St. Petersburg's premier shopping center since the 1760s has been Gostiny Dvor (Guest Courtyard), a triangular arcade of shops on two floors on Nevsky Prospekt. In the Soviet era the long, doorless corridors were flanked by shop after shop carrying the same limited selection of gray suits, uncomfortable shoes, and two-ring binders. Today the shopping center holds just about everything, though most of it is priced beyond the means of the average Russian. Boutiques selling $1,000 (£500) dresses abut shops with Italian briefcases and French fountain pens. At the back edge of the arcade, facing Ulitsa Lomonosova, are a few cheaper shops that are your best bet for clothing in the heart of town. Souvenir shops are sprinkled throughout the center, as are several little cafes that offer very cheap Russian-style open-faced sandwiches and savory pies for an energy boost and a chance to rest your feet.
St. Petersburg's other shopping centers fall into two categories. The passazh, an enclosed row of shops leading back from a main street, is a concept left over from the pre-revolutionary years when they were usually reserved for the aristocracy. Today some have been beautifully restored and house designer boutiques and posh beauty salons. The main row of shops to check out is Passage (48 Nevsky Prospekt); the view of inside and out from the second-floor cafe is exceptional. Nearby is the newer Grand Palace (44 Nevsky Prospekt), with rows of Italian and French couture boutiques and a staggeringly expensive chocolate shop. Only slightly less decadent is Vladimirsky Passage (19 Vladimirsky Prospekt). The less appealing but more affordable type of shopping center is the torgovy tsentr. These glass-and-chrome constructions have sprung up around Russia in recent years, feeding Russians' hunger for consumer goods. The most convenient, clean one for most tourists is DLT, though it's often quite crowded. There's little historic or unique about these centers, but they're your best bet for basic needs such as shampoo, camera batteries, or umbrellas, and they offer a way to see how average city residents spend their money.
