Retail
Retail Shopping in Baltimore
Retail
Anyone that likes retail shopping will love being in Baltimore. One of the major retail shopping destinations in the north-east of America - if you can’ find it in a Baltimore shop; chances are you can’t buy it in America. With quite literally thousands of retail outlets in Baltimore city there are also several major retail shopping malls easily accessible in outlying areas beyond the city limits. Such places include Arundel Mills in Hanover about 15 miles south of the city and two Prime Outlets; one 20 miles west of the city at Hagerstown and the other 20 miles east at Queenstown.
The largest retail shopping mall for Baltimore is actually just outside the city limits, to the north at Towson. The Towson City Center Shopping Mall is easily reached from the Beltway 695 Exit 27A; and is only 15 minutes away from the city center. It has 200 separate retail stores with two major department stores - a Macy’s on two floors at one end and Nordstrom on all four floors at the other end of the shopping mall. You’ll find all your favorite national and international retail brands at Towson including: Claire’s Accessories, The Body Shop, Hallmark, GapKids, Littman Jewelers, menswear galore like Abercrombie and Fitch alongside Gap and Banana Republic. When it comes to ladies fashion all the major retail outlets are there too like; Gap, H&M, Bebe, Ann Taylor and so on. Amongst the gadget and electronics stores in the mall you’ll find Apple, AT&T and T-Mobile to name but three. There are also plenty of sports and leisure retail outlets, as well as many restaurants and fast-food outlets for refreshments. Anything from a take-away Starbucks coffee, to a full meal at the Stoney River Legendary Steaks House. Week days and Saturdays the Towson shopping mall opens at 10:00 and stays open until 21:30, except Friday and Saturday when it’s open until 22:00. Sundays it’s open 11:00 to 19:00.
If you really don’t want to venture out of Baltimore city for retail shopping then you could go to the Security Square Shopping Mall; which is between Rolling Road and Security Boulevard by exit 17 of Beltway 695. Opening times for this retail shopping mall are similar to Towson’s, except on a Sunday it’s open 12:00 to 18:00. With 120 separate retail outlets this is no small shopping mall itself. It too has a Macy’s department store; a Hecht’s and a Sears. Whilst it’s impossible to think that with so many retail shops to choose from you won’t be able to find the clothes, gadgets or gifts that you’re looking for - there isn’t the range of designer and international labels here that you will find out at Towson’s. The other retail shopping mall in Baltimore worth mentioning is the Harborplace & The Gallery, which is not surprisingly at the Harborplace - on the north side of the Inner Harbor. Whilst restaurants and eateries almost outnumber retail outlets; the Harborplace has a more chic and ‘designer’ feel to the whole experience of doing some retail shopping. Definitely aimed at attracting visitor to Baltimore viewing the sights and attractions, it is ideally located near several tourist hotspots - which probably accounts for the large number of places you can get food and drinks from. To list some of the retail outlets here: Body Shop, Swarovski, Gap, Zen, Victoria’s Secret and Bebe - you’ll get the idea that this is one of the classier retail shopping malls you’re likely to find.
If shopping malls with their mainly High Street brands that you can find anywhere - aren’t your thing; there are plenty of smaller independent and local retail shops to choose from. To choose even a few of them to list would be unfair to all the great local retail stores that were omitted. If antiques retail shopping is your interest then head for the Fells Point area in Baltimore, between the Inner harbor and the North West Harbor. Well known locally for its antiques shops it has also started attracting some fine restaurants and bars - especially along the waterfront. Whilst moving back inland away from the old wharfs there are plenty of new apparel and footwear retail stores opening up. The Lexington Market, just north of the city center, is the oldest municipal market in the USA. It has over 140 retail stalls selling everything from crab cakes to high fashion.
Of course if for any reason you can’t find what you’re after in a Baltimore retail store; or if for some reason you can’t get to the shops yourself - you can always order it online using one of the many retail websites available on the internet.