Shopping in South Florida
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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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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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A
Worth Ave
This quarter-mile, palm-tree-lined strip of the highest end shops is like the Rodeo Drive of the east. You can trace its history back to the 1920s, when the now-gone Everglades Club here staged weekly fashion shows and launched the careers of designers from Bonwit Teller to Elizabeth Arden.
Today you'll find more than 200 shops, representing every exclusive brand known to humanity: Cartier, Armani, Gucci, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Ann Gish, Dana Buchman, Emilo Pucci and Hermes are just the beginning. (Half the shops close for summer.) It's fun to stroll and window shop, whether you want to lay down your plastic or not.
reviewed
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B
Vierge Miracle & St Philippe
Enter with an attitude full of respect, eyes wide open and some tactful questions, and you’ll be treated to a unique experience: the wares, spells and goods of Haitian vodou. Be reverent to the large statues of loa (akin to angels) who guard the premises, and if you’ve got some problems with love or work, need dream interpretation or require a cleansing bath, the local houngan and mambos (respectively, male and female high priests) may be able to help you. Another excellent botanica is Halouba (www.haloubatemple.com; 101 NE 54th St).
reviewed
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C
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 Miami Beach Jews, and possibly the best place outside Manhattan to enjoy a good Reuben (and the only place outside Tel Aviv with kosher sushi houses).
And just as Jews have shaped Miami Beach, so has the beach shaped its Jews: you can eat lox y arroz 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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Mizner Park
This outdoor shopping mall, bounded by Federal Hwy and Mizner Blvd north of NE 2nd St, and bookended on one side by the Boca Raton Museum of Art offers free valet parking plus live music on Saturday nights. The lovely mall provides a nice breezy stroll, but the abundant chain stores squelch its uniqueness. A notable exception is Kerzen Candles, whose non-toxic, gourmet candles are fascinating displays of waxen art.
reviewed
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D
MAC
Join the fabulous folks who have, at one point or another, been spokesmodels for this trés hip makeup shop: RuPaul, KD Lang, Linda Evangelista and Diana Ross. You’ll be ready to do a testimonial, too, once you fall in love with the cosmetics’ sleek packaging, fab hues, subtle fragrance and great staying power – as well as the shop’s policy to donate all sales profits from its Viva Glam lipstick to the Mac AIDS Fund.
reviewed
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E
Target
It’s the discount store of the moment in US cities, with good reason. Where else can you find Isaac Mizrahi fashions, high-threadcount sheets, a new set of flatware, a digital camera, shoes, Michael Graves–designed homewares, toys and a bag of potato chips all under one roof? Prices are incredibly cheap, too. There are plenty of locations around town, including 8350 S Dixie Hwy, 21265 Biscayne Blvd and 15005 SW 8th St.
reviewed
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F
Shops at Midtown Miami
The anchor of the city’s plan to revitalize this rough-and-tumble neighborhood is a 600,000-sq-ft mall, which has all kinds of brand-name blah, including stores such as West Elm (a homeware/furniture outlet for those who can’t afford the Design District), Target (for those who can’t afford West Elm) and Ross (for those who can’t afford Target).
reviewed
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St Armand’s Circle
St Armand’s Circle – yes, they misspelled St Amand’s name for posterity – is a fancy shopping center, surrounded by a traffic circle and packed with posh shops and cafés, that serves as the area’s social hub. John Ringling bought land on St Armand’s Key from Charles St Amand with the intention of developing it into exactly what it is today: an upscale shopping center surrounded by posh residences.
reviewed
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G
Ricky’s NYC
Ricky’s is a nice little example of the ‘where the hell did that come from?’ school of retail display. There’s all kinds of souvenir kitsch downstairs plus everyday useful things you’d find in a convenience store. And then, upstairs, you enter rack upon rack of naughty nurse uniforms, sexy schoolgirl outfits and the like. It’s packed here come Halloween.
reviewed
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H
Española Way Promenade
Española Way is an 'authentic' Spanish promenade, in the Florida theme park spirit of authenticity. Whatever; it's a lovely, terracotta and cobbled arcade of rose pink and Spanish creamy architecture, perfect for art browsing (its original purpose was as an arts colony in the 1920s), window-shopping, people-watching and café sippin'. A craft market operates here on weekend afternoons.
