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Acropolis Mall, between Avenida Winston Churchill and Calle Rafael Augusto Sanchez, has become a favorite shopping arena for the young and/or hip capitaleños. Stores like Zara and Mango (both from Spain) have today's look without breaking your budget.
One of the main shopping streets in the Zona is Calle El Conde, a pedestrian thoroughfare. With the advent of so many restorations, the dull and dusty stores with dated merchandise are giving way to some hip new shops. However, many of the offerings, including local designer shops, are still of a caliber and cost that the Dominicans can afford. Some of the best shops are on Calle Duarte, north of the Zona Colonial, between Calle Mella and Avenida de Las Américas. El Mercado Modelo, a covered market, borders Calle Mella in the Zona Colonial; vendors here sell a dizzying selection of Dominican crafts.
Piantini is a swanky residential neighborhood that has an increasing number of fashionable shops and clothing boutiques, often housed in contemporary shopping malls. Its borders run from Avenida Winston Churchill to Avenida Lope de Vega and from Calle Jose Amado Soler to Avenida 27 de Febrero.
As one of the most upscale and comprehensive shopping destinations in the Dominican Republic, BlueMall is home to international brands like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Rolex. It also has a host of Dominican retailers, banking services, a spacious dining area, a movie theater, and more.
Located in Agora Mall, one of the Dominican Republic's leading department stores, Casa Virginia was founded in 1945. The store is stocked mostly with high-end designer clothing (including a Jenny Polanco department) and fashion finds, but also has avant Italian jewelry, some moderately priced gift items, and a line of high-end men's watches.
Top Dominican artists in various mediums are on display here. The gallery staff is well-known in Miami and New York, and works with Sotheby's.
The owner, Patrick Le Clercq, has some of the most attractive and creative designer pieces in native larimar and amber. If you have never bought any of these lovely stones because of cheesy settings or high prices, take a look here. His innovative custom work, in sterling or gold, can be done in 48 hours. Some staff do not speak English but can call Patrick if he’s not there.
This shop along El Conde in the Zona Colonial makes and sells its own branded premium cigars to clients worldwide and anyone who happens to walk into the cozy store. Enjoy the leather couch in the seating area, and let owner Julio Vilchez Rosso or a member of his personable staff regale you with the history of cigar making in the Dominican Republic and learn what makes a good cigar a good cigar. This store is perfect for the experienced connoisseur or those who'd like to become one.
This edgy gallery showcases mainly Latin artists from Mexico, South America, and Spain, and some of the most controversial Dominican visionaries. Specializing in contemporary art, it's been in business since 1995. Their rotating collection can include the new, the strange, and the daring.
