Main Street, CA

Main Street, CA

When you want to trade urban sprawl and traffic for boutique shopping, handmade sweets, and a good ol' fashioned community vibe, park your car and stroll down to Main Street.Start at the California Heritage Museum,then head over to the Victorian Baker Café (2640 Main St., Santa Monica. 310/392-4956. www.thevictorian.com), for a sweet sugar rush with their cakes, muffins, and scones served up in a festive atmosphere filled with locals on the deck of a large, beautifully restored Victorian house. Head farther down and you'll come across the gift shop, Clever on Main (2823 Main St., Santa Monica. 310/396-8108. www.cleveronmain.com), a boutique that stocks flea-market-like finds with a fashionable edge. Farther down is the must-see store for all Francophiles, Paris 1900 (2703 Main St., Santa Monica. 310/396-0405. www.paris1900.com), featuring all things Paris-themed such as note cards, baubles, jewelry, linens, antique lace, and wedding dresses. It's open by appointment only, so call ahead. Next door is the head-turning Jadis (2701 Main St., Santa Monica. 310/396-3477) storefront featuring an odd collection of movie props and gizmos that usually draws a crowd to the window. It will cost you a dollar just to browse, but you'll be rewarded with an up-close look at everything from antique cameras to chemistry sets and other curious knickknacks used in big name movies. Across the street, stop in Ritual Adornments (2708 Main St. 310/452-4044) for an eyeful of amazing beads and pendant-worthy stones and settings. A couple of blocks down is Patagonia (2936 Main St., Santa Monica. 310/314-1776. www.patagonia.com), the stop for ecofriendly action clothes to wear your pro-green stance on your sleeve. After full afternoon of shopping, refuel at one of the many eateries such at the World Café (2820 Main St., Santa Monica. 310/392-1661. www.worldcafela.com) that sparkles with tiny lights around its cozy indoor setting and lively outdoor patio. For a full directory of Main Streets offerings, visit www.mainstreetsm.com.