Shopping Overview

Toss your platinum card in any direction and you'll probably hit a shopping mall or chichi boutique. Miami is a serious shopping city. Lively shopping districts like Lincoln Road and bling-encrusted enclaves like Coral Gables and Bal Harbour are rather astonishing sociological spheres, drawing locals day and night. Collins Avenue in South Beach satisfies all kinds of fashion appetites, whether for Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, or Barneys Co-op. One block over on Washington are a handful of trend-conscious shops like Diesel and flashy club-wear stores. In the discriminating Design District, many top-name designers hold shop when they are not rehabbing the latest South Beach hotel. But this is also a city of tiny boutiques tucked away on side streets -- such as South Miami's Red, Bird, and Sunset roads intersection -- and outdoor markets touting unusual and delicious wares. Stroll through Spanish-speaking neighborhoods where shops sell clothing, cigars, and other goods from all over Latin America. At an open-air flea-market stall, score an antique glass shaped like a palm tree and fill it with some fresh Jamaican ginger beer from the table next door.