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Posts Tagged “Shopping”

berlin

Spring Shopping in Berlin

Spring is in the air, which means drab winter wear ought to be properly stored away. Pretty pastels in breathable fabrics are the essence of this time of year, as are sweet berries, crisp greens, and a fabulous pair of Romanesque sandals. And so, to help you shed the old and bring in the new, I've scoured east and west for the snazziest shops in Berlin. Whether you've a penchant for Tokyo's youth culture or for Sex in the City, there's something here for everyone. Happy spring shopping. More »

11:15 AM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By duvigneaus
535 views, Comment

london

French Fashion in London W11

You don't have to cross the channel to dress like a Parisienne. If you're in London and pining for some Parisian style, no need to trouble yourself with an aller-retour on the Eurostar. Just hop on the Tube and head over to W11. Westbourne Grove and Ledbury Road in the heart of Notting Hill is a quiet, walkable, boutique-lined little oasis where you can stroll around, window shop, and spend your cash at top Gallic boutiques that congregate in the area. Even if you're just in the mood for a window-shop and a coffee, Westbourne Grove is a nice place to meander on a sunny afternoon. Make that a beer, and you just may be able to almost convince yourself you're in the Marais. Except that the English-speaking French girls mining these fashion houses are smiling and friendly in a way they'd never think to be on native soil. More »

11:38 AM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Kristin Hohenadel
518 views, Comment

berlin

Doing Hard Time in Berlin

A wise man once sang Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, a warning simple enough for even me to grasp. This threat of long-term incarceration, a staple of justice and correctional systems for centuries, is still the essential deterrent to criminal behavior. Unfortunately in Berlin, with its twelve years of Nazi dictatorship followed by four more decades of communist authoritarianism, one might end up doing the time — or worse — while never having actually "done the crime." Politically and racially motivated confinement, torture, and murder stain the histories of Berlin's prisons, and the process of Vergangenheitsbewaeltigung ("coming to terms with the past") has also involved examining the injustices and atrocities which have occurred within the walls of the big house. While the city now has a normal correctional system for the punishment and rehabilitation of its criminal population, several of Berlin's prisons have been converted into memorials — remembering those innocents who suffered without cause and warning those who would forget how justice can be perverted by politics. More »

4:46 PM on Mon Apr 28 2008
By William Thirteen
259 views, Comment

london

London for Design Junkies

We've already sent you to some of London's best design shops for the home. Here's a list of top design destinations and events for the design junkie in search of modern inspiration and historical perspective. After the jump: 400 years of English interiors at the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch, the newest work of international design stars at the Design Museum along the Thames, and London's only antiques, vintage, and retro department store. More »

10:06 AM on Mon Apr 28 2008
By Kristin Hohenadel
322 views, Comment

washington dc

DC's Best Wine Stores

Back in college I thought I was allergic to wine; a few glasses and I'd have a two-day hangover. But then I graduated, got a job, and was able to afford wine out of a bottle. Good bye Franzia, hello muse! But as much as I enjoy wine now, I hate the pretense that goes with it at some stores and restaurants. It's been a while since I gnawed on bark, so saying a wine has a "slightly oaky tint" doesn't tell me whether or not I'll like it. And the prices can be even more off putting. When I'm in your store at noon on a Tuesday reeking of last night, wearing a t-shirt that says "Dykes against Bush," with a cigarette butt in my hair, do I look like I'm in the market for a $30 "special occasion" wine? Here are some DC area wine stores that offer good selections at reasonable prices with minimal affectation. (photo)

1:45 PM on Fri Apr 18 2008
By zeverson
3,101 views, 21 comments

Latest by ljhutchins: Church Street Cellars in Vienna has become my favorite wine store in the area by far. more »

paris

All-Natural Beauty in Paris

France is the largest cosmetics-producing country in the world. The market for organic cosmetics is estimated at around €150 million, and just about everybody is trying to get in on the action. You can find organic and all-natural cosmetics from around the world scattered all over town. We've told you where to go for organic salon treatments, but for all your at-home beauty needs, why not make it easy on yourself and check out the following list of top addresses for beauty buys that are 100% naturel.

12:10 PM on Tue Apr 15 2008
By Kristin Hohenadel
584 views, Comment

The plummeting American dollar continues to encourage Europeans to swarm to the states for the sole purpose of shopping. "The British are the new Japanese, and New York is the new Italy — the place to come to stock up on designer clothes." So what brands are they buying up? Yankee ones like Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi's, Gap, Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg. [via]

1 comment

new york

NYC Scooter Hotspots

Of the more foolhardy and dangerous things that a New Yorker can do, riding a motor scooter down a busy Manhattan street is near the top of the list. Wind gusts on the Manhattan Bridge, hyper-aggressive cab drivers, and oil-slick rainy streets are but a few of the hazards that confront such drivers. However, the benefits can be amazing. Scooters are often the fastest way to get around the city (most of the year), cost substantially less than a car (usually between one and four grand), make parking a snap, and cost only three bucks a week in gas — all compelling reasons to take the risk. Sure, scooters don't have the same cachet as motorcycles, but just think of that Fine Young Cannibals music video and embrace your inner mod. New York City is home to scores of young and hip (in a nerdy way) scooter clubs. What follows are our favorite places to buy rides and meet up with other enthusiasts. (photo)

10:40 AM on Fri Apr 11 2008
By pboyer
867 views, 1 comment

Latest by belltolls: Vespa? Death? Vespa? Death? I can't decide but great piece. more »

london

Organic London

When you're on the road, worrying about reading maps, the horrible exchange rate, and not getting caught in an unforeseen tourist trap can cause you to leave your progressive habits at home. If you are one of those people who likes to eat, shop, and otherwise consume in an organic-when-possible manner, there's no reason to throw your conviction to the wind in London, where organic options abound. Here is a sampling of London's best, from a delicious dinner spot to a new eco lifestyle store from actor Colin Firth to a beauty treatment that involves the application of organic bull sperm to your very own scalp. For more information on how to stay organic in London, go here.

