1. Antique Design Center
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Address: 240 West 21st St.
Description: Here’s another small cluster of long time antique shops in Norfolk on the 2600 block of Granby Street worth checking out.
2. Boobalas Importers Inc.
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Address: 2600 Granby St.
Description: High Street for a few blocks near the Elizabeth River in Olde Towne is where you’ll find the bulk of this city’s antiques shops. It’s a nice place to wander, and you can catch a film at the Commodore Movie Palace or one of hundreds of imported beers at the Bier Garden afterwards.
3. Barnes & Noble
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 543-1982
Address: 300 Monticello Ave.
Description: This national chain has number of stores in Hampton Roads, so you can find one within easy driving distance no matter where you are located. Each offers free Wi-Fi service and a Starbucks Cafe. They all also offer story time readings for children. Check the individual stores for hours and days. In addition, Barnes & Noble operates the Tidewater Community College Bookstore in MacArthur Mall, which combines a traditional bookstore with the required academic offerings in a two-story retail outlet. Visit the website for a list of locations.
4. Bibliophile Bookshop
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Address: 251 West Bute St.
Description: This little shop in downtown features used and out-of-print volumes, as well as an inventory of first editions and rare books. Owner Uwe Wilken will check out his network to find a favorite, even if it is out of print.
5. Prince Books
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 622-9223
Address: 109 East Main St.
Description: This independent bookstore has been in business downtown since 1982, with an emphasis on current events, local authors, and a personal touch that keeps readers coming back. There’s a Lizard Cafe in the bookstore, which is located in the Towne Bank Building just a block from Town Point Park. They work with local book clubs and also sell e-books here.
6. Local Heroes
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 383-6810
Address: 1905 Colonial Ave.
Description: This mall is anchored by a JCPenney, Sears, Macy’s, and Target and serves the Western Hampton Roads area, including Suffolk, Western Branch, and the Churchland neighborhoods of Portsmouth. A number of other retailers are located on the highways around the mall.
7. The Gallery At Military Circle
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 461-0777
Address: 880 North Military Hwy.
Description: When outdoor malls became passé, Military Circle was the area’s first indoor mall. It opened around 1975 right across the street from JANAF (see entry below) and is still going strong, with more than 120 stores and a Doubletree Hotel right on the premises. The anchor stores are Macy’s, Sears, and JCPenney.
8. Macarthur Center
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 627-6000
Address: 300 Monticello Ave.
Description: This was the first high-end mall to open in the area. It was built right in downtown Norfolk with doors that opened onto the streets to encourage people to explore the city as well as the stores. The developers scored a coup when they lured Nordstrom to be one of the key anchors. The mall also features a flagship Dillard’s and an 18-screen Regal Cinema megaplex. There are 140 stores, many exclusive to this area. The parking is all indoors but there is a charge: $1 for three hours before 6 p.m., a $2 flat rate after 6 p.m., and an all-day maximum of $10 on weekdays. Weekends it’s $1 before 6 p.m., $2 after 6, and $3 for the entire day.
9. Five Points Community Farm Market
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 640-0300
Address: 2500 Church St.
Description: All these farmers’ markets are likely to put you in the mood to grow your own and cut that plant-to-plate time down to minutes. Again, there’s a wealth of help out there for you. And if you just want to grow fescue, the local garden shops can steer you to grass varieties able to deal with our hot, often dry summers and still stay green in winter.
10. Lili’S Of Ghent
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 624-9868
Address: 323 West 21st St.
Description: This store has won Best of Hampton Roads honors from The Virginian-Pilot readers.
11. 2Nd Act Consignments
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 622-1533
Address: 110 West 21st St.
Description: This is a huge thrift store in Norfolk that supports the local Seton Youth Shelters in Virginia Beach. There’s lots of furniture here as well as clothing and other staples.
12. Thrift Store Usa
City: Norfolk, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (757) 588-2900
Address: 875 East Little Creek Rd.
Description: This is a huge thrift store in Norfolk that supports the local Seton Youth Shelters in Virginia Beach. There’s lots of furniture here as well as clothing and other staples.