DC USA Shopping Complex Columbia Heights

This type of shopping center is situated in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Washington DC, fifteen or twenty minutes from the city center. I wrote "type", as it is not the typical shopping center to which we are used to, this is more of a collection of several large shops in the same building, connected by the same corridors and escalators. It is small, but I can assure you that it has become one of my favorites since I've been here in Washington DC, and going there was all a discovery.

What makes it special are some of the shops, which I have never heard of before going there, but since have now become my favorite. There are about twenty shops (also including the restaurants) and amongst the twenty, I especially recommend "Marshalls" and "Target".

Marshalls is a famous type of a big sized outlet, in which there are brand clothes, shoes, lingerie, sports clothing, bedding and small home furniture. That is, you can find brand clothes at a small price, from designers like Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, among others. I found Calvin Klein shirts for $23, male sport shirts from Ralph Lauren for $34, and handbags by Michael Kors for about 100 dollars. For those of you who love shopping, and have a reasonable budget, this is your shop. This shop is located on the ground floor of the shopping center.

On the other hand, Target is a type of of large warehouse in which everything can be found, from clothes, shoes, lingerie, to electronic devices, office equipment, furniture, toys, and food. It's like a cross between PRIMARK and el Corte Ingles in Spain. Its the first floor of the shopping center and occupies two floors. The clothes are not bad, but basic and you would have to look for a long time to find something nice. However, it's quiet good for pajamas, underwear and shoes. Regarding the food, it is the typical American supermarket where the best prices go with the larger packages. I also saw bicycles for about $150, which in Spain is expensive, but it is very cheap, compared to other bike shops in Washington. If you come as a tourist it's not worth going to Target, but if you are going to live here, for some time, like in my case, this is a store to find anything you need (although I recommend other stores for clothes).

Another interesting shop would be the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, this footwear and accessories shop is located outside of the shopping center on the right side, and up the escalators. If Marshalls is to small for you to find shoes, then you must go to DSW. There are many shoes, some by good brands. At the end there are ones which have big discounts, divided by shoe size that we are looking for. In fact, bear in mind that here the shoe sizes are different from European sizes, for women it goes from 5 up to 12, size 8 being 39. Not only there are shoes, but also designer purses like Steve Madden, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein at reduced prices… It is also possible to find jewelry and other accessories, like hats, and scarves.

Other shops which stand out would be “Perfumania” (fragrance shop), “Radio Shack” (electronic shop), “Sports Zone Elite“ (sportswear shop), “Payless Shoesource”(footwear shop at discounted prices in which I found a rucksack for my trips) or “Bed, Bath and Beyond” (big cloths and accessories shop for bed and bathroom).

Besides the shops, there are some american brand corners to have coffee or grab a bite. One the first floor, right at the entrance to Target, there is a Starbucks corner and a Pizza Hut. They share a seating space, but have different counters. For those unfamiliar with these shops, I recommend that you go and try them out as they are known worldwide and all of their products are good.

In particular, the Pizza Hut in this shopping center I recommend the personal pizzas that are already prepared and ready to go. You can choose between the pepperoni pizza and cheese pizza at a cost lower than 5 dollars. I've never seen anything like it in other Pizza Hut's that I've been in before, but they are successful here, because everyone queuing order the same thing. Starbucks offers a great variety of coffees and pastries, among other products, my favorite is the Tea Chai Latte.

From the outside of the shopping center you can access other restaurants or fast food chains. One of them is IHOP a very American restaurant, in which you can find pancakes, crepes, french toasts, waffles, sandwiches, hamburgers, fried chicken,mozzarella sticks, salads, desserts and drinks in the purest American style, for those that are fans of the American food, you're going to love it here. It's more focused on the American breakfasts, but as you can see you can also have dinner here.

Another restaurant which is located in the outer part of this shopping center is Panera, with food very similar to IHOP but more elaborate, including pasta as well as other stews, in the menu. The price is slightly more expensive than IHOP but the quality of the food is better, particularly if you are going to have dinner, for breakfast I recommend IHOP.

To get here it is best to take the metro. The closest stop is called 'Columbia Heights' (yellow and green line) and it drops you off right in front of the shopping center, it´s hard to miss it. Near the shopping center you will find other shops, restaurants and banks, defying this place as a big shopping district, and being outside the center of Washington DC, its less crowded and the prices are cheaper.