9:00 AM on Fri Apr 11 2008
By Kristin Hohenadel
402 views, Comment

paris

Eco-friendly Paris

The Parisian in-crowd has decided it's glamorous to be earth-friendly. Notorious for their crusade against generically modified food, the French have increasingly lent their inimitable style and panache to the pursuit of an organic lifestyle. Over here this sort of thing is called bio, and it's pronounced bee-oh, like what happens when you don't wear enough organic deodorant. More »

3:45 PM on Thu Apr 10 2008
By Lauren Elkin
543 views, Comment

paris

Strong Fashion, Weak Dollars: Shopping in Paris

The dollar may have hit 1.58 to the euro in recent days, but it's spring and we're feeling like fashion. Until the dollar strengthens or we get a raise, what's a materialist in Paris to do? Skip the old standbys and pricey boutiques and check out this list of places to shop on the cheap. (If you're specifically interested in vintage and consignment shopping, go here.)

10:50 AM on Wed Apr 2 2008
By Lauren Elkin
1,691 views, 3 comments

honolulu

Finding Good Wine in Honolulu

Want a big fruity drink with a little umbrella in it while in Honolulu? No problem (just don't show any pictures of yourself imbibing them to your friends; what gets consumed in Hawaii stays in Hawaii). Beer's not much of a problem, either : most bars in Honolulu offer a good selection, including excellent local brews from the Kona Brewing Company. But what about wine? Hawaii's climate isn't suitable for winemaking, but it's ripe for wine drinking. That being the case, it's surprisingly difficult to find restaurants with quality wine lists and wine stores with knowledgeable staff and an excellent selection. Some picks after the jump. (photo)

4:50 PM on Fri Mar 28 2008
By zeverson
473 views, 3 comments

Latest by kruz808: If you're on Maui, Tedeschi Vineyards (MauiWine.com) offers a great selection of locally-made wines. They have one made from pineapple juice and another with pineapple and passion fruit. Stop by for a tour and some wine in their more »

berlin

Lush Berlin Fashion

Berlin's fashion scene is full of indie mavericks. These rebels against uniformity have a growing prominence throughout the world. On a given day, you might see busloads of Japanese tourists admiring Konk's playful opulence, or visiting Europeans enduring the dismal walk on Invalidenstrasse in order to shop at Penkov. I myself was rather shocked at just how many designers are not slouching towards the fashion empires in other major cities, but instead are staying put and selling their works at boutiques here in Berlin.

10:10 AM on Thu Mar 27 2008
By duvigneaus
552 views, Comment

los angeles

Cool LA Baby Stores

If you're anything like me, you're starting to notice something strange happening among your friends: they are having babies. In droves. And to commemorate the occasion, you have to venture into a domain you've always ignored or even avoided — the overstimulating, brightly colored, nauseatingly cute world of the baby store. But never fear! LA is teeming with hip indie boutiques where you can find the perfect gift that doesn't make you want to throw up, and their helpful employees can render the most inept shopper an instant expert in all things baby. Don't waste time debating over pink and blue onesies at Target; get in and out of one of these stores in ten minutes and still wind up with the perfect present. Who knows, you might even have fun.

9:35 AM on Thu Mar 20 2008
By Cat Vasko
3,142 views, 3 comments

Latest by passengersonly: you forgot crib in beverly hills more »

los angeles

The Myriad Malls of LA


When most people think of malls, they think winding two-story structures filled with endless renditions of the Gap and Foot Locker, with a Sbarro or Panda Express here and there, for much-needed breaks when you get lost/abandon the will to live. For LA residents, mall can mean the same thing, but more often we're talking about a mixed-use building or an ethnic enclave or even just a strip mall that houses our favorite bar or restaurant. And it's true what you've heard: LA is full of strip malls, one after the other. But we don't disdain them. We embrace them and love them completely, as they generally hold the best of LA culture. There's about a million malls of various stripes in LA, so add your favorites below. (photo)

5:20 PM on Wed Mar 19 2008
By Katherine Spiers
3,099 views, 13 comments

Latest by Katherine Spiers: @ceejeemcbeegee (back to normal): You crack me up. Well played! more »

paris

Bespoke Perfume in Paris

What to get the woman who has everything, particularly if that woman is you? Bespoke perfume (and cologne, for men) is one of the ridiculous luxuries of a certain self-absorbed demographic, with the likes of Chanel and Cartier charging as much as €60,000 for the privilege of having a nose find your perfect scent. On the high end, the prohibitively priced process takes months, so that you just may grow out of it by the time your personal scent is finished. But the desire for personalized scent swings both high and low, and a number of clever trickle-down establishments have also cropped up to capitalize on the desire for custom-made perfume crafted on a simpler scale. Here's a list of "bespoke" perfume options, both high and low, for those who want to smell like something you can't find in Duty Free.

12:00 PM on Wed Mar 19 2008
By Kristin Hohenadel
619 views, Comment