Shop by LA

Ok, well this is a no brainer. Obviously LA wins hands down in the shopping race against Seattle. I mean remember Pretty Woman or for the youngsters out their, The Hills? Seems like shopping is to LA what coffee is to Seattle.


And sure, Seattle has lovely stores, but there isn't really a whole street of them. You go to Fancy Schmancy in Belltown or Pretty Parlor in Capitol Hill and other little boutiques that are spread out amongst Fremont, Ballard and Greenwood. While their stores are the cutest and reasonably priced, the sheer mass of good stores belongs to LA.

I live near two main streets where shopping is abundant and clothes are just dying to be bought. To the left is The Promenade and I hate it. This area is just like Downtown Seattle but without the reward of Pike Place's fruits, veggies and the view of the mountains. Instead The Promenade is a long outdoor strip of Gaps, Banana Republics and any other high end retail stores. Along the way you'll see 5 year olds tap dance for quarters and singing Like A Virgin while playing a keyboard. It's just so sad and yet I'm compelled to go back because they have Buffalo Exchange, where I know I'll be able to score some cute little thing for a quarter of the price. Thank goodness for used clothes!

It's prettier twin is on the right and known as Abbott Kinney St. The person Abbott Kinney is actually the dude who brought Venice, Italy to Venice, CA, complete with canals and gondolas. Or so I'm told.

I finally got a chance to walk to this side last night, sans wallet because I know myself all too well. I went into stores that were opened past 6pm and touched everything. If I had my wallet I would've bought a card that said "Sorry" on the outside and "Asshole" on the inside for $4. I would've also bought the first edition of Found. And these clip on earrings that cost $80 but were so worth it. And then I would've bought the softest long jacket for $158, but I couldn't decide if I should get it in blue or brown. Eek! I loved this area. Sure it was pricier than anything I'd usually spend, which is $0.00, but seeing that I'm getting a lot of money soon I feel like I could just treat myself to one thing. Maybe two.

Seattle 4 LA 3