From cutting-edge to preppy, from local kitsch to world-renowned status symbols, Sarasota is a treasure trove of retail diversity. While the region is rich in malls, big-box stores, warehouse clubs and its own destination outlet center, it’s the locally owned boutiques and galleries that give our town its special (and truly memorable) shopping cachet.

Sophisticated, fashion-savvy residents fill our consignment stores with coveted designer apparel, fine jewelry and home décor at amazing prices. The thrill of the hunt at these shops is pure entertainment. Local artist colonies abound in hand-crafted gifts, and fabulous finds await in quaint beach village emporiums. Every shopping district is punctuated with dreamy outdoor cafes, ice cream parlors and gourmet shops with all the fixings for romantic dinners or leisurely beach picnics. In fact, there’s so much to offer, we’ve compiled this district guide to the region’s world-class shopping.

PALM AVENUE & LOWER MAIN STREET
Picture postcard perfect, Palm Avenue is at once jet-set glamorous and brimming with laid-back charm. With architecture defined by a historic Med-Rev hotel, this stretch of shops exudes luxury. The district—located off U.S. 41 (also known as Tamiami Trail), just south and east of Main—offers fine art galleries, designer fashion boutiques, upscale jewelers and high-end home furnishings. You won’t need to travel far for a lunch or dinner break: This lovely section of town offers charming cafés where you can people-watch as you dine outside. Downtown’s new valet parking system is a boon for serious shoppers; your car will be returned to you at any drop-off spot, regardless of where you left it.

MAIN STREET, SARASOTA
This is not your mother’s Main Street: Sarasota’s downtown residents are sophisticated consumers with educated palates. This crowd has influenced the upscale direction of shops and restaurants lining Main Street, many of them tucked into retail space on the ground floors of beautiful new high-rise condos. Sarasota’s Main Street renaissance was prompted by the demographic shift to downtown living, and continues to attract more and more luxury brand stores and eateries to the city.

You’ll find wine bars, French patisseries, and restaurants serving up the ethnic diversity of much larger cities. A stroll down Main will reveal experts in rare books, estate jewelry and antique furniture (from exquisite Biedermeier to rustic country finds). There are art galleries to explore and chic apparel boutiques with coveted European brands. Main Street has something for everyone, from snorkel gear to late-night pubs, a multi-screen movie theater and easy access from the opera or theater.

FIRST STREET, WHOLE FOODS CENTER
The international natural foods leader, Whole Foods Market, has infused new life into this section of town with a complex that’s home to an array of chic shops as tantalizing as the yuppie food emporium. The new enclave encompasses First Street, Lemon and Central Avenues, with stores catering to the tastes of downtown’s luxury condo dwellers, tourists and after-dinner crowds. You’re welcome to browse and chat with knowledgeable shop owners whose assortments of furniture, home accessories, giftware and tableware are upscale and unique. There’s the requisite Starbucks, a hip cosmetics shop, stylish pet gear, Italian ceramics and more. The district’s go-to dining spots offer European-style outdoor cafés and lavish interiors.

BURNS COURT & TOWLES COURT
Some of the chic-est shops, restaurants and galleries in town are nestled in historic Burns Court, a mélange of 1920s bungalows and low-slung landmark buildings, most owned by developer Owner Burns back in 1925. Outside, you feel you’ve traveled back in time … but don’t be fooled. Edgy fashion, films and funky treasures will be discovered inside. Burns’ namesake district (bounded by Pineapple and Orange Avenues between Ringling and Mound) still retains its vintage charm, now with a notable art-house cinema, antiques shops and art galleries with international flair.

To experience the charm of a genuine artists’ colony, venture to Towles Court, off Morrill Street and east of Osprey Avenue. Sculptors, craftsmen, painters, potters, muralists and more inhabit a collection of restored 1920s cottages. Artists live and work here; tourists and residents come for fine and casual dining and gallery tours. Regularly scheduled Friday night art walks are fun opportunities to meet and greet artists in a dramatic tropical setting

ROSEMARY DISTRICT
Though it’s touted as Sarasota’s up-and-coming neighborhood, the Rosemary District has arrived. Reborn as a hip new shopping destination, the historically designated area is reminiscent of warehouse districts around the country that have been infused with new life by artists, adventurous chefs and innovative retailers. With Central Avenue its hub, the Rosemary District spreads from U.S. 41 to Orange Avenue and from Fruitville Road to 10th Street. From contemporary furniture shops to one of the country’s most inspiring architectural salvage warehouses, the Rosemary District abounds with apparel and curio shops brimming with treasures. Dining is eclectic and includes gourmet restaurants and a food boutique that encourages sampling.

