From high fashion to fun and funky, Providence is brimming with boutiques, galleries and retail destinations. If you are looking for the right place to find what you're looking for, check out our neighborhood by neighborhood guide to shopping in Providence.

Downtown and Downcity

Providence Place mall is downtown shopping, with three floors of department stores (Nordstrom, Macy’s), designer stores (Coach, Brooks Brothers), electronics (Sony Style, Apple) and your typical mall storefronts (Victoria’s Secret, Banana Republic). The street level has a handful of restaurants like Fire & Ice and the Melting Pot. Paid parking is available in the adjoining garage.

Downcity is the lively center of downtown, and its main thoroughfare, Westminster Street, is the shopping hub. Lovely home furnishing stores and trendy boutiques dot the street. Home Style is an exquisite shop with a fantastic mix of home decor, jewelry, and kids items. Queen of Hearts is a funky boutique that carries clothing, accessories and jewelry by emerging local designers. Craftland is a veritable showcase for local artists and craftspeople, and even offers classes.

RISD/Works, located inside the RISD Museum, on the North Main Street side, is a vibrant store with all kinds of stuff – books, jewelry, and clothing – made by crafty alumni.

Hope Street

Located in a diverse East Side community, Hope Street Village is hopping with young families that live nearby. The shops on Hope Street are sophisticated yet eclectic, with a mixed selection of children’s boutiques, designer consignment and artsy gift shops. J. Marcel, a discount designer shoe boutique, is a new addition that has a quickly become a local favorite. Studio Hop is a gallery/boutique, and has an interesting display of locally made jewelry and art.

Thayer Street

Thayer Street, in the heart of College Hill, is a vibrant collection of trendy boutiques, global goods and vintage shops. Most weekends you’ll find street vendors and musicians who set up shop right on the sidewalk. The Brown Bookstore has a great selection of titles and magazines, and also houses a gift department and coffee shop. Facing Thayer, on the other end of the street, is a beauty boutique where you’ll find rare and specialty skin care products and services.

Wayland Square

Wayland Square, an upscale retail and dining area on the East Side, is an ideal spot for shopping and strolling. The streets are dotted with boutiques that offer designer clothes for women, men and children, home accessories and jewelry. Books on the Square, a great little independent bookstore, is a readers’ delight. Farmstead, the much-celebrated cheese shop on the Square, recently expanded and added a custom-built aging room for some really unique cheeses. What Cheer Antiques offers everything from vintage clothing to used records.

West Side

The city’s West End, particularly on Westminster and Broadway, has emerged into a hip spot for vintage shopping, rising art galleries and music shops. Ada Books is a quaint used bookstore not to be missed. Rocket to Mars is a retro fabulous second-hand store where you can find unusual trinkets and vintage furs. The Piñata Center sells more than just piñatas; they have a unique selection of handmade crafts from Guatemala, and the sales benefit artists and craftspeople in that country.

Wickenden Street

Art galleries, whimsical shops and antiques line the colorful sidewalks on Wickenden. The Curatorium has a well-selected array of offbeat gifts and home accessories. Picture This, a custom-framing store, carries a large selection of vintage Rhode Island maps and prints of renowned local photographer Richard Benjamin.

Insider’s Tip

Save your change! Street parking throughout

For an even more complete listing of Shopping options in Providence check out our Providence Shopping guide.