santee alley

[orial1970]

Hi, i was wondering if anyone has been to santee alley in down town los angeles.I heard shopping was good.What do you think? As this is our first trip i am rather nervous.Do you recommend any good shopping outlets or malls.My daughter is 15 and loves shopping.We are from Australia and this is our first big trip.Thank-you for any feed back.

 

[Perdie]

I went to Santee Alley in August and it is NOT for the faint of heart. It is very dirty, corwded and in a somewhat scary/shady neighborhood. I did get a couple of fake prada bags and fake prada sunglasses, so it's good for cheap items, if that's what you're looking for. But if you're looking for a nicer place to shop in LA, go to Santa Monica or Melrose, or Beverly Hills!

 

[SANDIEGOFAN]

I went to Santee Alley in August and it is NOT for the faint of heart. It is very dirty, corwded and in a somewhat scary/shady neighborhood. I did get a couple of fake prada bags and fake prada sunglasses, so it's good for cheap items, if that's what you're looking for. But if you're looking for a nicer place to shop in LA, go to Santa Monica or Melrose, or Beverly Hills!

Wow! That sounds just like the little city (Santee) on the outskirts of San Diego. I wouldn't go there either!

 

[spazzyjazzy]

I love going shopping downtown in the alleys. Not too scary for me. But, I just make sure that I am holding on to my purse real tight. It is dirty but, you can get awesome deals. A nice place to shop is on Third Street in Santa Monica. Not anything like the alleys. Melrose is also nice. Sometimes hard to find parking though. There is the Farmer's Market on 3rd st and Fairfax in L.A. They have good shopping there also.

 

[rsjj]

i wouldn't shop there! the streets are somewhat dirty, and lots of people! and parking is somewhat a headache! although there are lots available, but you'd have to walk around a bit. and the shops are really small. their merchandise sorta "spills" onto the street. they don't carry any "nice" stuff! mostly things you might find at a swap meet.

not sure what kinda shopping you're looking for? someone mentioned farmer's market...there's the grove right next to it. the grove is a little outdoor mall type plaza. it's got nordstrom, banana republic, gap, victoria secret, etc. you know, "regular mall stores", and there's several eateries there too. oh, and a movie theater!

if you're looking for outlets...there's camarillo, which is like hour & a half away from anaheim. it is huge! or there's ontario mill, which is like a mall, w/regular mall stores, plus there are several outlet stores thruoughout! another huge place!

i assume you'd be staying around anaheim? there's the block at orange, which is near dl. it's an outdoor mall/entertainment center, w/lots of stores, eateries, a bowling alley, and maybe a theater (i think there is, but i'm not quite sure about that!)

i love shopping! and sometimes, it gets the best of me!! have fun!!

 

[queenrollog]

I go to the Alley about once a year, but it is a little on the gritty side. At the Orange County Fairgrounds, there is a marketplace/swapmeet every Saturday and Sunday. You can get some pretty good deals on clothing, home goods, etc. there. The only time it isn't held is during the OC Fair (July), and I think maybe when it rains... This is much closer to Disneyland and much nicer.