Top 10 Shopping Avenues
Top 10 Shopping Avenues from National Geographic.
From the National Geographic book The 10 Best of Everything
Bahnhofstrasse
Zürich, Switzerland
The Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich's resplendent, tree-lined exclusive shopping avenue, stretches a mile (1.4 kilometers). You'll find some of Switzerland's top shopping along its length, from top clothing designers to high-end options for shoes, furs, accessories, china, and jewelry. And, of course, Swiss watches.
Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, California
Rodeo Drive manages to pack in enough audacious glitz to qualify as one of the world's most glamorous and expensive shopping stretches. Just off Rodeo lies Two Rodeo, a strip of boutiques modeled after European boutiques, with cobblestones, fountains, and bistros. Perhaps its least known amenity is the free two-hour valet parking.
Laugavegur
Reykjavík, Iceland
Reykjavík's main shopping street hosts numerous clothing boutiques and an assortment of shops offering accessories, leather goods, cosmetics, lingerie, books, music, and the finest handmade knitwear and woolen goods. If you buy an outfit from one of the local fashion houses, rest assured it will be original.
The Ginza
Tokyo, Japan
The Ginza, comprising eight blocks, is Tokyo's most exclusive shopping area. It boasts some of the most expensive real estate on Earth. Known luxury and exclusive retailers stand side by side with Tokyo's landmark department stores, Mitsukoshi, Wako (whose clock is a landmark unto itself), and the 14-story Marion. The latter actually houses seven movie theaters and two department stores. Many store windows feature elaborate displays that showcase typical Japanese culture. At night colorful neon and fluorescent lights flood the Ginza with light, bringing the otherwise gray city to life.
Fifth Avenue
New York City, New York
Large landmark department stores (Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Macy's) and small high-end designer name boutiques (Ferragamo, Harry Winston, Versace, Emanual Ungaro, Gucci, Henri Bendel, Tiffany, Steuben, Christian Dior) make New York's Fifth Avenue a shopper's paradise. In December, the stores mount elaborate displays—doormen dressed as toy soldiers at FAO Schwarz, a 27-foot (8-meter) sparkling snowflake floating over the street outside Tiffany, winter wonderland scenes in Macy's windows—that attract holiday shoppers and sightseers. Strolling the crowded sidewalks of Fifth Avenue at this time of year is a special treat.
Magnificent Mile
Chicago, Illinois
Just a few blocks off Lake Michigan, North Michigan Avenue is home to such shopping greats as Gucci, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Brooks Brothers, and Hermes, as well as Bigsby & Kruthers, a renowned local retailer. The crowds on the Magnificent Mile can be overwhelming on weekends.
Avenue Montaigne
Paris, France
Avenue Montaigne, located in the "golden triangle" between the Champs Elysées and the Seine River, is the fanciest avenue in Paris. The fashionable and the well-monied shop in the myriad luxury boutiques—Bulgari and Louis Vuitton among them—and haute-couture houses—Emmanuel Ungaro, Guy Laroche, Christian Dior, Nina Ricci, and Chanel—that lie within the avenue's elegant buildings.
Avinguda Diagonal
Barcelona, Spain
World-famous fashion houses, jewelers, and art galleries line the sweeping Avinguda Diagonal, which forms part of Barcelona's three-mile (five-kilometer) shopping line. Some of the finer shops are found on Passeig de Gracia, Via Augusta, Carrer de Tuset, and the exclusive Avinguda Pau Casals—small, elegant streets just off Avinguda Diagonal. You will stroll through a mix of Gothic and modern architecture. The avenue has a pick of fun and fine cafés to stop in for tapas.
Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga, & Galleria Vittorio Emanuel
Milan, Italy
Milan is a fashion paradise and center of style, with matching high price tags. In the Duomo area, Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele house elegant boutiques and posh cafés inside romantic landmark Victorian buildings. In addition to the internationally known fine fashion names, the area has inside favorites, such as La Rinascente, Milan's most famous department store, 9 Peck, a renowned food store, and Provera, a favorite for its vintage wine selection. In the streets, there's always a parade of well-heeled Italians casually modeling the latest fashions.
Bond Street
London, England
Bond Street is home to the most elegant and expensive shops in London. You will find designer clothing, perfume, art and antiques, jewelers, and more Royal Warrant holders (suppliers to the royal family) here than anywhere else in London. Old Bond Street, the short section at the southern end of Bond Street that joins Picadilly, has been distinguished by the most posh since the 1850s. Asprey and Agnew, Sotheby's, and Phillips, to name a few, all appear against a backdrop of elegant houses turned shops that were once home to a host of distinguished politicians, artists, and writers.
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- These 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animalsThese 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animals
- These photos are works of art—and the artists are bugsThese photos are works of art—and the artists are bugs
- The epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfishThe epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfish
- Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75
Environment
- Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.
- This year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning signThis year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning sign
- The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?
- The most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater weldersThe most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater welders
- The harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to surviveThe harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to survive
History & Culture
- Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’
- A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.
- Meet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural iconMeet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural icon
- Inside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysicsInside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysics
Science
- LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?
- NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.
- Humans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying themHumans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying them
- Why engineers are concerned about aging infrastructureWhy engineers are concerned about aging infrastructure
Travel
- Why you should try beach-hopping by boat around Paxos, GreeceWhy you should try beach-hopping by boat around Paxos, Greece
- Mansion museums show visitors the gritty side of the Gilded AgeMansion museums show visitors the gritty side of the Gilded Age
- 2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip