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Sullivan's Toy Store
This independent toy store specializes in European and educational toys that are a nice antidote to the video-games fare of many children's toy stores.
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Ten Thousand Villages
A unique nonprofit store, Ten Thousand Villages imports handicrafts from developing countries for a fair price, so you won't find any incredible bargains here. On the other hand, the furniture, pottery and textiles are high quality, and you can rest easy knowing your purchase helps to pay for food, education, healthcare or housing for someone who needs it.
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Torpedo Factory Art Center & Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Built during WWI to manufacture torpedoes, this complex today manufactures art. At the center of a revamped waterfront with a marina, shops, parks, walkways, residences, offices and restaurants, it houses the creations of nearly 200 artists and craftspeople who sell directly from their studios.
The Alexandria Archaeology Museum is also housed here, offering a chance to watch archaeologists at work, see exhibits and do hands-on discovery kits.
Read more about Torpedo Factory Art Center & Alexandria Archaeology Museum
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Touchstone Gallery
One location encompasses several galleries, including the spacious, artist-owned Touchstone Gallery, which exhibits modern art created by its 40 members. Works cover multiple mediums including cartoonish paintings and brightly colored sculptures.
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Trover Shop
This two-level goldmine is a DC institution for books, cards and gifts. It also has a wide selection of books on tape, which are rentable. Unsurprisingly, its section on politics is primo.
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Troyer Gallery
Among DC's better-known galleries, especially for emerging artists, it features many home-grown paintings and sculptures as well as a large photography collection. Openings are held the first Friday of the month.
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Union Station
An architectural landmark and a train depot, Union Station is also a good-sized mall, complete with multi-screen cinema, one of the city's best food courts, restaurants and 200,000 sq ft of shops. You'll find standard mall chains but there is also a range of boutiques selling toys, jewelry and DC souvenirs, such as the National Zoo Store,Discovery Store, Great Train Store and Best of DC souvenir shop. Two-hour validated parking is available.
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Universal Gear
Gay men flock here for this season's fashion trends, from hipster athletic-inspired T-shirts designed to show of those rippling abs to dark-wash Diesels perfect for clubbing.
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Up Against The Wall
The music-blaring boutique is one of DC's top funky fashion spots for the hip-hop set. It sells baggy jeans, sports jerseys and everything else you need to dress like a rapper.
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Wake Up Little Suzie
This funny and original gift shop sells stuff like neon clocks, bright chunky metal-and-ceramic jewelry, polka-dotted pottery, cards and T-shirts. If you have a need for an Invasion of the Monster Women lunch box or boxing-rabbi windup doll, Suzie's your woman.
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White House Historical Association Gift Shop
Peruse a wide selection of books, videos, gifts, posters, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, postcards and educational materials, all on the theme of the big house across the square. This is the place to buy your dad a White House necktie. There is a similarly stocked store in the White House Visitors Center.
Read more about White House Historical Association Gift Shop
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World Bank Infoshop
The controversial multilateral lender runs the excellent World Bank InfoShop, which sells a vast collection of books and documents on all aspects of development and economics.
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Yawa Books & Gifts
The focus here is on the books - lots of 'em - addressing African American political, social and cultural issues. Sports, spirituality, sex - absolutely nothing is overlooked. There is also a good selection of fiction by African American writers.
