LA Shopping: 10 Tips

Whether you love shopping on Melrose or on the streets of Beverly Hills, you'll want to know these 10 tips about LA shopping. The tips given here will help you to get the most out of the favorite "sport" of many Los Angeles women. Shopping opportunities abound all over Los Angeles county. By utilizing these tips, your shopping trips can be stress-free, more fun and less expensive.

1. Check to see where there's nearby free parking before you go about your L.A. shopping trip adventures for the day. Parking at the shopping garage at the Beverly Center, for example, can get very expensive. Although they try to ease the pain of the excessive cost by having an automated machine with a sophisticated voice, you'll feel much smarter if you walk past the machine to free parking in nearby neighborhoods.
2. Try shopping at Out of the Closet, one of the best thrift shops in Los Angeles. It's a great store with a great cause, and it also offers HIV testing. They often have fun and outrageous clothes, as well as cool furniture finds.
3. When you go shopping in Beverly Hills, take a cupcake break at Sprinkles. Yes, the cupcakes are over-priced, but the icing is divine. Try to go early, as lines sometimes go down the block. It's that popular. It will give you lots of energy to explore the designer shops in Beverly Hills.
4. Crime is a problem in every city, including Los Angeles. If you take an excessive amount of cash out for an L.A. shopping trip, make sure to carry it in a money wallet on your body, not in a purse that could be snatched.
5. Consider using public transportation if you are simply going from east to west. Buses go straight down Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard from east of Hollywood straight to the Pacific Ocean. You can help the planet and save a lot of gas money (and parking hassles) by taking public transportation.
6. Cruise up the Pacific Coast Highway to the Malibu Country Mart and Malibu Colony Plaza. Malibu has a laid-back attitude. This community is just as wealthy as Beverly Hills, if not more so, but the vibe is much different. You may want to stop for a lunch break at Coogie's, a local favorite, before continuing your day of shopping in Los Angeles.
   
7. Wear layers when you go on an L.A. shopping trip. Temperatures can vary greatly in Los Angeles. It may be colder in Santa Monica than it was when you were shopping in downtown L.A. It can be chilly in the morning, yet blisteringly hot when you are still actively shopping in the afternoon sun. Layers are always convenient, and you can always leave some in the car.
8. Carpool and go shopping with friends. Traffic in Los Angeles can be crazy. If you carpool, you'll avoid waiting around stores or restaurants for friends to arrive, and it can help you have a more unified experience, going to all the stores at the same time. You'll also have the benefit of your friends' opinions before you buy those jeans or dress.
   
9. Check out Melrose Avenue. Melrose Avenue has some of the best, most trendy and least expensive stores in Los Angeles. If you shop near Robertson, you may also end up seeing many soap stars and movie stars doing their L.A. shopping there as well.
10. If you're looking for brand names for less, try Fred Segal's. It's a famous Los Angeles store. Although it's a bit trendy, in reputation, its staff members and its offerings, it's truly a part of the Los Angeles shopping experience. Enjoy. Browse, or find some treasures to buy.