Ten Places to Shop in and around Deep Ellum

Tucked in on the east side of downtown near Deep Ellum, the Dallas Farmers Market not only boasts over 150 vendors showcasing seasonal produce and other regional delicacies in an open-air pavilion (the Shed), but it's also home to a massive indoor shopping hall (the Market) featuring artisanal foods alongside stalls peddling everything from hyper-local T-shirts to Mexican imports, natural bath products, vintage apparel and home decor. If you're on the hunt for an affordable one-of-a-kind gift, this is your destination. The Market shops are open 7 days a week. Hours vary with specific vendors, so it's best to check the website before coming.

Looking for a place to satisfy a sugar fix? Then Rocket Fizz is a must-visit. Located across the street from Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum, this vintage-inspired soda pop and candy shop is packed to the gills with over 400 varieties of bottled sodas as well as thousands of different types of candy plus lunch boxes, posters, comic books, gag gifts and more. Not to mention they also stock a jaw-dropping selection of saltwater taffy in every flavor imaginable (think buttered popcorn and carrot cake), which customers can sample before they buy. Just be prepared for a sensory overload when you come.

Until Fort Worth native Paula Lambert opened this tiny cheese factory in 1982, you'd have been hard-pressed to find artisanal cheeses of any kind in Dallas, much less the fresh mozzarella that Lambert found while living in Italy. Since then, Lambert has become something of a legend, as have her award winning cheeses (over 30 types)-- which have been featured in numerous publications, including Gourmet, Food & Wine and The New York Times. While Lambert's cheeses are sold in restaurants, hotels and gourmet shops throughout the United States, her Deep Ellum shop is where you can get it fresh from the source. Not only does the company crank out a variety of fresh mozzarella, it also crafts goats' milk cheeses, fresh ricotta, feta and mascarpone.

If you enjoy playing baseball, then you will want to get familiar with the Dallas-based sporting goods company Warstic, which is in the process of opening its first brick-and-mortar retail location and headquarters in Deep Ellum. The brand, co-owned by former minor league player Ben Jenkins along with White Stripes musician Jack White and former Texas Rangers second basemen Ian Kinsler, specializes in uniquely designed, hand crafted wood and metal bats as well as athletic gear and lifestyle apparel for baseball and softball players of all ages. While the company's headquarters are slated to open in early 2020, customers can visit the temporary showroom and demo center which is open from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. A cool feature of the store is that it houses a full batting cage for folks to try out a few swings.

In an age where buying a book is as simple as a click of the mouse, brick and mortar bookstores have become a vanishing breed. Enter Deep Vellum Books, the brainchild of the folks at Deep Vellum Publishing, a nonprofit firm which specializes in publishing translated works from non-English-speaking countries. Small in size but large in quality, the shop carries a curated collection of over 1,500 books, all of which are categorized to showcase each publisher's unique perspective in the works they choose. Selections include everything from LGBT and contemporary literature to urban literary fiction, political nonfiction and cooking. The shop also hosts literary and cultural events like poetry readings, book clubs, open mic and concerts.

At this retro-glamour treasure trove you can channel your inner Marilyn Monroe with everything from clothing and sexy lingerie to make-up, hats, stockings, shoes, and one of a kind jewelry. Owned by resident makeup artist and hairstylist LaDonna Stein, Dallas Pinup brings together over thirteen businesses held by female fashionistas with a passion for the style of the 1940s-50s. Expect to find items like pencil skirts, cigarette pants, bullet bras, corsets and even vintage inspired t-shirts. And the fun doesn't stop there. They also do photo sessions where you can be made into the pin up girl of your dreams for around $300.

Born out of the successful pop-market, Dallas Flea, this boho-chic emporium of all things unique and vintage is the brainchild of former lifestyle editor Brittany Cobb who developed a love for one-of-a-kind finds after scouring local markets and antique malls with her mom in Southern California. Inside, you'll find a mix of well-curated items from a cast of over seventy-five vendors, covering everything from clothing and kids gear to art, jewelry, home decor, textiles and more. Head here for things like cowboy boots, embroidered denim jackets, macramé wall hangings, vintage containers filled with succulents and Moroccan rugs. Bonus perk: They offer free wine and craft beer plus complimentary gift wrapping on purchases of $25 or more.

Sure, you can find a plethora of places in the Dallas area to shop for jeans but finding a high-quality pair with a perfect fit can often be a challenge. So to meet that challenge, Jeff Kauffman and Bennie Reed opened Deep Ellum Denim, a shop that specializes in raw selvedge denim for men and women. This means that the denim you'll find here is unwashed, untreated and comes straight off vintage shuttle looms, resulting in a longer lasting product that holds its fit. Expect to find a wide-ranging inventory of jeans and apparel from Japanese labels such as Momotaro, Japan Blue and Naked & Famous as well as Swedish and American brands, Nudie Jeans and Tellason.

A great new shopping addition to Deep Ellum has cropped up in the form of Sneaker Politics, a Louisiana-based sneaker and clothing boutique with a serious cred for stocking a meticulous collection of limited-edition kicks not commonly found on the mass market. On offer are top-tier selections from classic brands such as Adidas and Nike as well as Asics, Diadora, Saucony and Buscemi to name a few. Recent finds include Adidas Nite Joggers, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star 70s Ox, and Raised by Wolves x Saucony AYA. Also find an assortment of streetwear for men, women and children plus accessories ranging from hipsacks to shades, socks and sports equipment. Keep an eye out for new release drops and design collabs with major brands.

Dallas-native Giselle Ruggeberg has decked out her lifestyle boutique with all her favorite things, resulting in an eye-catching spectrum of merchandise ranging from clothing and jewelry to home accessories, apothecary-style beauty products and eco-conscious gifts. Highlights include hand-woven kantha quilts and trendy fashions by local designers as well as candles, hand made soaps, oils, scrubs, and elixers. Did we mention that there's also a plant bar where customers can create their own tropical terrarium? If you're looking for a cool souvenir to bring back home, this is the place to go.