Page 66 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

CA.SHOPPING
BY LENORE GREINER
Shopping Heaven
From outlet bargains behind the walls of an Assyrian palace
to a watery arrival at a bayside mall, California shopping always surprises
SHOPPING MALLS
Fashion Valley in San Diego, above,
is an outdoor shopping center
with some 200 shops and
restaurants and an 18-screen
movie theater. Top department
stores include Neiman Marcus,
Nordstrom, Macy’s and
Bloomingdale’s. Other popular
malls are the Irvine Spectrum
Center in Orange County, Santa
Monica’s Third Street Promenade
and the Westfield San Francisco
Centre in, naturally, San Francisco..
The Golden State’s iconic malls, bohemian
shops and posh boutiques can astound
even the most jaded sophisticate. An
enticing range of California’s eclectic cre-
ativity awaits visitors throughout the state,
from theme park collectibles to home-
grown surfing gear to fine wine. Foodies
can sample fresh-made cheeses in arti-
sanal food shops. Fashionistas will love
San Francisco’s luxurious haute couture
haunts. And art lovers can bring home an
original California landscape from a red-
wood-scented artists’ enclave.
California shopping safaris may entail
sighting a celebrity in a Los Angeles bou-
tique, arriving at a mall by boat or hunting
bargains behind the walls of a recreated
Mesopotamian palace. And super shop-
ping opportunities entice savvy shoppers
in millions of square feet of retail space.
SoCal Glamour
Malls sprawl throughout Los Angeles,
crowned by Rodeo Drive’s stratospheric
price tags. But you’ll find significant bar-
gains in rings, necklaces and other pieces in
the historic Jewelry District at prices up to
70 percent less than those in Beverly Hills.
More than 3,000 jewelry showrooms stand
on 6th and 8th streets between Olive Street
and Broadway Avenue. Behind a facade of
bas-reliefs of Babylonian princes and
SIMON MALLS. OPPOSITE: MARINA DEL REY CVB; LONG BEACH CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
64 2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A