76 Best Places to Shop in USA

The merchandise is one of the draws at this market, held Saturday from 10 to 3; the unique location is another. It's tucked under the soaring bridge that carries I--95 over the St. Johns River, a block from the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens and a healthy walk along the Riverwalk from Downtown. Singles, couples, and families (and their dogs) all come to shop for locally created art and crafts; sample bites from food trucks and other vendors, including some excellent area restaurants; and check out street performers or the live music shows on the riverfront stage. Quality is high in every aspect—artists and vendors all go through a fairly rigorous application/audition process—and what there is to see or hear or eat varies from week to week. There's also a farmers' market, with licensed farmers and growers selling everything from just-laid eggs and local honey to salad greens that were still in the earth the day before. Because it's sheltered by the bridge, RAM goes on rain or shine. Free parking is available at adjacent businesses, and a "bike valet" service encourages people to arrive on two wheels.

More than 60 artists, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs in ceramics, painting, textiles, woodworking, and jewelry work in this complex of studios and galleries in the River Arts District. Several of the artists offer classes, and there's lots of free parking.

On display here are works of fine art, including paintings, stained glass, and other creations by local artists, including James Hubbell and Joe Garcia. Many of the rotating works focus heavily on traditional and contemporary art. Although most works on display are by landscape artists, there are also sculptures and ceramics in the neighboring Garage Gallery.

Local businesses, including those owned by women and minorities, make up the vendors at this annual outdoor vendor market. Housewares and pottery, jewelry and clothing, artwork, cosmetics, and pet goods are among the unique wares to browse. Bring the kids because this market is quite family friendly with a DJ and games, Children's Museum programming, and lots of food.

What distinguishes Shakespeare & Co. from so many other bookshops is that it's the brick-and-mortar bookstore for Hunter College. Plus, it carries a ton of art supplies. Order a cup of coffee or a pastry from the café while browsing various titles and genres. There also are two Upper West Side locations.

The corner of Ventura and Coldwater—the former site of a legendary old Hollywood hangout called Sportsmen's Lodge—is hopping once again with the arrival of this sleek open-air collection of shops, restaurants, and wellness providers. After a stint in the hyperbaric oxygen pod, grab one of those extravagant Erewhon smoothies people are constantly talking about on social media and peruse the racks of athleisure at Vuori, Hoka, FP Movement, and Alo. After attending a Ikebana or fairy terrarium workshop at Rolling Greens nursery, sit under the redwoods (a holdover from the hotel's heyday) or alongside the water feature to enjoy nibbles from L.A. staples like Kismet Rotisserie, Sugarfish, Hi-Ho Burgers, Uovo, or Winston's Pies.

"Mall" is a bit of a misnomer here, where stores are more like highly evolved interactive marketing concepts. First off, there's M&M'S, the four-story homage to the popular candy, where huge dispensers with every color and type line one wall. More sugar awaits you at the Coca-Cola Store, where the Around the World Tray brings you 14 sparkling and still beverage flavors from around the world. Be sure to get a photo of the 100-foot bottle of Coca-Cola outside. The flagship two-story Lids store has all sorts of team-branded merchandise. Post sugar buzz, you can head to the Hard Rock Cafe to browse the interactive video Rock Wall or buy T-shirts, Las Vegas–branded clothing, and souvenirs. The Showcase Mall's parking structure is right next to the MGM Grand; the best access is from the fifth floor, where a pedestrian bridge crosses into the mall. A less hectic option is to park at any of the surrounding hotels (MGM Grand, NY–NY, Park MGM) and walk here.

Silver Lake’s decent sized farmers' market is undeniably Silver Lake. Alongside growers’ tents selling their freshest harvests—either locally grown or certified organic, of course—are tables displaying healing crystals, vintage cassette tapes, and treasures from far-flung parts of the world like Ghana and India. There are also racks of secondhand clothing, and stalls cooking up something delicious and vegan. 

At Sunspots Studios & Designs, near downtown, you can see artisans at work, blowing glass and melding copper. Their exquisite items for the house and garden are available for purchase. In spring the studio hosts the Virginia Hot Glass Festival, which brings together hot-glass artists from across the region.

Solo and group shows rotate through several exhibition spaces at this sculpture and painting gallery in the Congdon Yards complex. The frequent art openings are always open to the public.

Inside three 1920s-vintage brick buildings, this mix of a small-town hardware store and gift shop, which opened in 1928, sells hard-to-find tools like scythes and push plows, along with cast-iron cookware, Case knives, and Radio Flyer red wagons.

Constructed to resemble Main Street America with open-air shopping and dining, this 100-acre complex contains more than 150 shops, including MAC and Sephora cosmetics, H&M, Apple, Saks Off Fifth, and Tommy Bahama. When you tire of shopping (or when the kids do, anyway), there's also a children's play area, a multiplex cinema, and rides on the Town Square train. Lazy Dog lets you bring Fido on the patio, while Yard House brings pub fare. There's also a Brio Italian Grill, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, and several other on-site eateries, including a Whole Foods Market. The Stoney's Rockin' Country dance and live-music venue fires up the country tunes Thursday through Saturday.  Need to make a quick stop? Town Square offers curbside parking so you don't have to schlep all the way from one of three parking garages to your shopping destination.

Shopping malls and The Valley are forever linked thanks to Valley Girl and other iconic '80s flicks. If you feel your trip to the 818 isn't complete without a shopping spree, this is the best of those bastions of capitalism still standing due to a recent renovation, the best collection of high-end designers in town after Rodeo Drive (Balenciaga, Jimmy Choo, Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Hermes, Tiffany), a med spa, and L.A.'s biggest Nordstrom. The state-of-the-art movie theater has a bar and concessions delivered to your seat. Pinstripes offers bowling and bocce. Topanga Social, a huge food hall, is brimming with trusted local proprietors like Jinya Ramen, Amboy burgers, Katsu Sando, Slab, and singer Christina Milian's Beignet Box.

An Inman Park staple, Whitespace exhibits contemporary paintings and installations in its renovated carriage house and a smaller satellite gallery, Whitespec.

The indoor market is a year-round buffet of local produce, fresh fish, and excellent grab-and-go sandwiches and pastries.