I love the nostalgia of the amazing architecture, mixed with very modern shops and lively crowds…read more Spent a good amount of time at one of the craft and artisan made shops, then had some tea at an adorable cafe called Cielo. Even if you do not want to shop, this place is worth a quick walk through to appreciate its old world charm.

Now the Adelaide Arcade is a destination in its own right, did you know that? Not just as a…read moreshopping centre, but as a historic building of interest. I should know, one of my first jobs out of school was working at the Industrial First Aid Service which was upstairs at the Adelaide Arcade where I used to put aspirin into aspirin jars, stick on the labels and place them into First Aid Kits; and need I mention that was in the last century! Yes, well, the actual Arcade itself was built long before that - in fact around about one hundred and fourteen years before I was born in 1885. The history web page will tell you they threw the place up almost as fast as a catwalk model throws up her Christmas dinner, and it has been a destination for the refined shopper ever since. Adelaide has a great deal of old historic buildings but nothing quite like the Adelaide Arcade. It is a rather lovely spot and sort of similar to the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, if you stretch your imagination just a touch. The difference is that the QVB in Sydney sat idle and filled with the poop of pigeons for decades, while the Adelaide Arcade has been operating since it opened. If you have time you should go up onto the rarely visited first floor and have a look in their little museum, it's a cute little spot with some significant information on show. Free of charge and fine for kids. In fact it's a special spot that you can take the kids and help them feel they've had something special that will cost you nothing. Kids as young as six or seven upwards will enjoy the display as long as you can drum up a little enthusiasm for it yourself. I've taken a couple of pictures of the FREE permanent exhibition for you to appreciate so you know what you are looking for, do check them out. Read up at the 'history' section of their website before you go so you can brag knowledge to the kids (or guests) before going - they'll think you're a star! http://www.adelaidearcade.com.au

I really like the North Adelaide; it's a clean airy shopping centre that has everything from a gym,…read moreFoodland, fruit and veg grocery, bakery, newsagency, to restaurants and cafes. Although it isn't my local, I am there quite a bit. Located on O'Connell St North Adelaide, it is accessible and convenient. Furthermore, there is onsite parking which is free for the first two hours - and for some reason whenever I park here, whether it's a Tuesday afternoon or a Saturday night, it's never full! It's always busy, but never full. There are always available spots, which is amazing because finding on-street parking during peak times can be a bitch. The place is complete with restrooms and best of all, Outback Jacks is just upstairs! Finally, what I love most about North Adelaide Village is that it's open late (restaurants, Foodland, and cafes) and you can get everything done in just one easy trip!

The North Adelaide Village, just like North Adelaide, is definitely posh-ville. Which I'm not…read moresaying is a bad thing. Because it means there are some really gorgeous boutique style stores available here. I absolutely love walking past the stores here and falling in love with the dresses in the window every time I do. There's some good places to have a coffee and breakfast also. There's a lot of things available here, but I recommend going to look at the beautiful fashion stores!

Most days you'll find me hanging out in this "mall"…read more I add parentheses because it's not a) lit with fluorescent bulbs b) full of teenagers or c) packed with chain stores. In fact, it's a lovely open air thoroughfare lined with quaint / useful / delicious stuff. First there's the ALL DAY BREAKFAST at Uncle Albert's Cafe (I stand by the all caps excitement); then there's the local Coles, which I actually like and they know us there; then there's coffee and baked goods; gifts; magazines and books; and a travel agent if you want to book an impromptu trip to Paris while on a sugar high. Ahem. Yeah. Nice!

Norwood Mall is located just opposite Cibo's on the parade, right next to Dillon's. First of all,…read moreif you don't find a parking space on the side of the road, there's heaps at the back of Norwood Mall. There's a rather small Coles in here and a random mix of other shops like souvenir and gift shops, chocolate shops, a newsagents, a dry cleaner etc. My favourite place is the greengrocer right at the entrance (when you come to the Parade). They often have great deals and better prices than supermarkets, plus all their fruit and veggies are really fresh. If you continue walking you'll find a great fresh pasta shop on your left, followed by a nice little gift shop that sells things like candles, soaps, cards etc. Another tip is the newsagents in the middle of Norwood Mall; they usually have a large table outside with heaps of books that are hugely discounted. Worth having a look at!

I used to make a special effort to get to this lovely op shop on the other side of town…read more Now I find their prices match the big commercial op shops so it's not worth bothering. If you live near by you can probably afford to shop there and they do often get quality stuff so it's worth checking out.

