Top Rated Shopping in New Haven

Follow your nose to the most distinct district of downtown New Haven. Wooster Street was the center of New Haven's Italian community prior to the construction of I-91 and I-95 that rip right through the heart of the street. Today, Wooster Street is host to New Haven's finest and most renowned Italian restaurants, with the famous Pepe's and Sally's pizzerie. A few blocks up is the famed Lucibello's Italian pastry shop where you can taste all your favorite Neapolitan sweets. Wooster Street is the best part of town to explore and get a great meal.

Although it is paired with the mega-chain Barnes and Noble, it does not take away from the breathtaking selection at this bookstore, the largest in Connecticut. You can take a book or periodical to the cafe, which serves Starbucks coffee and other delectable goodies. If you promised someone a souvenir Yale t-shirt or baby onesie, this is the best place in town to find insignia clothing and university paraphernalia. If you need stationery supplies, you can get those here, too.

Located right in Downtown New Haven, the Broadway Shopping District is home to over 50 different shops. From cute boutiques to jewelry stores and beauty products, the Broadway Shopping District is one of the most popular shopping areas in New Haven. When it's time to rest your feet, there are several restaurants and cafes in the area as well.

This store has a reputation for carrying the best hand-knotted Oriental rugs around, and has been proud of that reputation for 119 years, making it the oldest, continuously family-run Oriental carpet business in the country. It carries an impressive selection of new, antique and modern designs. It also offers restoration and cleaning services. Periodically, it hosts Turkish and Tibetan weavers, who demonstrate the weaving methods and artistry that go into the creation of their rugs.

This shop is a true piece of New Haven history, and it is worth a stop inside regardless of your smoking habits. Conveniently located across the street from the Shubert Theatre, past customers include Vincent Price, Olivia de Havilland and Rex Harrison. Two employees from the 1950s still work here; one an expert in pipe repair and the other a specialist in mixing tobaccos. The shop offers a walk-in humidor, cigar lounge and cafe, plus everything from hand-blended tobaccos and handcrafted pipes to music boxes, writing instruments and chess sets.