Shopping in Los Angeles is more than a beloved pastime: it’s practically a religion, with eager shoppers in search of upscale merchandise and bargain discounts traveling far and wide to for the best deals. These shopping destinations are the retail hotspots in Los Angeles.
Beverly Center – Beverly Hills
No indoor mall in Los Angeles area attracts more visitors, shoppers and diners than the famous Beverly Center. An enormous eight-story building that houses over 160 shops and dozens of restaurants, the Beverly Center is oftentimes referred to as ground zero for shopping at malls in Los Angeles. Some of its most popular and exclusive designer stores include Burberry, Fendi, Prada, Louis Vutton, Hugo Boss and Kenneth Cole. It is also home to several large chain restaurants, including Grand Luxe Café, P.F. Changs, California Pizza Kitchen, and The Capital Grille.
Celebrity shoppers are also a common sight at the Beverly Center, which isn’t surprising considering the mall’s prominence in several major Hollywood TV shows and movies, including Brian De Palma’s Body Double and the appropriately titled Scenes from a Mall, starring Bette Midler and Woody Allen.
The Grove L.A. – Farmers Market
The Grove is a unique shopping experience in Los Angeles: it bridges the old with the new, the extravagant with the convenient and the chic with the kitschy. Located centrally at Third and Fairfax, there are department stores, specialty stores, boutiques and several other shopping options. There are also chain restaurants on site such as The Cheesecake Factory and Maggiano’s Little Italy. The Grove is also a regular filming location for TV gossip show Extra with Mario Lopez.
The grove also sits adjacent to one of L.A.’s most popular tourist attractions, the Farmers Market. Serving up everything from Asian fast food and classic carnival funnel cakes to Mediterranean delicacies and freshly caught New England-style seafood, the Farmer’s Market is renowned for offering a variety of food selections, drinks and desserts at food stands. Little Spain offers a fantastic paella. If there’s anything more delicious to eat outside of Valencia, we don’t know what it is.
Third Street Promenade – Santa Monica
Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade is the quintessential Southern California shopping experience. It features a combination of outdoor shops, restaurants, bistros, bars, cinemas and live performances along a beautiful stretch of Santa Monica Beach. The Promenade is typically packed with shoppers, moviegoers and a variety of singers, dancer and actors, all vying for the attention of passersby. Some of the acts are pretty out there, but some of them are quite spectacular, especially the little kids who sing their hearts out to live music while hoping to be discovered. After visitors have had there share of entertainment, the Santa Monica Pier is just steps away.
