Going for a girls trip and have a few questions.

1. We will be eating lunch one day at The Ivy and plan on shopping on Robertson. Are Melrose and West 3rd St. walkable from here? Or do we need to drive to Melrose and park again?

2. Also, another day we'll be shopping in Santa Monica. If we shop at Fred Segal and then want to visit Montana, can we walk? Or do we need to drive?

3. One more...are there any shops that have discount designer handbags? Second hand (in good condition) would be okay.

Thanks in advance!

In Santa Monica you'll want to drive to Montana Ave.

Designer bags can be bought in down town L.A. at Santee Alley...I think that's the right spelling. This is a street in the L.A. garment district. They sell knock off's of most things seven days a week.

Thank you for the information.

I am sure most things in the Santee Alley section of the Garment District are knock-offs. It is a fun place to go but don't think you are getting the real thing when buying handbags there.

And be aware that the selling and buying of knock-offs that display designer logos is illegal! Police are not lurking around, but if you're caught, you're caught. Saying you were duped into buying a Kate Spade bag for only $30 won't get you off.

You'll want to re-park your car after lunch at The Ivy. The shopping on Melrose/3rd is pretty spread out.

Thanks for your help!

Not looking for a knock off- have been to Canal Street in NYC several times! Are there any second hand stores with designer purses or discontinued purses that are discounted?

Thanks again!

The LA times had an article called "goodwill hunting" a few weeks back that had some top designer resale shops in LA, but I can't find that it names the stores (it did in the Sunday Magazine section). Anyway try here for some other options:
http://www.bargainsla.com/index.php

Hey tampagirl,

You can try Celebrity Closet Raiders on 9157 Sunset Blvd., Ste 300 in West Hollywood. It's not a strictly handbags store but a store that sells items once belonging to celebrities that they no longer wear/use, which includes some bags.

Another second hand boutique is Rodeo Drive Resale in East Valley. High end brands in good conditions. These stores sell the real stuff, not knock offs.

And of course for the designer outlets you guys can head to the Desert Hills Premium Outlets.

Walking in LA? Unheard of.

Thanks again!

Had to laugh about the walking! In Tampa we drive everywhere, too!

Based on your comments I think that you are right to focus on the boutique-y shopping opportunities on the west side instead of the rougher flea market-like options in downtown Los Angeles.

The Ivy (terrible food, great scene) is the epicenter of Robertson's shopping district. From there you could walk north 6 blocks to Melrose or south 2 blocks to 3rd street and head East. Both streets offer great shopping choices for the next 2.5 miles. That's a lot of distance, though - which is why most people would take to their cars until they found exactly what they wanted. Aardvaark's and Wasteland are both good places on Melrose for secondhand stuff. The boutique choices on Beverly Blvd are clustered at the eastern edge of the same shopping area - I wouldn't recommend going much further than La Brea on any of those streets. La Brea itself can be pretty, good shopping territory, too.

In Santa Monica the best Montana Ave shopping is close to 15th street - that's almost two miles from Fred Segal's. It is certainly do-able but not if you plan on carrying your purchases. Fred Segal is much closer to the 3rd Avenue Promenade, where the shopping is much more pedestrian but still a pleasant stroll with plenty of dining choices in the area. And don't miss walking along the park-side of Ocean Ave to enjoy some great views and ocean breezes.

Considering how focused and knowledgeable you are on LA's shopping options I really hope that all of your girlfriends are single - if not, my heart goes out to the poor husbands who don't realize what's about to happen to their credit ratings.

No one goes to The Ivy for the food.

I hope you are all size 0 to 4 or you miight not find much celebrity clothing that you could actually wear.

Thanks for all the advice! Leaving next week. We will only be there for 3 days and trying to squeeze it all in!

I'm hoping there will be some reasonably priced things as well! I've been to Fred Segal before (a few years ago) and was able to buy a few things that weren't too outrageously expensive. We are all single, so no hubby's credit to worry about! That made me laugh

I think we'll definitely drive to the different spots (time permitting) with all of your advice. Just hard to tell on the map how far away some things are!

Thanks again!

Shopping on Montana Ave is fun - lots of fun boutiques and great places for lunch.

The Promenade is great, too, but has national chains, from Old Navy, abercrombie, zara, etc. Lots of great shopping, there.

Plan on driving everywhere and reparking. Save your walking energy for shopping.

by the way, the grilled veggie/shrimp salad at the Ivy is wonderful (and over $30).
And there's an Ivy by the Shore in Santa Monica.

have fun!

Robertson has great shopping-Lisa Kline and Kitson are two big celeb hangouts, and a few years ago I cleaned up at a sale at the Poleci store. I can't remember the names as I don't live in LA but that whole street rocked as far as shopping. Have a GREAT time!

forgot to mention that Main St. in santa Monica also has great shopping. It's sort of a cross between the 3rd St. Promenade and Montana. It has lots of unique boutiques, but name brand stores, too. and lots of good places to eat.