MIDTOWN PLAZA
Look for the Starbucks sign just south of Bahia Vista and you’ve found Midtown Plaza, the home of acclaimed Michael’s On East, renowned for both its food and wine selections. The restaurant has been supplemented with a connoisseur-quality wine cellar and tasting bar, which sit alongside the region’s equally loved family pharmacy, Davidson Drugs. From its location just off U.S. 41, this open-air shopping mall is deceiving. It may look nondescript from the outside, but locals favor Midtown Plaza for everything from world-class frappacini to Sweet Bay supermarket’s fresh meat, fish and produce.

SOUTHSIDE VILLAGE
It takes a village, Southside Village, to make Sarasota as welcoming as it is. Set in a residential district just four blocks from the Gulf of Mexico, this is the go-to shopping and dining spot for those living and vacationing nearby. But the services and quality here are too good to keep insiders’ secrets. The T-shaped district includes Hillview Street between Tamiami Trail and South Osprey Avenue and Osprey between Hyde and Arlington. You’ll find designer clothing and jewelry, the popular Morton’s gourmet market, innovative restaurants, and some of the hippest night spots in town. Located in a residential part of town, this self-sufficient little village offers all the service businesses that make life easier. And if you need a break from shopping, tour the surrounding neighborhoods for a glimpse of beautifully restored "old Sarasota" architecture.

WESTFIELD SOUTHGATE
The glass-domed Westfield Southgate is Sarasota’s luxury mall for savvy shoppers. With major department stores including Dillard’s, Macys and Saks Fifth Avenue, consumers have access to the brands and fashion firsts offered in metropolitan cities. Even the most recognizable retail brands have fine-tuned selections here, often with special products and services typically reserved for flagship stores. The town’s most elegant mall, located off U.S. 41 between Siesta Drive and Bee Ridge Road, also offers innovative freestanding kiosks, with a range of unexpected treasures from potted orchids to hand-carved Country French furniture. Check out the baby stroller exercise class, or relax in a massage chair. There’s no cinema, but lots of easy parking in a security-patrolled open-air mall lot. With 61 stores, high-end salons, a luxury spa and surprisingly good restaurants, you’ll stop by for an hour and want to spend the day.

SARASOTA PAVILION
More than a pavilion, this open-air mall is a haven for fashion- and price-conscious shoppers. Bargain hunters have their favorites, but the choices abound and the selection of top-name fashion and home décor discounters is unbeatable. Located on U.S. 41, the main artery that connects the Manatee-Sarasota-Venice communities, this destination mall is off Stickney Point Road, the south bridge route to Siesta Key. The Pavilion boasts a book store, independent shoe retailers and a plethora of nearby restaurants, including locally owned eateries and national chains serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you venture one block east of the mall, you’ll find consignment shops, funky boutiques, galleries and gourmet food shops around the corner.

WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE
The expansive new food court here is second to none. And if you overeat, join the parade of walkers who pound the pavement early each morning when it’s too hot or rainy to exercise outside. A recent renovation brought Sarasota’s South Trail movie complex inside the mall with a spiffy new 12-screen theater. And several new national retailers now round out a selection anchored by Dillard’s, Macys, JC Penney and Sears. The major shopping destination on South Tamiami Trail (off Beneva Road), this is now the perfect family mall: Teens congregate, parents and grandparents shop, everyone catches the latest movies and enjoys relaxed meals. Several new restaurants are available on site, or you can grab a quickie at your choice of national fast-food chains. The mall is fully enclosed, with easy parking in a massive lot.

SIESTA KEY VILLAGE
Siesta Key Village makes no effort to conceal its dress-down casual, barefoot kitsch. Tourists and residents head to this tiny village before and after the beach. It’s so close you might walk over for lunch or an ice cream parlor treat– all you need are your sandals, a swimsuit cover-up and your trusty credit card. Though tourist gift shops and casual watering holes dominate the scene, you’ll also find fine restaurants, world-class destination stores (Total Tennis can’t be beat), al fresco dining and under-the-radar boutiques that offer avant-garde style. For an egalitarian and playful shopping experience, check out Ocean Boulevard’s hodge-podge of unpretentious little stores in strip malls that curve along the bay.

