76 Best Places to Shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In this shop that dates back to 1929, women's fashions from top American and European designers, such as Blumarine and Krizia, are presented in a salon setting, with experienced sales staff selecting the latest styles that are totally you.

For some of the most entertaining people-watching in the city, head to South Street, just south of Society Hill. Pierced and tattooed teens vie for space with moms wheeling strollers on this bustling strip from Front Street near the Delaware River to 9th Street. More than 300 unusual stores—high-fashion clothing, New Age books, music and health food, avant-garde art galleries, and 100 restaurants—line the area. Most shops are open in the evening. You can find a few of the national chains, but 95% of the stores are locally owned, selling things you won't find in the mall back home.

Catering to proud science geeks young and old, this shop specializes in toys for the brainy set, from telescopes and magnifying glasses to hologram illusions and chemistry sets.

Some know Sugarcube as a vintage boutique; others go for its stock of hard-to-find designers like A.P.C., Dunderdon, Lavender Brown, and Penumbra. The stylish, friendly owner is usually on hand to advise how to match your Williamsburg Garment Company jeans with your Rag and Bone shawl-collar cardi.

Woven rugs, pottery, carvings, and other handcrafted gifts made by skilled artisans in 32 countries such as Kenya, Thailand, and India make this fair-trade store a favorite for innovative gifts with a social conscience.

This hub for the international wood-art community recently moved to a more visible new home and changed its name from the Wood Turning Center. Housed here is a store with gorgeous work—some by the accomplished artists whose work has been displayed in the adjacent gallery, including those who come every year as part of the organization's annual Windgate ITE International Residency program. There is also a free museum on the premises.

It's easy to get lost amid the arcana at this charmingly cluttered shop, which has been dealing in historic prints, antique maps, and related reference books for more than 35 years.

The frequent exhibitions at this two-story gallery down a charming side street attract fans of contemporary printmaking and photography.

What started out as a storefront selling used jeans to students in West Philadelphia is now a trendsetting chain on campuses across the country. Three floors showcase an eclectic array of hip clothing, unusual books, and funky housewares that can go from the dorm room to the family room.

Furniture and accessories are what the owner calls "global modern," reflecting a fusion of different styles, periods, and materials. Accent pieces, like picture frames and mirrors, are interesting and affordable.

The two designing women/co-owners of Vagabond pioneered a formula—selling vintage wares alongside new, edgy labels and featuring under-the-radar brands like their own (Stellapop and City of Brotherly Love). It's been imitated plenty ever since, but this boutique still does it best.

If you're hunting for a gift that makes you look thoughtful, this is the place to go—here you'll find gorgeous, fresh bouquets of flowers; sparkly jewelry, scarves, and stylish handbags with a handcrafted look; and a smattering of easy, pretty clothing. This is also the home of Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates with delicious, exotic flavors like blood orange, spiked eggnog, and elderflower and champagne.

Local artists and designers consign their works—from ceramics to handmade hats—in this former millinery with the original built-in cabinetry and beveled-glass windowpanes. The owners, a couple, both have a background in retail and are artisans themselves—she makes jewelry and he's a graphic designer. That's typical of the creative entrepreneurs popping up in West Philadelphia.

This gallery is known for specializing in historic and contemporary glass, but it always has an interesting mix of 20th- and 21st-century handcrafted furnishings and art.

The contemporary prints here by American masters like Chuck Close and Robert Rauschenberg and by artists represented by the gallery have won Works on Paper a reputation as one of the city's best.

Asher chocolates and Philly souvenirs from key chains to T-shirts are stocked here, near the sights of the historic district.