Page 60 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

CA.SHOPPING
BY LENORE GREINER
A Shopper’s Paradise
From kitsch to treasure, you can find it here
SHOPPING MALLS
South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa,
Orange County, above, is a luxury
shopping center with some 250
stores, making it the largest
shopping mall on the West Coast.
It’s also considered to have the
highest concentration of design
fashion retail in the U.S. Other
major malls in Orange County
include Fashion Island and the
Irvine Spectrum Center. For more
information on Orange County,
see pages 110-117.
Even the most jaded shopperis astounded
by the creativity to be discovered within
every California foodie paradise, world-class
art district and splashy theme park. And the
breadth of opportunities, from fine art
to rare wine to theme park souvenirs, is
without equal for even the savviest shopper.
Shopping safaris may entail arriving by
water or joining a crush of crowds in the
sun and fun of a famous theme park. Or
you can explore a redwood-scented artist
enclave, taste fresh cheese in an artisanal
food shop or savor original California land-
scapes in an art gallery. Even the most
sophisticated shopaholic will discover the
perfect gift or memento inside iconic
malls, art galleries, bohemian shops and
posh boutiques.
California shopping is deliriously over
the top, set amid gorgeous ocean views,
shady palms, inventive architecture and
celebrity hotspots.
SoCal Glamour
Malls sprawl in every direction in Los
Angeles, crowned by Rodeo Drive’s strato-
spheric price tags. But you’ll find
significant bargains in rings, necklaces and
other pieces in the historic Jewelry District
at prices up to 70 percent less than those in
SOUTH COAST PLAZA. OPPOSITE: ANDREW ZARIVNY/SHUTTERSTOCK; FILIPE MATOS FRAZAO/SHUTTERSTOCK
58 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A