When holidaying in the some of the world’s top cities, travellers can find themselves with an opportunity to take in (and load up on) some of the world’s most luxurious shopping streets – names that resonate on the big screen, in the pages of glossy magazines, and maybe in our dreams. From the Champs-Élysées to Rodeo Drive, here are seven sensational streets where one can shop till they drop, and, with a little luck, maybe even mingle with the rich and famous.
- BOND STREET – London
Revered throughout the world, Bond Street boasts a wealth of elegant stores, exclusive brands, designer fashion, luxury goods, fine jewels, art, and antiques. Set in the heart of historic Mayfair in London’s popular West End, Bond Street is a haunt for celebrities, socialites and the international jet set, who frequent some of the world’s most prestigious retailers, including Asprey, Bulgari, Burberry, Chanel, Cartier, Dolce Gabbana, Hermès, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Ralph Lauren and Tiffany & Co. Shopping here may be out of your snack bracket, but it’s always good to see and be seen on Bond.
- FIFTH AVENUE – New York
New York is arguably the world’s greatest shopping city – and its best shopping street is Fifth Avenue. Stretching all the way from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd St. in Harlem, the bustling thoroughfare is an unparalleled slice of the city that boasts a wide variety of sights and venues, including Millionaires Row and Museum Mile. However, the avenue is synonymous with high-end shopping, which is largely concentrated between 39th and 60th streets, where names like Tiffany & Co. and Saks Fifth Avenue preside. There’s also the world’s largest store, Macy’s. For shoppers, there’s no better place to take a bite out of the Big Apple than Fifth Avenue.
- RODEO DRIVE – Beverly Hills
The three short cobblestone, Palm-lined blocks of Ro-day-oh Drive comprise one of the most glamorous rows of shops in the world and the epicentre of luxury shopping in Los Angeles. You’ll recognize names like Gucci, Chanel, and Prada, and perhaps remember that the Regent Beverly Wilshere Hotel is where Julia Roberts did an Eliza Doolittle in the film Pretty Woman. Make a requisite photo op stop at the Via Rodeo sign at Rodeo Drive and Wilshere and in front of “Torso,” an aluminum nude sculpture by Robert Graham that has become a symbol of the neighbourhood, or beside one of the many Ferraris parked curbside. One thing’s for sure: a visit will not be just another day at the rodeo!
- CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES – Paris
Champs-Élysées, a treasure of Paris, is considered one of the world’s most beautiful streets. The name comes from Elysian Fields, a Greek paradise. It’s no surprise then that the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is considered one of the world’s most beautiful streets. Almost two kilometres long and 70 metres wide, the famous boulevard is bookended by Place de la Concorde (a few minutes stroll from the Louvre) and the Arc de Triomphe, and in between are countless shops of all persuasions (from Apple to Vuitton) and restaurants (from McDonalds to famous Fouquet’s). But the avenue is also home to nightclubs, museums, parks, fountains, and is the setting for major events like the Bastille Day parade and the Tour de France cycling race. Indeed, Champs-Élysées is the heart of Paris – and a veritable shopping street for the soul.
- VIA MONTENAPOLEONE – Milan
It is generally accepted that Milan’s top shopping street is Via Montenapoleone, but for sheer wow factor the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II scores top marks. Dating from 1867, the four-story neoclassical arcade is the city’s oldest shopping mall and home to some of Milan’s top boutiques, but also posh restaurants and cafés with views that overlook the Cathedral. Even the McDonald’s (they’re everywhere) is suitably fashionable. Visitors who can manage to avert their eyes from the stunning iron and glass dome ceiling will discover a meticulous mosaic floor, including an ancient coat of arms featuring a uniquely well-endowed bovine upon which even (and especially) well-heeled visitors step on the tiled testicles and spin around three times – a Milanese good luck tradition they swear is no bull!
- GINZA – Tokyo
From small shops to massive department stores and fashion houses, Tokyo’s Ginza is more of an all-encompassing shopping and entertainment district than a street. Elegant boulevards are dotted with iconic flagship stores (Sony, DeBeers, Hermès, etc.) and shops offering the latest fashions, tech, and consumer goods, while the backstreets retain the charm of old Tokyo, populated by unique boutiques, tiny bistros, and cafés. At night, the district comes alive in neon, illuminating nightclubs, cutting edge galleries, the timeless Kabukiza theatre (home of kabuki), and dozens of Japanese and international restaurants. On weekends Chuo-dori Street becomes a pedestrian zone, ideal for window shopping and watching Tokyo’s famously quirky fashionistas strut their stuff.
- CAUSEWAY BAY – Hong Kong
Hong Kong may seem like one giant shopping mall, but its heart is teeming Causeway Bay. And within the pulsating district, which sometimes takes honours for rendering the world’s priciest rents for stores (which are reflected in the end retail price), shoppers will find family-owned street-front shops intermingled with multi-storey malls featuring the world’s top brands. Pedestrian zones and a maze of streets are packed with locals and tourists alike, especially at night when neon-emblazoned stores stay open till the wee hours. Top spots to shop include Times Square, the primary shopping mall; SOGO, the biggest department story in Hong Kong; the 11 floors of stores at Hysan Place; and Fashion Walk, a collection of indoor and outdoor boutique shops set along four different streets.