Jaunted - Tag: Shopping-In-SoCal

Santa Monica: What Else is Inside the Just-Opened Santa Monica Place?

juliana — 2010-08-09T11:36:20-05:00

As promised, we have a whole new batch of photos from inside Santa Monica Place, the new mall that just opened at the end of Third Street Promenade, steps away from the iconic Santa Monica Pier. (C'mon, you've all seen it in "Forest Gump.")

While Third Street Promenade has provided most of the recreational and retail action for Santa Monica, it's going to have to take a backseat to this new mall. Aside from the designer brands (Louis Vuitton, Bloomies, Nordstroms, Burberry and Barneys Co-Op), Santa Monica Place is finally giving shoppers what they really want--a wide variety of food options.

The third-floor open-air Dining Deck has a mix of high-end restaurants (Sonoma Wine Garden, XINO and La Sandia) mixed in with somewhat upscale food court options like tacos, pizza, and Chinese food. Of course, you can still get a cinnamon sugar pretzel at Wetzel's Pretzels.

Santa Monica: Santa Monica Place Reopens Today Near Third Street Promenade

juliana — 2010-08-06T08:34:15-05:00

Way back in January 2008, Santa Monica Place, the mall at the end of the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif.--near the world famous Santa Monica Pier--closed for an extensive renovation. And we mean, extensive.

Much of the old mall, designed by Frank Gehry in 1980, was demolished and in its place, a 500,000sq.ft. three-story, open air shopping "destination" was erected.

Today that mall reopens as a spectacular high-end retail experience anchored by a stunning new Bloomingdale's. And not only does this new shopping mecca look pretty and modern but it's also eco-friendly and hopes to earn a LEED Silver certification.

Santa monica: Santa Monica's Fred Segal To Get Its Own Reality Show

juliana — 2009-04-21T17:01:25-05:00

Nearly a year ago we spoke of our love for Fred Segal Santa Monica, a posh, celeb-frequented, overpriced boutique with cutesy department names like Flair, Fun and Emphatic.

Back then, we mentioned that we preferred this boutique over its West Hollywood counterpart largely because it was close to the beach, free of D-list celebrities holding their appointments with the paparazzi and with more manageable parking. We'd like to take all of that back now that we've learned the store has just announced its own reality show on Bravo.

The show will focus on the oft-stressed and competitive sales team as they cater to well-to-do customers who demand the latest in clothes, shoes, accessories and beauty products.

Santa Monica: Shopping in SoCal: Fred Segal Santa Monica

juliana — 2008-04-25T12:15:01-05:00

If you're a regular reader of the weekly trashy tabloids (not that we are or anything), then the name Fred Segal should be very familiar to you. It's the trendy store where celebrities are always spotted buying new clothes, catching a bite to eat and staging some convenient photo ops.

Now, there are actually two Fred Segal stores--one on Melrose Avenue where most of the paparazzi camp out--and the more low-key one in Santa Monica on Broadway, just off the Third Street Promenade.

This is the Fred Segal that we prefer. Why? Well it's close to the beach, it's bigger (which means more merchandise) and the parking is way more manageable.

Pasadena: Shopping in SoCal: Where Celebs Get Their Flea Market Fix

juliana — 2008-03-11T12:06:59-05:00

The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, California is one of the most popular flea markets in the country. The bargain shopper's paradise is held every second Sunday of the month in and around the Rose Bowl stadium from the special VIP opening time of 5 am until 4:30 pm.

The market has pretty much everything you can imagine for sale from antique sewing machines to 1950s furniture to African beads, vintage clothes, china, old records, old-school toys (My Little Ponies, Karate Kid figurines), appliances and our fave, shabby chic decor.

While the crowds really start to pack in around 11 am, we suggest going early--like at 8 am--if you want to spot celebrities. That's what we did and we spied "Grey's Anatomy" star, T. R. Knight getting some cash out of the ATM while his new boyfriend waited patiently. That's our stalkerazzi shot above.

Los Angeles: Shopping in SoCal: LA's Melrose Place

juliana — 2008-02-26T17:08:26-05:00

Excuse us while we get all girly on you.

In this edition of the LA Shopping Map, we spurn the pedestrian shopping malls and centers in favor of truly haute couture mecca in Los Angeles. We hesitate to call it a shopping district or anything really with the word "shop" in it because we are not so sure that's what goes on here. After all, does anyone really go on a shopping spree at Carolina Herrera?

Nevertheless, to experience some of LA's best fashion designer offerings head to Melrose Place.

Yes, Melrose Place in Aaron Spelling's world consisted of an apartment complex of 20-something-year-olds who slept with each other and then cried about it. Either that or they went completely postal on each other.

But the real Melrose Place is probably the preferred shopping--eek we had to say it--street for celebs, even more so than Rodeo Drive. Why? Because the design houses are cooler, the offerings unique, the experience is much more private (each store is like a private little home) and there's little to no tourists. (That is until we just told you to go there.)

Santa Monica: Shopping in SoCal: Santa Monica Place Closes for Makeover

juliana — 2008-01-29T16:30:02-05:00

If you're headed to Santa Monica, you will most likely end up spending some time at the Third Street Promenade--a three-block stretch of all your "favorite" mall stores (Gap, Banana, B&N, Apple, Express, etc.), coffee shops and some sub-par restaurants.

We don't want to lie to you and so we won't: The Promenade, while convenient, sucks. It's always crowded and dirty and the random street performers don't make things any better. Seriously: Is there a need for a father-son gymnastics duo here? Also, there are tons of parents who like to pimp out their kids on the Promenade by making them do "acts" like playing the keyboard or singing over a Lauryn Hill tape.

It's not just sad; it's annoying. Tourists who think these kinds of acts are cute crowd up the sidewalk making it harder for us to get the hell outta the place.

But there is hope!