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Shopaholics love the City of Brotherly Love for its style—funky artwork and highbrow housewares, fine jewels, and haute couture.
Indeed, Philadelphia has spawned some influential fashion retailers. The Urban Outfitters chain was born in a storefront in West Philadelphia. Its sophisticated sister, Anthropologie, also has its roots in Philadelphia. Lagos, the popular high-end jewelry line, was founded here, and all items are still produced locally. High-fashion boutiques Joan Shepp, Knit Wit, and Elle Lauri, all in the Rittenhouse Square area, are well regarded by locals for designer clothing and accessories.
Some of the most spirited shopping in town is also pleasing to the palate. The indoor Reading Terminal Market and the outdoor Italian Market are bustling with urban dwellers buying groceries and visitors searching for the perfect Philadelphia cheesesteak. Equally welcoming is the city's quaint, cobblestone Antiques Row, the three-block stretch of Pine Street crammed with shops selling everything from estate jewelry to stained glass and vintage furniture. Also worth a trip is the Third Street Corridor in Old City, home to scads of independent, funky boutiques. In Northern Liberties, the Piazza at Schmidt's is a giant mixed-use development inspired by Rome's Piazza Navona, which houses 100,000 square feet of retail space bursting with creative entrepreneurs.
Neighborhoods are presented clockwise starting from the Old City, a commercial waterfront turned arts enclave on the Delaware River, moving south to South Philadelphia, then west to Center City and Rittenhouse Square, across the Schuylkill River to University City around the University of Pennsylvania campus, and ending in the north with Northern Liberties.
Cross the street if you don't want to get lured inside by the enticing aromas of fresh-baked artisanal breads and pastries at this small bakery at the base of Chestnut Hill. There's also a small selection of sandwiches and pizzas if you need to refuel before trekking up Germantown Avenue.
This is the original location of the famed cheese shop; the other, larger stores are in Rittenhouse Square and Washington Square West. The major difference among them really is size. Its uptown siblings are enormous and can be overwhelming. This shop is tiny—long, narrow, and cave-like, with salamis hanging from the ceiling like stalactites. Still, it's jam-packed with all the specialties you expect from the Di Brunos—cheeses, olive oils, prepared foods—plus a sandwich counter and the usual über-knowledgeable staffers.
There are three locations to tempt the palate—the original one in the Italian Market and the hipper ones in Rittenhouse Square and Washington West. Di Bruno's is a mecca for cheese lovers—the store carries more than 300 different varieties from around the world, as well as some house-made kinds. You can also find barrels of olives, imported olive oils, Abbruzze sausage, and balsamic vinegar that's been aged for 75 years. The staff is very knowledgeable and will provide friendly advice on storage, preparation, and serving ideas. Ask for recipes and samples.
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