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE
The most glamorous shopping district to be found in the region is just over the Ringling Causeway on St. Armands Key, minutes from downtown Sarasota. The combination of trendy restaurants, world-class jewelers, outdoor cafes and luxury boutiques makes St. Armands circle the must-shop haunt for visitors and residents alike. The circle abounds with the best of European, Caribbean and American cuisine, plus a landmark Cuban restaurant that exudes the flavor and character of Old Florida. Straight from the leading lifestyle magazines are the coveted names in designer jewelry, fashion, shoe shops, gift stores and galleries that welcome browsing. From the ultra-chic to the kid-friendly, you’ll find just the right stores and restaurants here to entertain throughout the day. For a change of pace, stow your purchases in your car and try the long, but lovely walk from St. Armands Circle to Lido Beach. The sunsets are breathtaking.

VENICE ISLAND
Named for the world’s most romantic city, the Venice on this side of the pond began as a small fishing village and evolved into an island paradise. Despite remnants of Italian architecture, Venice is the closest you’ll come to an Old Florida beach town—more relaxed than neighboring Gulf coast cities, but just as attractive to shoppers. Tourists flock here year round for chic fashion, home accents, giftware and the art galleries lining Venice Avenue, a charming boulevard that leads right to the shore. Visit the beach, and when it’s time for a break, choose from old-fashioned ice cream parlors, quaint tea houses or al fresco dining. And don’t miss the vintage treasures around the corner on Miami Avenue; from clothing to furniture, it’s a haven of shabby chic. Located in south Sarasota County, and easily accessible from U.S. 41, Venice is well worth the short trip from downtown Sarasota.

FISHERMAN'S VILLAGE AT PUNTA GORDA
This waterfront mall recalls childhood memories of vacations anywhere from Key West to Martha’s Vineyard. But Punta Gorda’s fisherman’s village is enclosed and air-conditioned, the ideal hangout for shopping, dining, arranging water sports and island tours. From exclusive boutiques to kitschy souvenir shops, from stand-up food stalls to elegant dining, everything is under one democratic roof. This is the place to rent a fishing boat, jet skis or bicycles for leisurely tours of the picturesque community in nearby Charlotte County, a quick drive south from Sarasota via I-75. If you visit at meal time, choose from a half-dozen lovely restaurants with postcard charm.

UNIVERSITY CENTER
Catering to the sophisticated homeowners who’ve gravitated to the upscale communities in this growing region, the open-air University shopping center is right off I-75 on University Parkway, the border line between Manatee and Sarasota counties. You’ll find a gourmet cooking school and wine enoteca, an outpost of Sarasota’s popular Bonefish Grill, lots of other eateries and shops that offer everything from designer shoes to furniture. Conveniently located near the interstate, this mall is now attracting tourists in addition to local residents with its mix of national warehouse chains and discount outlets, and an assortment of quality clothing and home furnishings stores run by local independent retailers.

LAKEWOOD RANCH
The big draws at Main Street in Lakewood Ranch are its new multi-screen cinema complex (part art film house, part mass-audience movie theater) and the new outpost of Morton’s Gourmet Market. These anchors have attracted retailers, restaurants and consumers to the upscale mall. Originally designed to serve the needs of this master-planned community, shops and restaurants here are attracting visitors across the region. In addition to Main Street, there’s a Town Center Market Square and a Lake Osprey Village retail center. Destination stores include a couture bridal emporium, a world-class salon, boutique and spa owned by downtown’s Ana Molinari, plus gift and specialty shops so trendsetting, local residents won’t want to venture far from home. For upscale shopping and dining with a hometown feel, look for signs for Lakewood Ranch, just east of I-75 right off University Parkway in Manatee County.

SAN MARCO PLAZA
Though it’s landlocked, this Venetian-inspired shopping mecca in Lakewood Ranch is typical of its Italian namesake, combining casual eateries, a wine emporium and destination stores. To meet the needs of this burgeoning community, several interior design studios opened shops with decorative accessories, fabric, wall coverings (and free advice for good measure). Everything from boutique apparel, orchids and wine tastings to imported foods and hand crafted Italian gifts, jewelry and accessories make this easy-to-navigate plaza a fun and fashionable place to visit.

PRIME OUTLETS, ELLENTON
The name brands keep getting better at Prime Outlets’ Ellenton mall; they’re keeping pace with the influx of upscale residents pouring into the region. The mall is arranged like a village, with covered walkways and lots of places to sit and rest while you plan your shopping strategy. Outlet mall rats make Ellenton a full day of shopping, stopping for breakfast, lunch and perhaps even dinner. Prime Outlets is north of Sarasota on I-75; its tile roofs and cheerful pink buildings are visible from the highway. Mediterranean courtyards, colorful mosaics and pretty fountains add ambiance, and there's a spacious food court, offering international menus. This is a potpourri of outlets for clothing, sporting goods, home furnishings, fine linens for bath and table, children's apparel, kitchen and electronic accessories, jewelry and cosmetics.