6 Best Places to Shop in Railyard District, Santa Fe

Santa Fe is well-known for its mystical side and the Ark is where locals go to feed their spiritual souls. Mainly a metaphysical bookstore, the Ark also offers a diverse selection of cards, gemstones, candles, and crystals as well as gifts of all kinds, from Tibetan prayer flags and wind chimes to yoga mats and clothing.

Famed Santa Fe resident George R. R. Martin owns this fantasy-and-science-fiction-focused bookstore as well as Jean Cocteau Cinema next-door. Named after Cocteau’s 1946 classic Beauty and the Beast (which was also a television show the Game of Thrones author worked on in the 1980s), the shop features books of all genres, each signed by its writer. This, of course, includes Martin’s many offerings, but also books by Diana Gabaldon, Leonard Maltin, Erica Jong, and Walter Jon Williams.

Browse through the vast selection of local produce, meat, flowers, honey, wine, jams, and cheese—much of it organic—at the thriving Santa Fe Farmers' Market. Dozens of stalls are arranged inside a snazzy, modern building in the Railyard and adjacent to it; it's open year-round on Saturday morning (7 am to 1 pm in summer, 8 am to 1 pm in winter) and additionally on Tuesday morning May through mid-December. The lively space also hosts an artisan market on Sunday from 10 to 3. It's a great people-watching venue, with entertainment for kids as well as food vendors selling terrific breakfast burritos, green chile bread, Taos Cow ice cream, and other goodies. For those staying on the Southside of town, be sure to check out the satellite Del Sur Market, Tuesday from 3 to 6, July through September, at the Presbyterian Medical Center ( 4801 Buckner Road).

This rambling 25,000-square-foot shop ranks among the best consignment stores in the West, carrying elaborately embroidered vintage cowboy shirts, hundreds of pairs of boots, funky old prints, antique Southwestern-style furniture, and amazing vintage Indian pawn and Mexican jewelry. The store comprises several sections that also include contemporary clothing and accessories for men and women and a pottery showroom.

With a clean, orderly aesthetic that seems right out of the pages of Kinfolk, this upscale take on a general store carries gorgeous kitchenware and table linens, from salvaged-olive-wood cutting boards to handwoven dish towels. Fine hardware, garden tools, and books related to kitchen and home are also on offer. It's adjacent to and run by the team at Vinaigrette restaurant, and you can dine here, too—there's a juice bar and a small café proffering delicious breakfast fare, sandwiches, pies, and more. Owner Erin Wade is well-known in the restaurant community for her creative sustainability solutions, such as reusable take-out containers, to-go cups, and composting initiatives.