To the north of Clearwater and just south of Palm Harbor is a bustling community of around 35,000 Dunediners who enjoy the small-town vibe of their region amidst a shady, subtropical setting. Downtown Dunedin is indisputably one of the most charming shopping districts in all of Pinellas County; there aren't any looming skyscrapers or parking meters, the streets are blessedly free of congestion, and the numerous privately-owned gift shops, boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, and antique and specialty stores are within blocks of each other, some located in clusters along the downtown streets, others scattered in the surrounding homes.
Dunedin Fine Art Center (1143 Michigan Blvd., 727-298-3080). Not exactly part of downtown — it's located about two miles northeast — the center is nevertheless a great place to make a shopping detour. This local art establishment is now hosting two holiday exhibits: UnWrapped: A National Invitational of Contemporary Fine Art and Craft and the Nineteenth Annual Holiday Show and Sale. The former is a national invitational of sculpture, glass, photography, pottery and jewelry by more than 40 artists; the latter, a display of handmade (and Fair Trade) treasures from around the world. Everything is reasonably priced and available for purchase, including the handmade ornaments that decorate the scattered Christmas trees.
Diadre Fine Chocolates by Design (501 Main St., 727-733-0812). This European-style store and factory features hand-molded treats made with imported Belgium, German and French chocolates. Here, you'll find flower-shaped choco-pops, truffles of all varieties, chocolate turtles that actually look like turtles as opposed to turtle-shaped lumps, body frosting and chocolate tattoos, and a plethora of other sweet indulgences. Special orders are a given, and chocolatier Vanessa Wilks can pretty much shape anything you want out of chocolate, from pianos to boats to albino alligators.
Special Occasions/Stirling Winery (461 Main St., 727-734-4025). One part gift shop, two parts winery, this downtown Dunedin establishment carries an assortment of cool and kooky gifts, like "Danger: Men Cooking" supplies, Elvis wine holders and spinning shade nightlights as well as a respectable selection of tropical wines, from the popular, award-winning Mango Mamma to Cracker Hammock Tangerine Champagne, all produced right in St. Petersburg. To make the decision-making process easier, you can sample any of the wines for free at an inviting L-shaped tasting bar.
Angels n' More (359 Main St., 727-736-3290). In addition to angels in all shapes and sizes, Angels n' More carries unique handmade ornaments and Christmas decorations, an assortment of delightful stuffed animals and collectible figurines, gold-plated leaf jewelry and other handmade luxuries, scented candles, arts and crafts by local talents, and plenty of cozy, home accent-type gifts.
Kismat (355 Main St., 727-733-0040). At this fabulous boutique, you can listen to world beats while looking over imported goodies from places like Morocco, Mexico and Indonesia, including wind chimes and wood carvings, decorative baskets, boxes and other exotic home accessories, and a huge variety of sterling silver jewelry. In fact, Kismat specializes in unique jewelry and natural gemstones, and you can also find distinctive offerings like Baltic amber earrings, pendants and bracelets; Celtic and fossil adornments; and even jewelry produced from old Turkish coins.
Eco-Boutique (735 Broadway, 727-736-1933). As the name implies, Eco-Boutique is an environmentally friendly enterprise that carries a selection of imported Fair Trade goods like bird feeder gourds and all-natural Buddha candles in addition to softened flax and hemp clothing and accessories, jewelry designed and created by local artisans, handmade switchplates, teas and other nifty gift items.
Palm Latitudes (322 Main St., 727-733-7343). Hanging from the ceiling, covering the walls, jam-packed into every nook and cranny, and spread along any available floor space is a huge collection of Key West and Caribbean-style gifts, including arts and crafts, home accessories (like hula girl lamps and totem pole salt-and-pepper shakers), CDs, jewelry and clothing. Owner Nancy Harris is about to move two doors down to a more spacious location at 340 Main Street. Make sure to drop by during the store's massive moving sale, where you can find price cuts on goods that are already very affordable.
Purple Moon (833 Douglas Ave., 727-738-1540). Located in a cute purple house originally built in the early 1900s, this coffeehouse and gift shop is a Dunedin mainstay with its cozy ambiance and incense-saturated air. Here, you can find all sorts of inspirational gifts, books like Meditation Made Easy and the Candlelighting Encyclopedia, an assortment of CD's, tie-dyes and other clothing, jewelry, crystals, collectable cards, prints by fantasy artists like Josephine Wall and Hans-Werner Sahn, blown glass creations, candles and more.
This article appears in Nov 16-23, 2005.