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Shopping in Washington DC

Washington, DC is a very affluent area with numerous shopping malls and districts. The Georgetown neighbourhood is a popular shopping destination because of its charming streets.

Key areas: 

Rather like Georgetown, the historic streets of Old Town, Alexandria, have a good selection of shops. The Adams Morgan neighbourhood offers an interesting international mix of clothing, jewellery, CDs and books. In particular, the shops along 18th Street, NW, between Florida Avenue and Columbia Road, are good for browsing.
The shops in the various Smithsonian Institution Museums stock a fascinating collection of gifts, crafts, books, jewellery and toys. Shops linked to the museums are open daily 1000-1700. The new waterfront complex, National Harbor, just minutes from DC on the Potomac, is a day out with its shops and restaurants.

Markets: 

There are several farmers markets in the DC area. Some are year-round like the DC Farmers Market near Capitol Hill, 1309 Fifth Street (Tuesday and Saturday 0700-1730, Sunday 0700-1400), and others are seasonal, such as the Fresh Farm Market at Foggy Bottom (April to November every Wednesday 1430-1900) and on Vermont Avenue, near the White House (mid-September to end October every Thursday 1500-1900).

Shopping centres: 

The Shops at Georgetown Park is a 19th-century styled mall situated at M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Under a huge skylight and surrounded by an elegant Victorian interior of chandeliers and wrought iron, there are about 100 shops and cafés with prices definitely not aimed at the bargain hunter.
Downtown is Union Station on Massachusetts Avenue, which has shopping on two levels with over 100 outlets. You can find more upmarket shopping at the Mazza Gallerie on Wisconsin Avenue, along the border with Maryland, which is a multi-level shopping centre, housing trendy Neiman Marcus.

Opening hours: 

Many shops are open Monday to Saturday 0900/1000-1700/1800 (with some malls open later into the evening) and Sunday 1200-1800.

Tax information: 

Washington, DC has a sales tax of 5.75%, which is added to the purchase price at the point of sale. There is no system for visitors to claim the tax back.

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