon-brick market building, erected in the 1840s. Outdoor merchants operate booths from 6am to 6pm year-round (although the winter weather drastically reduces the number of businesses). In summer, over 175 stalls fill the streets, selling fresh produce from local farms, flowers, seafood, cheese, baked goods and kitschy souvenirs. Dalhousie St, a block east of the market, has been rising in popularity with a smattering of hipster boutiques and fashion houses.
reviewed
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S
Ala Moana Center
Holy fashion, this attractive open-air shopping mall could compete on an international runway with some of Asia's most famous malls. And the shoppers are top-shelf fashionistas, stocking up on couture. The usual mall anchors are here, (Sears and Macy's) as are the designer name brands (you name it) and the trendy teen brands (Abercrombie & Fitch).
A favorite for local color is the Crack Seed Center, where you can just scoop from jars full of pickled mangoes, candied ginger, dried cuttlefish and banzai (rice crackers, nuts and dried fish) mix. The ground floor or the shopping center is also the hub for TheBus service.
reviewed
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Universal City Walk
With flashing video screens, oversized facades and garish color combinations, City Walk hovers beside Universal Studios like a reject from the Blade Runner –meets– Willy Wonka school of architecture. Opened in 1993 as a shopping adjunct to the theme park, this outdoor mall evolved into a local hangout that can feel like a middle-school mecca on weekends. Its 65 shops, restaurants and entertainment venues offer a mix of mid- and lowbrow attractions, with low leading by a nose. Beyond the knickknack stores and chains, the new Dodgers Clubhouse (818-761-5677) stands out with its Dodgers-related clothing and accessories – including bats broken during games. The courtyard…
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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V
Cherokee Antique Row
Six blocks of antique-filled stores in the appropriately historic Cherokee-Lemp neighborhood.
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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DSW
The basement clearance section is where recovering shoe hounds come after they've sworn that they've bought their last pair for the season. Diligent research has uncovered 40% to 60% off Marc Jacobs flats, Betsy Johnson wedges and an inexplicable bonanza of limited-edition Pumas.
reviewed