Shopping in Los Angeles: Markets & Districts

Rodeo Drive runs through the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills, and its three blocks between Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard hold the flagship boutiques of the big European fashion houses. Most locals come to window-shop or to buy one considered piece, and the cobbled Two Rodeo lane at the Wilshire end is where the tourist photos tend to happen. The surrounding streets, Beverly Drive and Canon Drive, are calmer and a little more affordable, with American designers and beauty counters.

Best for: Designer flagships, fine jewellery and watches, people-watching on a weekday afternoon

Melrose Avenue splits into two personalities. West of La Cienega Boulevard, Melrose Place is quiet and polished, with designer boutiques and florists under the trees, while east of Fairfax Avenue the stretch toward La Brea Avenue is louder, with sneaker shops, streetwear drops that draw queues on release mornings, and vintage stores pressed close together behind painted murals. The Sunday flea at Fairfax High School anchors the eastern end.

Best for: Streetwear, sneakers, vintage clothing and street-art photo stops

Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice runs about a mile from Venice Boulevard toward Main Street, and it still carries the beach-town feel of salt air and sidewalk espresso. The shops lean toward independent fashion, homewares, ceramics, and surf-inspired design, with prices running well above the boardwalk a few blocks west. The First Fridays evening event currently brings food trucks and crowds once a month.

Best for: Independent boutiques, California-made homewares, a slow afternoon stroll

The Fashion District covers roughly 100 blocks of downtown south of 7th Street, and it's where the Los Angeles garment trade still works. Santee Alley is the noisy, crowded core, stalls spilling over with knock-off sunglasses, phone cases and cheap clothing. Several surrounding wholesale showrooms sell exclusively to the trade on weekdays, but many open to the public on Saturdays, and the fabric shops near Maple Avenue will sell to anyone who walks in.

Best for: Fabric, costume supplies, bargain clothing and the city's working garment trade

Sunset Boulevard through Silver Lake, around Sunset Junction, and Vermont Avenue and Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz are the streets where east-side Angelenos do their shopping. You'll find secondhand bookstores, record shops, plant stores, small-batch candle makers and well-edited vintage racks, and the pace is slower than on the Westside. Many shops don't open until late in the morning.

Best for: Vinyl, used books, vintage, independent design and gifts with a local feel

The Third Street Promenade is a three-block pedestrian street in downtown Santa Monica, a few minutes' walk from the pier. National chains make up most of it, with buskers and a sea breeze in the evening, and Santa Monica Place mall anchors its southern end. Locals use it for errands rather than discovery, but it's one of the few places in Los Angeles where you can shop on foot for a full afternoon.

Best for: Familiar brands, easy walking, pairing shopping with the beach on the Metro E Line

Hollywood Boulevard carries the full souvenir spread: Oscar-shaped statuettes, star-map tours, printed T-shirts, all on sidewalks set with the Walk of Fame's more than 2,700 terrazzo-and-brass stars. The Ovation Hollywood complex beside the Dolby Theatre adds chain stores and a view of the Hollywood Sign from its upper terraces, while the costume and memorabilia shops are the more interesting stops along the stretch. The Metro B Line stops right on the boulevard.

Best for: Kitschy souvenirs, movie memorabilia and costume pieces

Little Tokyo, around 1st Street and Japanese Village Plaza downtown, sells Japanese stationery, ceramics, snacks and anime goods, with the smell of grilled mochi and curry drifting out of the plaza. A short walk east, the Arts District fills converted warehouses with design shops, skate brands and makers' studios. Put them together and you have a solid half-day on foot from Union Station.

Best for: Japanese goods, stationery, design objects and warehouse-district browsing