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Despite the fact that going to "the Mall" in D.C. doesn’t mean you’re going shopping, Washington offers fabulous stores that sell serious or silly souvenirs, designer fashions, recycled and green goods, books about almost everything, and handicrafts. Even if you are headed to the mall, our nation’s Mall, that is, you’ll discover that plenty of collections housed along the famous greensward, such as the Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art, sell interesting keepsakes in their gift shops.
Beyond the Mall, smaller one-of-a-kind shops, designer boutiques, and interesting specialty collections add to Washington’s shopping scene alongside stores that have been part of the landscape for generations. Weekdays, Downtown street vendors add to the mix by offering funky jewelry; brightly patterned ties; buyer-beware watches; sunglasses; and African-inspired clothing, accessories, and art. Discriminating shoppers will find satisfaction at upscale malls on the city's outskirts. Not surprisingly, T-shirts and Capitol City souvenirs are in plentiful supply.
Steadfast is the place to get small, unique District gifts. The store carefully curates its inventory from local small businesses and displays each designer's name and story so you know who you're buying from. It's a fun, lively spot filled with items from more than 100 brands, and there's also classroom space for calligraphy and other creative workshops, as well as areas and gifts geared to children.
Arriving in 2012, massive Union Market is a feast for the senses that’s a favorite destination for locals and out-of-town visitors alike. The space offers a smorgasbord of food and drink options, from sushi and piping hot empanadas to Bloody Marys and fish-and-chips. There are butchers and bakers and candles (though not candlestick makers—yet), as well as cheese vendors, microbrewed coffee, and a shop selling spices you’ve never heard of. It’s all made the market enormously popular, particularly on weekends, when parents descend to sip espresso while the youngsters bound around a generous outdoor seating area that features a host of lawn games.
Union Market is part of the new, buzzing Union Market District, filled with restaurants; a pop-up movie theater, the Angelika, which shows new releases and classic favorites; and La Cosecha, a contemporary Latin market two blocks away.
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