1. Mall Of St. Paul
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 647-6163
Address: 1817 Selby Ave.
Description: A decade ago it looked like the Selby-Fairview area was set to explode into gentrified glory, with the several nearby antiques shops as its main attraction. That hasn’t quite happened; except for the opening of the wildly popular Blue Door Pub, the intersection looks pretty much the same now as it did then. In the middle of things is this big two-story shop, where antiques of various vintages are sold on consignment. There are great finds to be had here, if you’re willing to take your time and explore.
2. Wescott Station Antiques
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 227-2469
Address: 226 West Seventh St.
Description: Wescott Station Antiques is a family-run business offering seven rooms full of antique furniture, glassware, lamps, and more. Thousands of antiques and collectibles line the walls of this tightly packed store, making a visit here as much a treasure hunt as it is a shopping spree.
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Address: 165 Western Ave. North
4. Midway Used & Rare Books
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Address: 1579 University Ave. West
Description: Midway Books has three stories of used and rare books, including huge pulp fiction and small-press poetry sections. The Web site offers some of the store’s stock online, but far more titles are available in their store in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood. In addition to books, the store has a wide selection of vintage comics and magazines.
5. The Red Balloon Bookshop
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 224-8320
Address: 891 Grand Ave.
Description: This spacious bookstore, specializing in educational and fun books for kids, is located in a beautiful converted Victorian house on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. The store carries books, audiobooks, DVDs, and selected toys for young people from birth to junior high age. The bookstore offers nonprofit discounts, takes mail and phone orders, and hosts in-store events featuring children’s book authors and educators.
6. Sixth Chamber Used Books
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 690-9463
Address: 1332 Grand Ave.
Description: Sixth Chamber Used Books is a well-organized and spacious used book store featuring hardcover and paperback editions in most major categories. Especially notable is the used science fiction and fantasy section, which takes up several ceiling-to-floor shelves in the back of the store.
7. C’Est Fou Showroom
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 602-9133
Address: 1128 Grand Ave.
Description: This French boutique–style retail store carries one-of-a-kind and custom-made clothes as well as elegant shoes and eclectic and glamorous jewelry and accessories. The store offers free alterations on all clothes purchased here, with an emphasis on creating a flattering fit for customers. The store displays and sells a rotating stock of artwork and jewelry created by local artists.
8. Coat Of Many Colors
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 690-5255
Address: 1666 Grand Ave.
Description: This Grand Avenue store specializes in natural fabric women’s clothing in a wide range of sizes, as well as jewelry and gifts from around the world. Most of the jewelry is handmade, focusing on sterling silver set with semiprecious stones, bone, seeds, and metals. Coat of Many Colors is a socially and environmentally conscious store that returns 20 percent of its profits to Third World development projects.
9. Grand Jete
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 227-0331
Address: 975 Grand Ave.
Description: Grand Jete is a retail store carrying dancewear for children and adults, including dance tights, leotards, and skirts, and ballet, pointe, tap, and jazz shoes in a full range of sizes. The store staff is especially helpful in assisting customers in the selection and proper fit of pointe shoes.
10. Hmongtown Marketplace
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 487-3700
Address: 217 Como Ave.
Description: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, year-round.
11. St. Thomas Farmers’ Market
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 227-8101
Address: 1079 Summit Ave.
Description: 1:15 to 5 p.m. Fri, May to Oct.
12. Laurel Street Flowers
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 221-9700
Address: 488 Hamline Ave. South
Description: This shop’s guiding style leans to English and French provincial, and typical arrangements include fresh blooms such as tulips and lilies of the valley in spring and summer to boutonnieres shaped as miniature Christmas wreaths for winter weddings. Owner and designer Paula Flom uses a European hand-tie method in her bouquets instead of plastic holders, and her creations often include such unusual choices as mixed fruits in dark colors dripping from centerpieces and viney garlands hanging from chandeliers.
13. Martha’S Gardens
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 696-2993
Address: 2484 University Ave. West
Description: Those topiaries and whimsical banners flying along an otherwise plain block of University Avenue mark the charming studio of Martha Gabler Lunde, one of the Twin Cities’ top specialty florists. The studio doesn’t have regular public hours—most of Lunde’s business is by delivery—so call ahead to ensure that someone will be there when you arrive, but a visit to the studio is the best way to appreciate Lunde’s special style. The studio hosts performances of live music and other public events throughout the year; subscribe to the studio e-mail list to get the heads-up.
14. Stems & Vines
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 228-1450
Address: 917 Grand Ave.
Description: Stems & Vines designs flower bouquets and events around personalities instead of colors and styles. The store’s designers are booked well in advance; it’s recommended that reservations be made no later than nine months prior to your event date. Stems & Vines is a sponsor of the Twin Cities Bridal Association and holds exhibitions at every bridal and floral event in town.
15. Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-Op
City: St. Paul, MN
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (651) 690-0507
Address: 1500 West Seventh St.