Where to Shop in Scottsdale
Scottsdale shopping ranges from modern fashions to ancient Native American crafts, making it one of the best cities for shopping in Arizona.
Scottsdale isn’t just one of the best golfing destinations in the USA, it also offers excellent culture and shopping. It’s one of the best shopping destinations in the American South-West. The shopping ranges from age-old Native American cultural traditions through to the most modern of fashion styles and contemporary art.
Native American Arts and Crafts
Native American items are available in many galleries, and some of the most popular items are the intricate woven baskets which show beautiful patterns. These can be absolutely tiny and made of the finest horsehair, or large enough for storage, and any size inbetween. They are both practical and decorative, and extraordinarily beautiful.
Equal skill is shown in the woven rugs, which are also popular. These make much more colorful souvenirs and gifts, and again are widely available.
It is a good idea to go into a specialist gallery, like the River Trading Post and Pueblo Arts, or the FaustGallery, which only sells the finest of Native American items. It has been in business since 1996 and sells jewelry, pottery, rugs and other woven items, beads, paintings, and the unique Hopi dolls known as kachinas (or katsinas). Turquoise jewelry is also a very popular buy, and has a uniquely South-Western look.
Cosanti Bells
Also unique to the Scottsdale area are Cosanti Bells. These stylish and highly unusual wind chimes and bells are made in Paradise Valley at the Cosanti Foundry, which was established by the Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri.
Modern Stores
Scottsdale also has the modern shopping malls you will find in any American city, with chain stores such as Crate and Barrel, Neiman Marcus, BOSS, Tommy Bahama, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Saks Fifth Avenue, and many more. You should check out the stores in places such as Scottsdale Fashion Square, The SHOPS Gainey Village, Kierland Commons, and the Biltmore Fashion Park.
Scottsdale ArtWalk
If you want one-off modern artworks then go along to the free Scottsdale ArtWalk, which takes place every Thursday evening in the galleries along Main Street and Marshall Way. The Main Street Arts District and Marshall Way Arts District both have an extraordinary number of galleries, and the work on display here is mostly in a very distinctive South-Western style. Old Town Scottsdale, which is also along Main Street, is another shopping area not to be missed if you want to find something made locally.
Frommer’s Arizona and the Grand Canyon
This is our recommended guide for Arizona and the Grand Canyon, if you’re thinking of planning a visit. The two authors both live full-time in Arizona and the book is therefore based on lifetime experiences of the state. It has 86% 5- and 4-star ratings on Amazon.