reviewed
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I
Jalan Jalan
The name of this place is Indonesian/Malay for ‘just walking’ (or ‘walking around’), but of course you knew that, you intrepid Lonely Planet reader you. More to the point, the owner has clearly been ‘jalan’-ing a bit, bringing in incredible furniture, artifacts and antiquities from around the world and selling them in this lovely warehouse space.
reviewed
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J
En Avance
Want your shopping to be as chic as your nightclubbing? Then head here, where you’ll be greeted by a velvet rope and a hot collection of high fashion once inside. The friendly staff will help you negotiate through the Rebecca Taylor, Juicy Couture, Tse and more. You’ll also find Defile makeup and even designer styles for infants. Don’t be surprised if you rub elbows with a celeb or two.
reviewed
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K
Wolfsonian-Fiu Gift Shop
The small gift shop housed in this wonderful quirky museum has one of the most unique collections of eclectic items around. You’ll find sleek business-card holders, oddly shaped water pitchers and glassware, technofied bags and notebooks, art and design books, cool wallets and basically any kind of iconic design, or at least great imitations of such, you could ever desire.
reviewed
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L
Crimson Carbon
Not only will you be hot after emerging from CC, you’ll feel better about your place in the Circle of Life. The bubble shorts, California-style dresses and other chic standards this store sells are often organic, chemical-free and ecofriendly. CC carries Carilyn Vaile’s green label, made from raw bamboo, and Mad Imports, which sources its accessories from a Madagascar co-op.
reviewed
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M
Epicure Market
Whether you have cooking facilities in your inn or just want to shop for a fancy beach picnic, this is the place. You’ll find an outstanding array of fresh produce, sinful baked goods, fresh flowers, premade meals (including matzo-ball soup, lasagna and salads), imported treats such as jams and tapenades, and an excellent selection of fine global wines.
reviewed
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Lincoln Rd
Calling Lincoln Rd a mall is like calling Big Ben a clock: it’s technically accurate but misses the point. Yes, you can shop, and shop very well here. But this outdoor pedestrian thoroughfare between Alton Rd and Washington Ave is really about seeing and being seen, and there are few better places in Greater Miami for all of the above.
reviewed
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N
Streets of Mayfair
Credited for reviving Coconut Grove during the 1990s, Streets of Mayfair is one of the alfresco malls here that houses ubiquitous chain stores, and is perhaps (inexplicably) among the Grove’s biggest tourist drawcards. Go and see it for yourself if you must, but it’s really just a big, bustling collection of the usual suspects.
reviewed
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ArtSouth
This colony of artists’ studios is a good place to see local talent and pick up Glades-inspired artwork. It’s also a nice sight in and of itself; outdoor exhibits make the compound feel like a dreamy sculpture garden (or at least a decent free museum), and provide a good aesthetic anchor to the north side of Homestead’s main-street project.
reviewed
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O
Sweat Records
Sweat’s almost a stereotypical indie record store: it serves organic coffee, it has got big purple couches, it sells weird Japanese toys and there are skinny guys with thick glasses arguing over LPs you’ve never heard of. It feels a little out of place in hip-hop-y Latin Miami, but we’re glad someone is waving the indie flag in this town.
reviewed
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Penelope T
For a new pair of fantastic jeans or the perfect little black dress, head to Tampa’s favorite designer boutique for a little retail therapy in a shop designed for pampering. From Rebecca Taylor to Citizens of Humanity, Penelope T has all the midrange designers, along with quite a few lesser-known names (which come with lower price tags).
reviewed
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P
Moooi
They’ve got a great motto here: ‘For design addicts, but more for design virgins.’ If you’ve always wanted your house to look conceptual but haven’t the slightest idea where to begin (or if you know exactly what you require of a room), the friendly folks at this Marcel Wanders boutique will get you on the road to a really fine interior.
reviewed
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Q
CocoWalk
Credited for reviving Coconut Grove during the 1990s, CocoWalk is one of the alfresco malls here that houses ubiquitous chain stores, and is perhaps (inexplicably) among the Grove’s biggest tourist drawcards. Go and see it for yourself if you must, but it’s really just a big, bustling collection of the usual suspects.
reviewed
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R
Whole Foods Market
The latest outpost of this natural-foods chain has a great array of organic produce, packaged products from cereals to soaps, bulk items, prepared meals and an OK salad bar. You'll also find a good range of wines, beers, cheeses and fresh elixirs squeezed at the juice bar. There are good fresh meats and fish for the carnivores, too.
reviewed