Run by Clayton-Wesley Uniting Church , all profits from the op shop goes to the local and…read moreinternational outreach programs. With a chapel-inspired shaped door, this op shop is fantastic with prices and good stock. Rows of wooden racks displaying women's clothing, men's clothing, kids clothing and vintage tops are aplenty. I spotted some pretty evening dress shoes, most going for under $10. Am sure most ladies can relate to how expensive shoes are nowadays. Expect to find lots of Mummy groups here as they dive into kids international brands, such as Pumpkin Patch, Esprit and Gap, all going for great prices. I spotted plenty of vintage furnitures and stunning bric a brac pieces. This has got to be one of the cheapest op shop in the city. Bring a bag or two to stock up at your next visit. Caution: Highly addictive!

My local, it's always nice and clean. The cafe is worth a visit on the corner. Chemist there is…read moreawesome and the staff are lovely.

As far as your little suburban shopping Villages go, this one is a good'n. Well situated on a…read morecorner road, with a good range of businesses, anchored by a Wollworths supermarket it has everything you could want if you were a local resident. There is a cafe, newsagent, chemist, bottle shop, baker, credit union ATM and a chicken shop among others. The car parking is well laid out with a central pedestrian walkway so you can park and then walk easily to the front door. of the mall. Now that the trees are starting to mature, during summer there are also some shady parks to be had.

I would be more than willing to set up shop (pardon the pun) in the shop front window of Bauhaus…read more Every few weeks when I walk past I can either imagine myself sitting atop their giant Moroccan pouffes in a kaftan, reading a vintage hard cover book or lounging about in their bright red acapulco chairs in a pair of their silver clogs admiring my giant Marimekko print on the wall. This gift shop and homewares store is high class, full of cultural finds that look like they've just been pulled out of a souk in a turkish market or from a church in eastern Europe. There is something for everyone from all budgets here too so don't let looks deceive you. You can pick up $20 scarves, $10 rings or even a beautiful photo frame for $25 or so. At the other end of the spectrum you can pay up to $140 for a small wire frame cube which I'm sure is handmade by pixies in the titus mountains or something. Staff are not intrusive and allow you to browse the shelves, cabinets, floor and walls full of knick knacks, prints and more. And when you go to pay make sure you ask about their free gift wrapping service to make your loved one feel like you've spent even more dosh on them!

23/12/2011 How many cute little pieces can be packed into a…read moretiny shop, and then nearly bought by my prying hands? There were a lot of gift ideas inside Bauhaus! Loved the necklaces and jewellery and how small things were in here. Cute, Exotic, Pretty, Affordable and Fun... the few words that describe the gift ideas in this place. I asked the shop assistant where their products were made, and they said most of it was made overseas, but their front counter was filled with Adelaide-made objects. I didn't give this 5 stars because one, there was very little walking room and you had to compete with other keen customers for space....and secondly, as a young guy, there weren't that many things that excited me or interested me. If I had a girlfriend, then yeah I'd definitely go here for ideas.

You know when something is so bad for you that you can't help but want it more? Like…read morechocolate...well now I'd put Kmart into that little shopping basket. Yes it is just another chain store full of stuff you don't need but I am in a love/hate relationship with this Kmart. The layout is clever. Bloody annoying and sneaky like IKEA - but gosh it's clever. - You can't see over any isle so you have to hunt through the maze of gigantic displays. - They put women's bargain clothing (tops starting at $4) at the entrance. Bright colourful displays that make you think "yes I should start wearing more of this tangerine or fluoro blue in my life." - The store is also double storey so you feel like you are in a luxurious department store that has bargain basement prices. And finally the prices are amazing. You know that when you buy a $4 t-shirt it will last you one season and be 2 sizes bigger after a couple of washes. But hey what the hell it's only $4 right? Consumerism at its best. It is also refreshing to see a good homewares and toy store based in the mall with a really good range of items - something I was complaining about as I trawled the mall just 2 months ago unsuccessfully looking for a present for a 3 year old. Well done Kmart your rebrand is bringing you back into the naughties...you're so bad, it's good.

