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Not so long ago, this was just another grungy Venice Beach street with a few good restaurants. Now there are more good restaurants, and it’s become a place to walk and explore shops showcasing local designers and local retailing concepts. It’s far superior to nearby Main Street, which isn’t really worth bothering with. Begin your outing by driving by Frank Gehry’s Chiat/ Day headquarters (340 Main St.). The eye-popping façade featuring gigantic binoculars was created in collaboration with Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Also take some time to walk along what remains of the Venice canals, the brainchild of Abbot Kinney, who conceived of them in 1905. Go to Washington Boulevard and Pacific Avenue and ask for directions. Back on Abbot Kinney, the restaurant choices include upscale California cuisine at Joe’s (1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-399-5811); the informal Lilly’s French Café & Bar (1031 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-314-0004; www.lillysfrennchcafe.com), with its $12, two-course lunch; all-American Hal’s Bar & Grill (1349 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-396-3105; www.halsbarandgrill.com); and the Röckenwagner (1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-399-6504; www.rockenwagner.com) bakery and sandwich place next door. A pastry chef from Singapore has turned Jin Patisserie (1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd; 310-399-8801; www.jinpatisserie.com) into a destination for tea or lunch, or just picking up some of the gorgeous handmade chocolates.

Designer Pamela Barish (1327 ½ Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-314-4490; www.pamelabarish.com) sells her beautiful, ladylike and expensive women’s collections in her small shop, where she also takes custom orders. Other worthwhile stops are Salt (1138 ½ Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-452-1154), for unusual European women’s labels; eQuator Books (1103 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-399-5544; www.equatorbooks.com), specializing in out-of-print and first edition books on surfing, design, photography and poetry; Strange Invisible Perfume (1138 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-314-1505; www.siperfumes.com) where owner Alexandra Balahoutis will craft your personal, synthetic-free scent ($2,100 for the first ¼-ounce bottle); and Tortoise (1208 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-314-8448; www.tortoiselife.com), for Japanese crafts and house wares.

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The most famous place to spend your money while in L.A., of course, is Rodeo Drive, in the heart of Beverly Hills’ “golden triangle.” With few exceptions, such as Carroll & Co. (425 N. Canon Dr.; 310-273-9060; ww.carrollandco.com), a traditional men’s store that’s been catering to a faithful following for more than fifty years, the local retailers have departed. In their places have come the globals from Armani to Zegna. If you can only hit one store, make it Barneys New York (9570 Wilshire Blvd; 310-276-4400; www.barneys.com). It’s even better, daresay, than the New York flagship. Anchored with a winding central staircase for grand entrances and exits, the store’s neither too big nor too small. Besides, you can take a load off your feet at Barney Greengrass and gaze at the Hollywood sign from a table on the patio. Neiman Marcus (9700 Wilshire Blvd.; 310-550-5900; www.neimanmarcus.com) has three different lunch spots, but only Mariposa serves the famous popovers with a demitasse of chicken broth.

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You’ll definitely need a car for this stretch. Start on the eastern end at Fred Segal (8100 Melrose Ave.; 323-655-3734), a collection of stores-within-a-store. Strictly for the young and hip, Fred Segal encompasses lingerie, luggage, shoes (Alexander McQueen sneakers anyone?), gifts, men’s and children’s departments, a women’s designer department with labels such as Marni and Jovovich-Hawk, plus a few roomfuls of jeans. A similar compendium of stores exists in Santa Monica.

Get back into your car and head west. At the shocking pink Paul Smith store (8221 Melrose Ave.; 323-951-4800; www.paulsmith.co.uk), the knighted London designer sells his English bone china, men’s and women’s collections, and oddities such as needlepoint throw pillows and vintage Rolexes remade with brightly enameled faces. Jonathan Adler (323-658-8390; 8125 Melrose Ave.; www.jonathanadler.com) carries the interior designer’s groovy ceramics and furniture. Decades (8214 ½ Melrose Ave.; 323-655-0223; www.decadesinc.com), atop a leopard-carpeted stairway, is the city’s headquarters for designer vintage dresses and aged status bags. The Web site’s blog offers frequent updates of arrivals. Decadestwo (323-655-1960; decadestwo.com), just downstairs, feels more approachable with its recent castoffs, some with the labels still inside, including Prada and Badgley Mischka.

The bouncers, guards, whatever you call them, on duty at Maxfield (8825 Melrose Ave.; 310-274-8800), on the far end of Melrose at Robertson Boulevard, are really intimidating, but just ignore them to experience how seriously cool, seriously rich people in Hollywood spend their money. The mix includes men’s and women’s fashion (Rick Owens, Libertine and a touch of Chanel), books and cool things for your home, like ‘70s chess sets and beat-up Louis Vuitton steamer trunks. But it’s possible that the cases of vintage Hermès and Gucci leather goods, watches and jewelry are the most staggering things you’ll encounter on your L.A. shopping travels. The selection of contemporary jewelry by Jade Jagger for Garrard, Loree Rodkin and about a dozen others is fabulous too. Owner Tommy Perse is the father of T-shirt designer James, whose own store, James Perse (310-276-7277; 8914 Melrose Ave.; www.jamesperse.com), is across the street.

