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Redcliffe Quay, on the waterfront on the southern edge of St John’s, is one of the most appealing shopping area. With nearly three dozen boutiques housed in a former warehouse, set around landscaped courtyards shaded by colorful trees, it is one of the prime hunting ground in St John’s.
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Heritage Quay, Antigua's first shopping-and-entertainment complex, features some 40 duty-free shops and an arcade for local artists and craftspeople. Its restaurants and food court offer a range of cuisines and views of St. John's Harbour. Many shops are open all day, Monday through Saturday. It caters to the cruise-ship crowd and outlets here include the Benetton, Sunglass Hut, Dolce and Gabbana, and Oshkosh B’Gosh. Antigua's shops are also found in St. Mary's Street or High Street in St. John's. Some stores are open Monday to Saturday from 8:30am to noon and 1 to 4pm, but this rule varies greatly from place to place-Antiguan shopkeepers are an independent lot. Many of them close at noon on Thursday. |
In the Vendor’s Mall, a tangerine-and-lilac-hue four storey building, at the intersection of Redcliffe and Thames streets, aggressive and rather annoying shopkeepers will pester you to come into their shops.
If you're in St. John's on a Saturday morning, visit the fruit and vegetable market at the south end of Market Street. The juicy Antiguan black pineapple alone is worth the trip.
On the west coast of Antigua, the Mediterranean-style Jolly Harbour Villa Resort & Marina has some interesting galleries and shops.
Alcohol and Tobacco
A wide selection of Caribbean rums and liquors can be found in Manuel Dias Liquor Store (at Long and Market Street, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-0490). Quin Forara (at Heritage Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-1737) has good deals on hard liquors, wines and cigars.
Art
Head for Harmony Hall, in Brown's Bay Mill, near Freetown (at Brown’s Bay, Tel. 268/460-4120), following the signs along the road to Freetown and Half Moon Bay. With an excellent Italian restaurant, this restored 1843 plantation house and sugar mill overlooking Nonsuch Bay is ideal for a lunch stopover or a shopping expedition. It displays an excellent selection of Caribbean arts and crafts. Lunch is served daily from noon to 3:30pm, featuring Green Island lobster, flying fish, and other specialties. Sunday is barbecue day.
Heavenly Hill Art Gallery (at Johnson’s Point, Tel. 268/560-1245) serves both Terrance Sprague’s atelier as well as an exhibition venue for Antigua’s leading artists like Heather Doram, Lydia Llewellyn and Gilly Gobinet. On Friday evenings, it has BBQ dinners and live bands.
Island Arts Galleries (at Aiton Pl, Hodges Bay, Tel.-268/461-6324 or at Heritage Quay, Tel. 268/462-2787) founded by Nick Maley, a makeup artist who worked on Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. You can purchase his own fine-art reproductions or browse through everything from low-cost prints to works by artists exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. You can also visit Nick's home and studio at Aiton Place, on Sandy Lane directly behind the Hodges Bay Club, 6km (3 3/4 miles) from St. John's. The residence is open Monday to Wednesday and on Friday, but call first.
Clothing
Noreen Phillips (at Redcliffe Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-3127), is one of the island's major fashion outlets. She creates glitzy beaded evening wear made in luxurious fabrics such as chiffon and silk to sensuous materials such Italian lace and Indian brocade. Cruise-ship passengers beeline here for both its casual wear and beaded glitzy evening dresses.
Exotic Antigua (at Redcliffe Quay, St. Mary's Street, Tel. 268/462-2972), sells everything from Caribbean-made gifts and clothing, including T-shirts and casual wear, and handcrafts to antique Indonesian ikat throws to crepe de chine caftans.
Rain Boutique (at Lower St. Mary's, Tel. 268/462-0118), offers casual clothes, formal wear, hats, scarves, shoes, jewelry, and handbags.
Galley Boutique (at Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Tel. 268/460-1525), run by Janey Easton, carries a good mix of exclusive creations from both international brands( including Calvin Klein, Adrienne Vittadini) as well as local Caribbean designers, ranging from swimwear to evening garbs. You will also be able to find intricate handicrafts and lovely hammocks.
Shoul's Chief Store (at St. Mary's Street, Tel. 268/462-1140), is an all-purpose department store selling fabric, appliances, souvenirs (more than 300 kinds), and general merchandise.
Fashiondock (tel. 268/462-9672) is known for its duty-free Prada, Moshino, and Gucci accessories, plus other Italian styles.
Sunseekers (tel. 268/462-4523) carries the largest collection of duty-free swimwear in the Caribbean.
Our favorite is A Thousand Flowers (tel. 268/462-4264), which sells resort wear made of linens, all natural fiber, rayon, and other fabrics.
Duty-Free
Lipstick (at Heritage Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/562-1133), has a daunting array of cosmetics and perfumes, some of them locally made, many of the others imported from the U.S., Britain, and France.
Abbott’s (at Heritage Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-3198) sells expensive items from Baume & Mercier watches to Belleek china to Kosta Boda art glass in a luxurious air-conditioned show room.
New Gates (at Redcliffe Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/562-1627) is the authorized duty free dealer of international name brands like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
Handicrafts
At the Gazebo (at Redcliffe Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/460-2776), expect a little bit of everything, from a mass of south-of-the-border pottery to Indonesian wood items, and (our favorite) stunning blue-glaze plates.
Cedars Pottery (at Buckleys, Tel. 268/460-5293) is the studio of Michael and Imogen Hunt. Michael creates domestic wares such as teapots, vases and water fountains featuring rich earth hues and sensuous lines. Imogen specializes in paper-clay fish sculptures and intricately laced light fixtures.
Isis (at Redcliffe Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-4602) sells unique Egyptian jewelry, cotton gowns, and handcrafts.
Mimosa (at Heritage Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-2923) carries hand-painted wind-chimes and porcelain clowns in island dress.
Kate Design (at Redcliffe Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/460-5971) sells acclaimed artist Kate Spencer’s pieces including lovely silk-screen scarves and sarongs, coloured place mats, paintings, Liza Kirawn’s delicate hand-painted silk scarves and Heike Petersen’s ethnic dolls.
Jewelry
| The Goldsmitty (at Redcliffe Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-4601) sells precious stones that are set in unique, exquisite creations of 14- and 18-karat gold.
Colombian Emeralds (at Heritage Quay, St John’s, Tel. 268/462-3462) is the world's largest retailer of Columbian Emeralds. Albert's Jewelry (tel. 268/462-3108) sells the best selection of watches on Antigua, plus china and crystal. |
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