24 Best Shopping in The Bay Area, California

The Arts & Crafts Cooperative, Inc., a collective of Berkeley artists and artisans, has been a stalwart gallery and store showcasing ceramics, textiles, paintings, photography, jewelry, and various media since 1957. Explore the amazing range of local talent in a well-lit historic space, and find truly one-of-a-kind gems to take home. The gallery also hosts special events featuring artists explaining their works.

Heaven for audiophiles and movie collectors, this legendary shop is the place for new and used CDs, vinyl, cassettes, VHS tapes, Blu-ray discs, and DVDs. The massive and ever-changing stock includes thousands of titles for all music tastes.

The spirit of Moe—the creative, cantankerous late proprietor—lives on in this world-famous house full of new and used books. Since it first opened in 1959, students and professors have flocked here to browse the large selection of literary and cultural criticism, art titles, and literature in foreign languages.

The ultimate place for Oakland swag started in 2000 as a public art project of local pride and has become a celebrated brand around the bay, with clothing and accessories for men, women, and kids. A portion of the proceeds from hip T-shirts and accessories supports grassroots nonprofits committed to bettering the local community. It's good-looking stuff for a good cause.

A huge selection of new music for every taste has been drawing crowds to this independent brand since 1971. Only in a town that also contained Amoeba Music could Rasputin's stock of used CDs, DVDs, collectibles, and vinyl be surpassed.

The heart of the community since 1942, the barn has a bounty of local gifts and produce, plus an art gallery, yoga studio, and Toby's Coffee Bar for espresso drinks and sell-out pastries. See and hear what's happening locally, catch a live band or literary event, and explore the garden. The internationally renowned all-local, all-organic Point Reyes Farmers' Market is held here on Saturdays during the growing season (even King Charles and Queen Camilla visited it in 2005).

Owned and operated by women artists, this gift shop showcases the delightful works of more than 120 Oakland artisans and makers. Browse handcrafted paper and print art, collage art, chocolate, waxworks, jewelry, ceramics, herbs and oils, and quality art and printing supplies. A rotating gallery wall features the latest works from local artists.

Founded in Berkeley in 1970, this local chain uses premium-quality ingredients to create face, body, hair-care, and aromatherapy products. Essential oils and perfume oils can be combined to create personal fragrances. Tiare, gardenia, and China Rain are a few favorite scents.

Wandering bibliophiles collect armfuls of the latest fiction and nonfiction at this revered shop. The loftlike space, with its high ceilings and spare design, encourages contemplation, and on chilly days a fire burns in the hearth. Past participants in the excellent authors' events have included Ian Rankin, Annie Leibovitz, and Michael Moore.

This combination art gallery, farm stand, and flower shop captures the true essence of the area, with its dedication to community arts and a bounty of local organic vegetables, fruits, and eggs. The colorful self-serve site is open 24 hours, but what makes it truly special is that the entire stand operates on the honor system. Weigh and log your produce, and slip your payment (cash or check) in the box. The ever-rotating local art on exhibit adds to the allure.

Since 1955, this bookstore has been the heart of Menlo Park. The store has many mainstream books, yet also maintains the independent, intellectual side that made it popular with the Beat Generation and activists (even the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia would play his guitar here). Author talks are a big draw at what continues to be one of the Bay Area’s definitive local bookstores.

Credited with taking American appreciation of old-world wines to a higher level, this small shop is a great place to peruse as you educate your palate. The friendly salespeople will happily direct you to the latest French and Italian vintages, varietals, blends, and bargains.

This is the place for spices of all varieties from around the world, from aji amarillo chili to za'atar. The apothecary-like storefront features an aromatic library of loose teas and spices milled in small quantities and prepared in small-batch hand blends to obtain maximum freshness and quality.

Take the stairs up from the Vine Street entrance to Walnut Square's top floor to find this cupcakery showcasing scrumptious made-from-scratch confections.

This store epitomizes the Rockridge neighborhood's funky-chic shopping scene. Look for high-end housewares along with impulse buys like whimsical watches, imported fruit-tea blends, and funky slippers.

This family-owned market is the go-to stop for specialty foods, groceries, deli items, and hot food. Known for the notable beer and wine selection alongside local and organic produce and healthy grab-and-go foods, this is an ideal place to prepare for a picnic or seek out gourmet gifts, like imported chocolates and 100-year-old balsamic vinegars.

Like many quaint coastal communities, Half Moon Bay has a wonderful community of artists and galleries. This gallery in the heart of downtown is particularly special because visitors can interact with the artists whose works are on display. Paintings featuring nature and coastal beauty are usually a focus, but there's a wide variety of themes and artistic styles to see, including glass and jewelry.

This Grand Lake stalwart deserves an enormous amount of credit for showcasing small-producer, low-intervention wines (what some like to call natural wines), and for making wine an approachable, hip subject. Whether you're enjoying a glass at the bar with some cheese or browsing the impressive selection of retail bottles, this is the local game-changer that made boutique wine as trendy as craft beer and cocktails.

Eccentric and fun, this shop is a great place to buy trendy T-shirts, Disney-themed glassware, and vintage clocks, not to mention solar-powered bobbleheads, outrageous erasers, and very small (porcelain) happy cats.

Chockablock with handmade guitars alongside vintage classics, this shop is a treat even for those who don't play music. Dozens of guitars varying in size, shape, and color hang from the walls and stand against the polished wood floor. There's an organized beauty to the layout and a comforting sense of musical harmony. You may even enjoy an impromptu concert or workshop.

Where Bridgeway intersects Princess Street and curves toward the dock, this contemporary jewelry and craft gallery carries trinkets and gifts, from unique watches to dragon pendants.

This store is every child's (and many adults') dream come true, with rows of fresh homemade fudge, barrels of rainbow-colored jelly beans, and neat ribboned boxes of truffles. A train in the window drives figure eights through convincing faux-chocolate mountains and around M&M houses.

Some 200 regional and international wines as well as local Skywalker wines (from George Lucas's ranch) line the walls of this cozy shop, which has an indoor tasting room and outdoor seating for sipping by the glass or bottle.

Daily free tastings of organic and small-production wines take place at this neighborhood wine shop, which specializes in both local and domestic vintages and is situated in a beautifully restored water pumping station.