SHOPPING

The Galleria at Sunset

SHOPPING

Shopping Malls

here are only four large shopping malls in Las Vegas. (Actually, only three; one is technically in Henderson, NV.) All four have about 150 stores.

The Boulevard Mall(3528 Maryland Parkway) is on the east side of town and is the oldest.

The Fashion Show Mall(3200 Las Vegas Blvd.) is located on the "Strip," making it somewhat awkward (due to traffic) for routine shopping. The only Neiman-Marcus store in Las Vegas is located here.

The Meadows Mall (4300 Meadows Lane) is on the west side of town, with easy access. Macy's, Sear's, and Penny's anchor this site. Interestingly, however, the Sear's Hardware Store is several blocks away, as is the Penny's Home Furnishings Store!

The Galleria at Sunset(1300 West Sunset Road, Henderson, NV.) is the newest mall. It is southeast of the city, just off I-515. One of the two Robinson's-May stores is located here. (The other is at Fashion Show Mall.)

Mini-Malls or Strip Malls

hese abound in Las Vegas! Typically containing from 15 to 25 shops, these small centers are located on all four corners of pratically every commercial intersection. They usually provide a barber shop/styling salon, drug stores, dry cleaners, packaging/mailing facilities, sometimes grocery stores, card shops, fast food restaurants, and a variety of other small businesses. Occasionally some truly good restaurants will be found in these mini-malls.

Shopping Arcades

early all the major hotel/casinos on or near the "Strip" have attractive shopping arcades. The two most noteworthy are The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, and The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. Both are large, contain a goodly number of boutique shops, and are expensive!

GROCERY SHOPPING

Supermarkets

n alphabetical order, the four major chains are: Albertson's, Raley's, Smith's, and Vons. Their stores are scattered throughout the city. I personally prefer Smith's. Their stores are usually attractive and clean. Many of these large stores contain pharmacies, photo developing, banks, and other ancillary services.

Specialty and Gourmet Stores

Trader Joe's has two stores in Las Vegas and one in Henderson. The newest is at Buffalo and Washington, on the west side of town. They carry a commendable selections of cheeses, many imported, and a goodly number of items that are difficult to find in a regular supermarket.

here are two or three Wild Oats markets in the area. Basically a "health food" type store, they boast of the quality of their meats, but is is very expensive ($20/lb for choice fillets mignons).

btaining prime cuts of beef is practically impossible. However, Village Meat & Wines (5025 S. Eastern Avenue), located on the east side of town is an independently owned and operated gourmet store. The do have prime standing beef rib roasts and New York steaks. Also, they can provide prime beef tenderloin if one buys the whole tenderloin. The management will cut it to order. Their pre-cut fillets are choice, however. This store has the best veal (scallops) that I have found.

he most popular, and probably least expensive, liquor and wine stores are Lee's Discount Liquors. Scattered throughout town, they have a very large selection of wines and liquors. Another excellent store for wines, and some gourmet food items, is Nevada Wine Cellar and Spirits (8665 West Flamingo).[Note: this web site does not work well with Webtv.] It's on the far west side of town, but their wine selection is impressive.

ODDS AND ENDS

here are a number of Home Depot stores in the area, and one Lowe's Home Improvement Center at Buffalo and Washington. I personally prefer Lowe's. The staff is cordial and helpful, and the store is neater than most Home Depots.

ld-fashioned hardware stores are Meads Hardware (4438 E. Lake Mead Blvd.), way out in the northeast part of town; and McFadden-Dale Industrial Hardware (4477 W. Reno Avenue). The former is especially good for hard-to-find plumbing supplies. The latter was the only place I could find metric screws and nuts!

rtificial flowers, plants, and trees can be obtained from The Natural Touch (5480 S. Valley View Blvd.), or Napa Valley Pottery and Floral (4101 W. Charleston Blvd.).

he major pharmacies are Rite Aid, Walgreen's, and Long's, located all over town. As mentioned above, most of the large grocery stores also have pharmacies of their own.