Carytown

For visitors, Carytown, located near the downtown hotels and the Museum District, is the preferred place to shop. This several-block stretch of West Cary Street is full of independently owned shops and restaurants, as well as the historic Byrd Theatre, a 1920s movie palace showing recent and classic films at bargain prices. A few notable shops are Mongrel, an all-occasion gift shop with a great selection of Richmond- and Virginia-themed items, World of Mirth, a colorful, kitschy toy store that’s fun for all ages, and Eurotrash, featuring fashion-forward European women’s clothing for all styles and budgets.

Spring finally hit Richmond Virginia this weekend, and after an unexpected midweek snowfall, the change in temperature was warmly welcomed (if you’ll excuse the pun). Streams of people left their coats at home and flocked to the city’s many outdoor offerings, the parks, the river, and of course, Carytown, the hip, outdoor shopping district. Carytown is about eight blocks of pure commerce. Consignment apparel, fair trade merchandise, locally owned restaurants, used bookstores, novelty toys stores, locally designed merchandise, homemade ice cream and record shops make up just a small part of what Carytown has to offer. While it remains popular shopping year round, there is nothing like the first nice day to inspire a little outdoor spending.