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Not long ago, this elegant, traffic-free, three-block street between Melrose Avenue and La Cienega, lined with Hollywood Regency-style shops and lovely trees, was home to many of the city’s top antiques dealers. As in other cosmopolitan cities around the world, the dealers have gradually been replaced by fashion tenants. The street is not only still elegant, but it’s become a major fashion destination with retailers Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera, Mulberry, Marni, Alice Temperley and Me&Ro. Oscar de la Renta (8446 Melrose Place; 323-653-0200; www.oscardelarenta.com) opened in March. It’s situated at the back of a lovely courtyard and there’s even free valet parking. Next on the horizon are Monique Lhuillier and Chloé. Check out the John Frieda Salon (8440 Melrose Place; 323-653-4040; www.johnfrieda.com), with its central indoor pool, the height of L.A. chic.

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It’s easy to spend a few hours here, with one small, interesting clothing and home design store after another, plus loads of cafés to discover. Park your car once and start strolling. The best stores are concentrated between 7th and 17th Streets. Home stores include the original Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic (1013 Montana Ave.; 310-394-1975; www.shabbychic.com) for floral bedding, vintage mirrors and new, fat slip-covered sofas and armchairs. The two best women’s clothing stores with the top designer labels are Weathervane (1209 Montana Ave.; 310-393-5344)—a Montana mainstay for more than thirty years, with avant-garde labels such as Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester (no connection to Weathervane for Men)—and Savannah (706 Montana Ave.; 310-458-2095), known for dressing the wealthy local denizens in Tuleh, Jil Sander, Alberta Ferretti and Lanvin. Savannah also sells a small, beautiful collection of made-to-order special occasion clothes, all silk and in a choice of colors, from $500 to $3,000 for a dress with French lace; orders are filled in two-and-a-half to three weeks.

T-shirt maker Michael Stars (1233 Montana Ave; 310-260-5558; www.michaelstars.com) also takes custom orders for any of their existing T-shirts models in any color you see in the store. And as long as you’re in the area, don’t miss another, entirely different shopping experience at the nearby Santa Monica Farmers’ Market (smgov.net/farmers_market) at Arizona Avenue and 3rd Street, open Wednesdays and Saturdays between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Here, sweet limes, tangelos and pink naval oranges battle with kumquats, Meyer lemons, red carrots and Hass avocados for the attention of home cooks and leading chefs. Pick up some dried Fuyu persimmons and organic walnuts for the trip home or perhaps grab a jelly doughnut from the Röckenwagner Bakery stand for your stroll.

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Starlets love the shops and restaurants scattered on these the two long blocks between Third Street and Beverly Boulevard. Kitson, Madison, Lisa Kline, Anya Hindmarch, Ted Baker and Agnès B. are loaded with trendy clothing and fun accessories. Unfortunately, some of the most unique shops have disappeared in the last few years to be replaced by familiar name brands such as American Apparel and Tory Burch. Still holding court, however, is Indigo Seas (123 N. Robertson Blvd.; 310-550-8758), where owner-decorator Lynn von Kersting sells antique French opaline glass, vintage tablecloths, majolica plates, seashells, books, upholstered furniture and D. Porthault bath mitts like no one else. Make a reservation first if you want to eat next door at von Kersting’s Ivy restaurant, a paparazzi magnet. If you want to seem like a regular, order the expensive chopped grilled vegetable salad.

Maxfield Bleu sells off-season items from the main Maxfield store on Melrose, while Les Habitudes (101 N. Robertson Blvd.; 310-273-2883; www.leshabitudes.com) is known for other-worldly, Lord of the Rings–meets–Cinderella beaded gowns and wedding dresses. Just around the corner on Beverly Boulevard are Stella McCartney and Antiquarius (8840 Beverly Blvd; 310-274-2363), a bazaar of dealers in antique and vintage jewelry and watches, several of them top notch. Drive to Burton Way at Doheny to ogle at Lily et Cie (9044 Burton Way; 310-724-5757), whose astounding vintage designer dresses often appear on awards show red carpets.

Not to be confused with the mall stores on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, West Hollywood’s Third Street is funkier and home grown. It also goes on forever, so you’ll have to limit yourself and take a breakfast or lunch break at Joan’s on Third. The women’s clothes at Noodle Stories (323-651-1782; 8323 W. Third St.) are always interesting, including Japanese labels, plus tables full of cashmere sweaters and good T’s, not to mention unusual socks. Milk (323-951-0330; 8209 W. Third St.) ferrets out the cutest lines for young trendies, and Esther (323-658-8602; 8235 ½ W. Third St.) has easy-going clothes for more bohemian girls. There are probably a dozen gift and house decor stores, including OK (323-653-3501; 8303 W. Third St.), with its fresh mix of modern Scandinavian housewares, American Pottery and Noguchi lamps. You can really lose track of time at two side-by-side specialty bookstores, Cook’s Library (323-655-3141; 8373 W. Third St.; www.cookslibrary.com) and Traveler’s Bookcase (8375 W. Third St.; 323-655-0575; www.travelbooks.com).