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Shopping
Washington, DC is not a manufacturing area so it is not known for its locally produced items. It is a very affluent area, however, and subsequently there are numerous shopping malls and districts. The Georgetown neighbourhood is a popular shopping destination because of its charming streets, despite parking problems and the lack of a convenient Metro station. The Shops at Georgetown Park, a 19th-century styled mall (website: www.shopsatgeorgetownpark.com ), situated at M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, NW, was originally built to house buses and streetcars. In the 1960s, it became the location of the Situation Room for the White House and the site of the first hotline to Moscow. 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 (website: www.unionstationdc.com ) on Massachusetts Avenue, which has shopping on two levels with over 100 outlets, including familiar names such as Ann Taylor, B Dalton Bookseller and Jos A Bank. More upmarket shopping can be found at the Mazza Gallerie on Wisconsin Avenue (Metro station Friendship Heights), along the border with Maryland, which is a multi-level shopping centre, housing trendy Neiman Marcus. Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, in Arlington Virginia (Metro station blue and yellow lines Pentagon City) is the quintessential shopping mall. 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. Car drivers keen to find bargains should make their way 40km (25 miles) south of the city to the Potomac Mills Outlet Mall in Prince William, Virginia, which has over 200 discount stores with brand names such as Royal Doulton, Laura Ashley and Calvin Klein.
There are several farmers markets in the DC area. Some are year-round like the DC Farmers Market near Capitol Hill, 1309 5th Street (Tues-Thurs 0700-1730, Fri and Sat 0700-1830 and Sun 0700-1400), and others are seasonal, such as the Sunday (0900-1300) FreshFarm Market at Dupont Circle.
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. Many shops are open 0900-1800 Monday to Saturday (with some malls open later into the evening) and 1200-1800 on Sunday.
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