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MADRID
- SHOPPING |
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| Vacation
Rentals in Madrid |
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Shopping districts
in Madrid are
pretty defined.
The biggest range
of stores are
along Gran Vía
and around Puerta
del Sol, which is
where the department
stores - such
as El Corte Inglés
- have their main
branches. For fashion
( moda ),
the smartest
addresses are
c/Serrano, c/Goya
and c/Velázquez,
north of the
Retiro, while more
alternative
designers are to
be found in Malasaña
and Chueca (c/Almirante,
especially). The antiques
trade is centred
down towards the
Rastro, on and
around c/Ribera de
Curtidores, or in
the Puerta de
Toledo shopping
centre (Métro:
Puerta de Toledo),
while for general
weirdness ,
it's hard to beat
the shops just off
Plaza Mayor, where
luminous saints
rub shoulders with
surgical supports
and fascist
memorabilia. The
cheapest,
trashiest souvenirs
can be collected
at the Todo a Cien
("Everything
at 100ptas")
shops scattered
all over the city.
If you want
international or
speciality shops,
head for Madrid 2,
a huge hypermarket
next to Métro:
Barrio de Pilar or
the upmarket ABC
Serrano at
c/Serrano 61 and
Paseo de la
Castellana 34 (Métro:
Nuñez de Balboa).
Most areas of
the city have
their own mercados
del barrio -
indoor markets
, devoted mainly
to food. Among the
best and most
central are those
in Plaza San
Miguel (just west
of Plaza Mayor);
La Cebada in Plaza
de la Cebada (Métro:
La Latina); Antón
Martín in c/Santa
Isabel (Métro:
Antón Martín);
behind the Gran Vía
in Plaza de
Mostenses (Métro:
Plaza de España);
on c/Gravina in
Chueca (Métro:
Chueca); on c/Barceló
in Malasaña (Métro:
Tribunal); and
Maravillas in
c/Bravo Murillo
122 (Métro:
Cuatro Caminos).
The city's biggest
market is, of
course, El
Rastro - the
flea market -
which takes place
on Sundays in La
Latina, south of
Plaza Mayor. Other
specialized
markets include a
second-hand book
market on the
Cuesta de Moyano,
at the southwest
corner of El
Retiro.
Opening hours
and late-night
shopping
Usual opening
hours are
Monday-Friday
9.30am-2pm &
5-8pm, Saturday
10am-2pm. Most
shops are closed
on Sunday, but
the larger
stores do open
on the first
Sunday of each
month (not in
Aug.) and those
selling
"cultural"
goods such as
books, CDs and
videos can open
every day. There
are however, two
chains of
late-night shops
- Vip's and 7
Eleven - that
stay open into
the small hours
and on Sundays.
Each branch
sells
newspapers,
cigarettes,
groceries,
books, CDs - all
the things you
need to pop in
for at 3am.
Larger branches
also have café-restaurants,
one-hour photo
developing and
other services.
Crafts and
miscellaneous
Alvarez Gómez ,
c/Serrano 14 Métro:
Serrano. Gómez
has been making
the same perfumes
in the same
bottles for the
past century. The
scents -
carnations, roses,
violets - are as
simple and
straight as they
come. Mon-Sat
9.30am-2pm &
4.45-8.15pm. ...
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more >>
Books, comics
and maps
Casa del Libro ,
Gran Vía 29 &
Maestro Victoria 3
Métro: Callao.
The city's biggest
bookstore, with
three floors
covering just
about everything,
including a wide
range of fiction
in English.
Mon-Sat
9.30am-9.30pm.
Desnivel ,...
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Fashion:
clothes and shoes
Branches of chain
stores such as
Mango, Zara,
Cortefiel and
Springfield are
scattered all over
the city and at
sale times in
January and July
there are often
some great
bargains to be
picked up. If your
tastes run to the
more select in the
fashion stakes...
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more >>
Food and drink
Baco - La Boutique
del Vino , c/San
Bernardo 117 Métro:
Quevedo.
Good-value range
of quality Spanish
wines, cavas ,
brandies and even
Asturian cider. No
cards. Mon-Fri
11am-2pm &
5-8pm, Sat
10am-2pm. Casa
Mira ,...
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more >>
Records and CDs
FNAC , c/Preciados
28 Métro: Callao.
Large French store
with a huge
collection of
cassettes and CDs.
Madrid Rock , Gran
Vía 25 Métro:
Gran Vía. A big,
slightly chaotic
store, good for
rock CDs and
concert tickets.
Daily 10am-10pm.
...
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more >>
Children
Mothercare ,
Madrid 2, La
Vaguada, Avda.
Monforte de Lemos
Métro: Barrio del
Pilar. As you
would expect
you'll find a wide
range of clothes
and every
accessory you
might conceivably
require for a
young child. Prénatal
, c/ Goya 99...
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more >>
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