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Visitors love to shop while on vacation for many different reasons. Some just love to shop and will hit every mall and outlet, however for most, the goal is to get a little keepsake for friends and family back home. A souvenir can be special and distinctive and not hodge podge that will eventually end up in a landfill. South Florida offers plenty that is unique and exotic in tiny boutiques and other shopping venues. You are sure to return to your humble abode with something for yourself as well!

Posh

Worth Ave

Tall rustling palm trees line this ritzy strip of more than 200 high end shops. Around since the 1920s, this Rodeo Drive wannabe, is where Elizabeth Arden got her start. Exclusive to a fault, you can shop or just window shop at shops such as Gucci, Chanel, and Hermes among many others. Best time to go is in the fall as half the shops close in the hottest months of the year. Be forwarned, this option is not for the conservative spender.

Mizner Park

This lovely outdoor mall features free valet parking, live music (on Saturdays only), a breezeway and many popular department stores. Kerzen Candles, one of the very few unique stores there, sells non-toxic, gourmet candles and waxen art not to be missed.

En Avance

Chic shopping, complete with velvet rope, celebrity sightings, high fashion, Defile makeup and designer styles for babies, are the trademarks of this one of a kind store. Get your Rebecca Taylor, Juicy Couture and Tse fix right here.

Green

Crimson Carbon

Help the earth as you shop- it will feel great. This super green store specializes in fashionable but organic and ecofriendly clothing. They feature both Carilyn Vaile’s green label which is made from raw bamboo and accessories from a Madagascar co-op.

Kitsch

Ricky’s NYC

You will find anything and everything in this multi-level store. It houses the quintissential souvenir kitsch, convenience store items and racy fashions all under one roof.

Exotic

Jalan Jalan

This Indonesian treasure holds within it wondrous and incredible furniture, antiquities and artifacts from all over the world. It is a sight for culture thirsty eyes.

Vierge Miracle & St Philippe

Touted as the best botanica in Miami, this little jewel highlights Haitian vodou items and large statues of loa (related to angels), and is located at 5910 NE 2nd Ave in Miami. The on-site houngan and mambos (male and female high priests) may be able to help you with love or work related problems or interpret your dreams. For more information, call (305)759-9100.

Artistic

Wolfsonian-Fiu Gift Shop

This quaint gift shop showcases the most eclectic items, from sleek technofied bags to art and design books to cool wallets. Uniqueness is the name of the game in this shop.

ArtSouth

A throwback to simpler times when art was all the roar, this artists’ colony is the place to visit to pick up original and inspired artwork for very reasonable prices in a museum like location.

By Nuria Almeida

Photo By freefotouk

I lost my heart to San Francisco many years ago, when a good friend of mine moved out there and then turned into a one-man hosting committee. The reasons that I fell hook, line, and sinker for this green-friendly city and its surrounding areas are almost too many to mention, but I’ll try to count them. One of the major reasons to love the Bay Area? The food, of course!

Behold…the Berkeley Bowl

One of the highlights of all my California trips, hands down was the wonder of the Berkeley Bowl. The first time I walked into the Berkeley Bowl and was confronted with the size of the original 40,000 square foot store on Oregon Street, I seriously considered going home only to put my house on the market. Some people move for love or for new careers, but it made perfect sense to me to at least consider packing all my worldly goods in order to experience this behemoth of a food store on a regular basis. It seemed everywhere I looked, I saw a tremendous range of locally grown or organic produce at rock-bottom prices. (However, if I moved, I’d miss South Florida’s farmer’s markets! So much good food, so little time!)

Greens

Whether you’re a vegetarian or just appreciate fantastic vegetarian cooking, the motherload is San Francisco’s Greens. This award-winning restaurant is known for its world-class cuisine. Plus, most of the wood inside the restaurant has been recycled or reused. For those who like their veggie dishes with a side order of spirituality, the San Francisco Zen Center founded this landmark restaurant in 1979; its Green Gulch Farm provides Greens with fresh produce all year. Green Gulch Farm is also where chef Annie Sumerville conducts her famous cooking workshops.

Rainbow Grocery

Also worth mentioning is the fantastic Rainbow Grocery, a worker-owned cooperative founded in 1975. The Folsom Street store in San Francisco offers a generous array of items (including organic produce and wheat-free goodies). Like Greens, Rainbow Grocery also has a basis in the spiritual community and was originally started by an ashram with a bulk food program. Over time, the ashram opened Rainbow Grocery which supports all manner of green living and is a member of the Bay Area Green Business Program. Plus, they always offer a 10% discount to members of the SF Bike Coalition (one more reason to leave the car at home and ride around gorgeous San Fran!) and a 15% discount for the entire month of February when you show a receipt from a participating co-op.

The Whole Shebang

As if the joys of vegetarian and vegan food weren’t enough, check out the rest of the veggie culture. For more information about California’s Bay Area, feast your eyes on this handy guide to all things vegetarian in the Bay Area, including vegetarian meet up groups, political activism information, and much more.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By dboy

It would seem that most people visit in search of that one perfect day at the beach, or that once in a lifetime wave in sunny and sandy south of Florida. However, it is the thrill of vintage and thrift hunting that brings others here in droves. This kind of shopping can be considered a sport that makes the heart race. Scoring a fabulous, unique find for a great deal can be just as exhilarating as scoring a goal. South Florida has within its confines some one of a kind and large vintage and thrift stores, some of which can be found in upscale communities and which may contain that once in a lifetime find.

Miami

Night Owl

This tiny, studio sized vintage accessories shop is open into the wee hours, features a DJ whose rhythmic creations can be danced to by avid customers. There is also a courtyard bar, combining drink, dancing, socializing and shopping. It’s a location often frequented by celebrities.

Sobe Thrifty

This location is a haven for designer fashions for a steal. Located in what is possibly the trendiest section of Miami Beach, the clothing pieces featured here shop are up-to-date and classic fashion. This wonderful shop also offers books and music CDs. Perhaps it’s most important service is to its LGBT community by providing medical care and testing.

The Rabbit Hole

Although the Miami location exists and is well visited, this vintage store also provides online shopping, so a visit is not absolutely necessary, but recommended. The merchandise is eclectic, even quirky. It could also fit perfectly into the old-fashioned goods category. You won’t find the latest fashions, but rather truly vintage items Think cat-eye sunglasses, fedoras, and poodle skirts. Open until after midnight, its like night safari, except your prey may something unexpected.

Fort Lauderdale

PreviewMod

This 3000 sq.ft. thrift store is unusual in that it is pristine and features mid-century decor. Very minimalist, white space houses furniture, clothing and everything else regular thrift stores provide. The difference is this place looks like a house of interior design, not what is normally associated with thrift.

Red White & Blue Thrift Store

This place is massive. The goods within are almost endless and the prices phenomenal, starting at .95 cents. This is a thrift-er’s paradise. Put aside at least two hours to check this place out thoroughly. Since the selection changes daily, every day can be a surprise. It features large selections of clothing, shoes, linens, jewelry, accessories, housewares, and toys all organized by area, and priced to sell. In fact, if an item doesn’t get sold fast enough, prices are cut further, including half-off sales on specials every day but Wednesday, which is senior citizen day. There are 14 check-outs available and only cash is accepted. There is an in-store ATM.

By Nuria Almeida

Photo By Lance McCord