Hollywood, Venice Beach, and Beverly Hills may be steeped in legend, but Los Angeles is still a city wide open to reinvention, whether personal or communal. If a new image is your aim, take your pick from the sophisticated designs available on Rodeo Drive, the bohemian styles brimming along Melrose Avenue, or the more niche clothing and accessories along Montana Avenue. Want to glow from within? Check out the vibrant farmers' markets that offer organic produce you've never heard of. Looking to upgrade your personal space?

The antique shops on Melrose Place or art galleries sprinkled from Santa Monica through West Hollywood abound with possibilities. As neighborhoods wax and wane, new shopping districts pop up seemingly overnight, reflecting local entrepreneurs' creativity in finding affordable retail spaces. In addition to the newly revitalized Hollywood, look for the blossoming shopping areas in Chinatown (home to a bevy of new art galleries), Koreatown (a bohemia in the making), Echo Park (an extension of the young, hip Los Feliz area), and Leimert Park (an artsy, Afrocentric neighborhood).

Distances between shopping districts can be vast in this notoriously car-dependent city; don't try to hit too many shopping areas in one day, or you'll spend more time driving than spending. When in doubt, ask your hotel concierge to help you approximate driving times.

Most stores in Los Angeles are open 10 to 6, although many stay open until 9 or later, particularly those on Melrose Avenue and in Santa Monica. Shops along Melrose and in the Los Feliz vicinity in general don't get moving until 11 AM. In most areas, shops are open at least in the afternoon on Sunday. Most stores accept credit cards; traveler's checks are also allowed with proper identification. Check the Los Angeles Times or L.A. Weekly for sales, and if you're curious about who's shopping where (after all, this is L.A.), take a peek at In Style or Los Angeles magazines.