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Shopaholics love the City of Brotherly Love for its style—funky artwork and highbrow housewares, fine jewels, and haute couture.
Indeed, Philadelphia has spawned some influential fashion retailers. The Urban Outfitters chain was born in a storefront in West Philadelphia. Its sophisticated sister, Anthropologie, also has its roots in Philadelphia. Lagos, the popular high-end jewelry line, was founded here, and all items are still produced locally. High-fashion boutiques Joan Shepp, Knit Wit, and Elle Lauri, all in the Rittenhouse Square area, are well regarded by locals for designer clothing and accessories.
Some of the most spirited shopping in town is also pleasing to the palate. The indoor Reading Terminal Market and the outdoor Italian Market are bustling with urban dwellers buying groceries and visitors searching for the perfect Philadelphia cheesesteak. Equally welcoming is the city's quaint, cobblestone Antiques Row, the three-block stretch of Pine Street crammed with shops selling everything from estate jewelry to stained glass and vintage furniture. Also worth a trip is the Third Street Corridor in Old City, home to scads of independent, funky boutiques. In Northern Liberties, the Piazza at Schmidt's is a giant mixed-use development inspired by Rome's Piazza Navona, which houses 100,000 square feet of retail space bursting with creative entrepreneurs.
Neighborhoods are presented clockwise starting from the Old City, a commercial waterfront turned arts enclave on the Delaware River, moving south to South Philadelphia, then west to Center City and Rittenhouse Square, across the Schuylkill River to University City around the University of Pennsylvania campus, and ending in the north with Northern Liberties.
The three floors of this unique store feel like a folk-art museum with Peruvian alpaca sweaters, Day of the Dead art, and instruments, jewelry, and decorative items from all over Mexico and South America for sale. From basement to skylight, the store's interior is filled with mosaics by famed local artist Isaiah Zagar, who owns the shop with his wife.
Stogie aficionados make a point of stopping by this cigar emporium, whose Philadelphia roots date back more than 100 years. The shop features a comfortable smoking lounge and one of the nation's largest walk-in humidors. Find private-label Ashton cigars, a wide array of smoking accessories and humidors, and writing instruments from Mont Blanc, Waterman, and Cross. Upstairs is the Ashton Cigar Bar, which pairs cigars with rare whiskeys and also specialty cocktails.
If you're hunting for a gift that makes you look thoughtful, this is the place to go—here you'll find gorgeous, fresh bouquets of flowers; sparkly jewelry, scarves, and stylish handbags with a handcrafted look; and a smattering of easy, pretty clothing. This is also the home of Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates with delicious, exotic flavors like blood orange, spiked eggnog, and elderflower and champagne.
Asher chocolates and Philly souvenirs from key chains to T-shirts are stocked here, near the sights of the historic district.
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