Kmart has gone downhill in quality with some items and have stopped stocking a few decent brands…read morewhich is quite disappointing and sell poor quality footwear which falls apart quickly. the reason why I have given this review 2 stars is because the boys clothes are quite thick and are probably thicker than big w clothes. what I was pretty impressed about is the boys 7-16 flannelette shirts I bought today were $6.50 each and I bought two of them for $13.00 and in bigw they were $12 each and the material was thinner than the ones in Kmart. what a bargain! but I do avoid buying footwear. pros: Clothes are still of decent quality and very low , affordable prices and some bargains waiting for you. cons: bad quality footwear that falls apart after a wear, tinsel that sheds bits and not many different brands to choose from.

Adelaide is blessed with a great market! We stayed two blocks away and so were able to take…read moreadvantage of the great offerings here. You'll get the best of local meat, dairy, seafood, wine and veg with knowledgeable vendors who are super passionate about Aussie goods. We tried Tuckshop for a cheap & delicious snack, Big Table for a filling breaker and grabbed charcuterie, cheese and wine from other stalls for a night in. In addition to local options, one of the cheesemongers had Epoisses which is my very favorite ever!! Don't miss it!

The most amazing market!! Every type of food vendor you can imagine!! From fresh fruits and…read morevegetables, to pastas, meats and seafood to bakeries, sandwiches and so much more!! A foodies heaven!! Can spend hours browsing and eating!!!! Really nice vendors!!!

This shopping centre is between work and home so I often drop in Woolies, Dan Murphy's or Marden…read moreFruit Market. A sign apologises for any inconvenience during the upgrade but I can't see or know what management have planned. There used to be a toy shop and new shoe shop but these closed recently and no new businesses. The other shops still here are: Marden Dry Cleaners Paws for Pets at Marden Barbershop St Peters Rotary Rummage SpecSavers All-in-one Discount Store Commonwealth Bank Gas Worksmarden Show Red-C Salon Marden Shoe Repairs (Key cutting too and you can even buy & recharge your bus Metroticket) National Hearing Care Fruita Bella Faircut Meat Service Marden Continental the Big Bite snack bar Marden Health Foods L&N Massage Leon's Hair Studio Stylist Professional Tailors (alterations and repairs) Pink Lotus Furniture Australia Post Marden Florest Metro Newsagency Marden Fish Cafe Crusty's Bakehouse nyu Sakura Marden Yes Asian Supermarket National Pharmacies National Pharmacies Optical Dressing Station full figure 10 to 26 M. M. Fashions bare basics (lingerie sleepwear and hosiery) Cemons hair and beauty Bendigo Bank Amcal Pharmacy There are plenty of parks too.

The only reason I'm giving the Marden Shopping Centre 2 stars is because it's right across the road…read morefrom me and because it has a Dan Murphys. Otherwise, it's pretty useless. There's a Woolworths which I go to, but it isn't very big. There's a seedy looking fish & chips place, and a couple of fresh food places (but why bother when there's a Woolworths?). There's also a hairdressers and a couple clothing stores. Again, nothing special. Food and alcohol is the only reason I go there.

Ok, I know it seems rather silly to be writing about a giant supermarket that nobody will miss if…read morethey ever enter chinatown, but this one holds special significance to me and used to me a nightly haunt for me whenever I was up late at uni and needed a place to walk around or just restock on red bull and chips in the middle of the night. The only supermarket in town that opens again after midnight, it was like a beacon of hope for all those international students who had come to Adelaide not realizing that most places closed at 5pm and there was literally nowhere to go at night in order to shop. It has gotten better since back in those days, with shops opening up to 7pm or 7:30pm I think along Rundle Street, but back then, you'd go to Coles in chinatown after 12 and you'd see mostly asian people walking through the aisles, not necessarily to buy anything, but just to walk amongst potentially purchasable goods. I'm not one to judge, as I used to be one of them and really do appreciate Coles giving me a place I could go to in the middle of the night. Since moving away from the city, I have found an IGA near my place that never closes. Still, first's will always be firsts, and the chinatown Coles will always hold a special place in my heart that no other supermarket can replace.

The Coles on Grote St is so handy for me, because after I do my shopping around the markets, I can…read morealso stop by and pick up some supermarket brands in one trip, like soap, vegemite, you know. You can enter either from Grote St or from the inside markets, to save you walking all the way around. Apart from the fact that I see everyone here, from old friends to old teachers, what makes this Coles great is that it sells things like imported gelatine, Korean wafers, and other international brands. Being on the brink of Chinatown probably explains why it stocks these amazing creations. Additionally, the staff are always friendly and cheerful, and ready to help. My shopping experiences have been nothing but pleasant here. Oh, and did I mention that they're open from midnight, Mondays to Saturdays? How convenient for all you nocturnal folk!