Shopping in Austin
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Half Price Books, Records & Magazines
A broad selection of excellent new and used books, with multiple locations around town.
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Austin Art Garage
This cool little independent…well, we hesitate to call it a ‘gallery’ because that would needlessly scare some people off. Anyway, it features some pretty great artwork by Austin artists. (Hey, Joel Ganucheau: we’re fans.) Check out the website to catch the vibe, and definitely check out the ‘gallery’ if you like what you see.
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Buffalo Exchange
The Austin branch of this nationwide used-clothing chain has an impressive selection of vintage clothes and shoes for men and women, including Texas styles and Western wear. A retro T-shirt matched with a simple skirt or jeans will instantly achieve that alternative Austin look.
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Blackmail
Black is the new black at this color-challenged store that unites Goths, punks and urban sophisticates. That means gorgeous black dresses and guayabera shirts, black-and-silver jewelry, black beaded handbags, black shoes and even minimalist black-and-white home decor.
reviewed
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Antone's Records
North of UT, legendary Antone’s was founded in 1972 and has a well-respected selection of Austin, Texas and American blues music (with plenty of rare vinyl), plus a bulletin board for musicians, and vintage concert posters for sale.
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Emeralds
Almost a minidepartment store for trendy women, Emeralds sells racks of spirited clothes that instead of being separated by designer are grouped by color. You’ll also find jewelry by Texas artisans, handbags and, oh, the shoes.
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Blue Velvet
Western wear, vintage T-shirts and even oddities such as all-American bowling wear hang on the racks at Blue Velvet, where you’ll find an equal number of men and women eyeing the goods. Summer fashions are stocked year-round.
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Dragonsnaps
Presided over by a jolly green dragon, this kids’ clothing store is perfect for comfortably outfitting your young ’uns with a dash of panache. Prices may be high, but most of this well-made clothing will last a long time.
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Electric Ladyland
Colorful and over the top, this South Congress staple has been outfitting Austinites for years. You can rent or buy costume pieces, which is this place’s specialty, but you can also find everyday vintage duds as well.
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Amelia’s Retrovogue & Relics
Austin’s queen of vintage high fashion, Amelia’s brings together Vogue-worthy dresses, retro ’50s bathing suits and other old-school glamour for both men and women. It’s a favorite with film industry folk.
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Cheapo Discs & Dvds
Though not as much of a bargain as the name suggests, it does have racks of used CDs, including Texas and alt-country music. Free in-store performances are often scheduled for the first Friday of the month.
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Eco-wise
Specializing in hemp, organic cotton and nontoxic goods, this store aimed at adults also carries a wealth of ecofriendly baby products, as well as cooperative games and outdoor gear for older kids.
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Wild About Music
In the downtown theater block, this store features art and gifts inspired by music and musicians – everything from caps, T-shirts and bumper stickers to Elvis cookie jars and handcrafted CD racks.
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Tesoros Trading Co
Browse folk art and crafts from around the world, with a heavy Latin American influence of metalwork, jewelry, colorfully painted handicrafts, the Virgin Mary, and Día de los Muertos.
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Terra Toys
Meant for zany adults almost as much as it is for kids, this toy store sells puzzles and puppets, Mad Libs books, Nunzilla wind-up dolls, bouncy balls and even kites to fly in Zilker Park.
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University Coop
School spirit is alive and well at this store on the UT Drag brimming with all manner of burnt-orange-and-white clothing and souvenirs sporting the Longhorn logo.
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MonkeyWrench Books
A radical bookstore and community events space. Punk ’zines, feminist treatises and political bumper stickers are sold by the world’s friendliest anarchists.
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Antone’s Records
A key player in Austin’s musical history, Antone’s has attracted the best of the blues and other popular local acts since 1975. All ages, all the time.
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Pangaea Trading Company
Good clothes can be hard to find on the Drag, but Pangaea stands out with unique and affordable clothing, shoes and jewelry from around the world.
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