Serious Shopping for Teenagers

In San Diego, visiting teens can stock up on the latest fashions and hip, one-of-a-kind items at independent boutiques, popular name brand stores and exclusive shopping malls.

From teen trendsetters to in-the-know youth searching out unique looks from funky to vintage, here are some top choices for teens who want to express themselves.

• Downtown San Diego offers a variety of stores for the teen who likes to shop. The 16.5-block historic Gaslamp Quarter boasts not only wonderful restaurants but also unique shopping experiences like Urban Outfitters, Lucky Jeans and the California styles of Dolcetti Boutique.
• Next door, Westfield Horton Plaza showcases a variety of brands like Francesca's and Banana Republic, plus great bargains at teen-friendly favorites like Forever XXI.
• Fashion gets edgier in downtown's East Village. Here, Blends has the freshest limited editions for sneaker heads and t-shirts, and teens can find cool street wear at the family-owned popular men's clothing and accessories store, 5&A Dime.
• In neighboring Hillcrest, teens can go green and save some green at resale shops like Flashbacks and Buffalo Exchange featuring gently-used vintage and retro items.
• Fashion Valley luxury shopping center, located in Mission Valley, offers more than 200 stores and restaurants for teenagers and shopping fanatics who love one-stop shopping. The spacious, open-air facility includes top department stores like Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, as well as teen-friendly designer stores like H&M, Hollister, Free People and Topshop.