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A laid-back yet sophisticated string of one-of-a-kind boutiques (with the occasional chain store thrown in for good measure), Main Street makes for a fun and eclectic shopping experience with plenty of cafés for people-watching. On Sundays, catch the farmers market (see Unique Main Street Boutiques).

You’re likely to bump into celebrities in the upscale boutiques on Montana Avenue. It’s fun peeking at the clothes, home furnishings, beauty products, and exercise gear favored by fashionistas.

Price tags are steep at the boutiques on this ultra-cool two-block stretch, but you may be browsing next to celebrities such as Cameron Diaz or Jennifer Aniston. Part of the mix are cutting-edge LA designers.

A stroll along this fabled shopping street (see Temptations on Rodeo Drive) is a must. All the big names in haute couture have staked out their turf on Rodeo, including Armani, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, and Versace. For better prices, walk one block east to Beverly Drive.

Melrose puts the “fun” into “funky” (see Melrose Avenue, Melrose Trading Post). Tattooed 20-somethings pick up vintage clothing, eccentric clubwear, and jewelry in stores between La Brea Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. West of Fairfax is a newer designer enclave and farther west, the Pacific Design Center is more about trendy home furnishings.

The pint-sized stores here teem with character, not to mention characters. This is Venice, after all: laid-back, hip, and plenty artistic. Fans of 1950s furniture, New Agers in search of aura-enhancing elixirs, and gift shoppers will find all that they want. Fairly moderate prices.

A carnival atmosphere reigns on this popular pedestrian-only strip, especially in summer. Upscale chains such as Banana Republic and Urban Outfitters dominate with a few bookstores and old-timers such as the Puzzle Zoo game thrown in.

Wedged in between the Beverly Center and the Original Farmers Market, this mile-long strip is one of the hippest shopping scenes in LA. The bounty ranges from unconventional gift stores such as Raena to LA-made fashions at Seaver and international beauty products at Palmetto.

Bargain hunters will love this pedestrian-only lane, the busiest in the Fashion District and the center of LA’s garment industry. In a setting reminiscent of an Oriental bazaar, vendors hawk cut-rate clothing, accessories, and luggage. Alas, name-brand knock-offs are not uncommon, so beware.

Once an ancient crumbling historic district, Old Town Pasadena was given a makeover in the 1990s. Today, Colorado Boulevard and its side streets offer a pleasant shopping experience in mostly mid-priced chains and specialty stores.