5 Best Shopping in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Serious shoppers will want to make a trip to King of Prussia Mall, the largest retail shopping complex on the East Coast. The Plaza, Court, and Pavilion at King of Prussia provide elegant places to stroll and shop. There are nearly 400 specialty shops and six department stores, including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, and Crate & Barrel. The mall is about 20 miles from downtown; SEPTA Bus 124 or 125 from 17th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard runs to the mall.

Shop-'til-you-droppers make a beeline for Rittenhouse Row, the area between Broad and 21st streets and Spruce and Market streets. Lately the chains have been taking over Walnut Street between Rittenhouse Square and Broad Street, but this is still the greatest concentration of swanky stores and tony boutiques, art galleries, and jewelers you'll find in the city.

Across the street from the Liberty Bell is the Bourse, an elegantly restored 1895 commodities exchange building. The six-story skylighted atrium contains a few fun shops catering to tourists, such as Destination Philadelphia, as well as a festive international food court.

This local developer's mixed-use interpretation of Rome's Piazza Navona was a long time coming, and was the cause of so much controversy over the years that locals were almost shocked to see it finally open in summer 2009. A "curator" handpicks the independent retailers and gallerists who fill nearly 40 ground-floor commercial spaces. (Condos occupy the floors above.) They ring a giant plaza with pavement scalloped in the same pattern as in Rome and featuring a giant stage and screen. Especially during warm-weather months, there's usually some kind of event or live entertainment going on at the piazza.

At 16th and Chestnut streets is the upscale Shops at Liberty Place. The complex features a food court and popular stores, including Loft, Aveda, Victoria's Secret, Express, J. Crew, and the Body Shop. More than 40 stores and restaurants are arranged in two circular levels within a strikingly handsome 90-foot glass-roof atrium.