Where should you shop while visiting Pasadena?

Pasadena’s downtown area is also a vibrant, varied shopping center. Colorado Blvd. is home to big brands like Crate & Barrel, Zara, Apple, Urban Outfitters and Sunglass Hut but venture north to Union or south to Green and look through smaller, kitschier shops like Stats and Gold Bug.

Pasadena’s tiny neighbor South Pasadena has a small town feel with a quaint Main Street to boot. Mission Street is littered with local boutiques perfect for a casual perusal. Grab a Buster’s coffee at the far west end of the street and make your way eastward to Boutique Jasleen, the Trink Turk Outlet, Mission Wines, Dinosaur Farm, Rue de Mimo, DePedrini Camille and House of Honey. Finish off the trip with a sundae at Fair Oaks Pharmacy or a rack of ribs at Gus’s Barbeque.

If you’ve got wheels and want a real Mall feel, one of LA’s most popular shopping destinations is just minutes away from Pasadena. The Americana at Brand looks like an old main street, complete with a street trolley, but it’s a modern, outdoor mall. It shares many of the same stores as Old Pasadena, like J. Crew and Tiffany and Co. but it’s a little easier to navigate.

The Farmer’s Market (emphasis on “the”) is one of Los Angeles’s oldest shopping destinations and a sight to see whether you like shopping or not. This permanent farmers market is a bit farther out but you’ll find a little bit of everything - from peanut butter that President Eisenhower liked to a whole store dedicated to stickers to farm fresh produce - you can’t turn a corner without finding something eye-popping. Oh, and popular mega-mall, The Grove, is also a very very near neighbor.

If you’re looking for a fun, weird carnival-like shopping experience, head down to LA’s Fashion District and brave Santee Alley. Similar to an open-air bazaar, Santee Alley is full of colorful, sparkly, mostly-knock-off stuff. You probably won’t find anything serious or expensive to buy but gosh it’ll be a memorable trip.

If you’re looking for luxury goods but don’t want to mess with the tourist-laden Rodeo Drive, visit it’s close cousin, Melrose Ave. This stretch of road in West Hollywood is home to designer brands like Vera Wang, Helmut Lang, Alexander McQueen and Theory. Oh and it’s also where Kardashian stronghold DASH calls home.