Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
235
Urban Shopping Adventures
Shopping may be a casual pastime in other cities, but in the urban jungle of Los
Angeles it's a c ompetitive sport. If you're a shopping r ookie, you might c on-
sider an outing with
Urban Shopping A dventures,
which off ers cust om
guided shopping t ours t o the L.A. F ashion Distric t—90 spra wling blocks
loaded with wholesale and r etail v enues—and the tr endy M elrose Heights
Shopping Distric t, L.A.'s Westside destination f or c elebrity-frequented bou-
tiques, as well as other hot shopping zones. Hosted by shopping expert Chris-
tine Silv estri, the 3-hour walk ing t ours star t at just $36 per person, and
merchants are sometimes willing to provide deep discounts to her tour guests.
All shopping ex cursions include an ample -size shopping bag , distric t map ,
bottled water, snack, and plenty of time to browse at your own pace. She also
offers round-trip transportation options such as shuttle , bus, or limousine ser-
vice from your hotel to any of the districts for an additional cost. Advance res-
ervations are required for all t ours, and additional shopping distric ts are also
available upon r equest. C all
&
213/683-9715
or log on t
o w ww.urban
shoppingadventures.com.
cottage. Here you'll find the entire collection, from ready-to-wear and fragrance to foot-
wear and handbags. At nearby
Erica Courtney,
7465 Beverly Blvd. (
&
310/858-6700;
www.ericacourtney.com), celebs like J ulia R oberts, S andra B ullock, and E va Longoria
Parker are all fans of Courtney's drop-dead gorgeous diamonds. If you complain that they
just don't make 'em like they used to . . . w ell, they do at
Re-Mix,
7605
1
/
2
Beverly Blvd.
(btw. Fairfax and La B rea aves.;
&
323/936-6210;
www.remixvintageshoes.com). This
shop sells only vintage (1940s-1970s)—but brand-ne w (as in unworn)—shoes for men
and women, such as wingtips, H ush Puppies, Joan Crawford pumps, and 1970s plat-
forms. It's more like a shoe-stor e museum. A rack of unworn vintage socks all display
their original tags and stickers, and the prices ar e downright reasonable. Celebrity hip-
sters and hepcats from Madonna to Roseanne Barr are often spotted here.
Other vintage wares are found at
Second Time Around Watch Co.,
8763 Rosewood
Ave., West Hollywood (
&
310/271-6615;
www.secondtimearoundwatchco.com). The
city's best selection of collectible timepieces includes doz ens of classic Tiffanys, Cartiers,
Piagets, and R olexes, plus rar e pocket watches. P riced for collectors, but a fascinating
browse for the Swatch crowd, too.
When it's time to unwind and beautify , hit
Ona Spa
(see r eview on p . 256) for a
tension-relieving massage. The attached
Privé Salon
is one of the city 's trendiest salons
where celebrity-sighting is common. O ne of the best-kept-secr et spas in the neighbor-
hood is
Skin H aven S pa S tudio,
300 N. C rescent H eights B lvd. (at B everly B lvd.;
&
323/658-7546
), where owner Sharon Ronen's customized facials will leave you glow-
ing for weeks.
LA BREA AVENUE
(north of Wilshire Blvd.) This is L.A.'s artiest shopping strip.
La Brea is anchored by the giant
American Rag
Cie
alterna-complex and is also home to
lots of great urban antiques stores dealing in Ar t Deco, Arts and Crafts, 1950s modern,
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