The Santee Alley

My friend comes into town and asks to see «a flea market downtown» or just «somewhere cool to walk around». This isn’t a flea market, but it’s definitely something to occupy your time for a few hours! Santee Alley is just a short distance (~1mile) away from L.A. live and it’s simply bustlin’ with activity. We parked on Los Angeles St., which is only two small streets away and had free street parking (Sunday afternoon).
Be prepared for nonstop The Alley Dog food stands, knockoff everything, fake Urban Decay palettes, dirty streets, and lots and lots to see. There’s lots of clothing stores, but the prices can vary (from 2 tshirts for $ 5, to $ 40). There are also many special occasion dress shops, and these dresses are NOT shy about the rhinestones!
My favourite surprise was finding a Nature Republic smack dab in the middle of this crazy alley, looking as out of place as a granny in a hookah lounge.
Try some of the street food too! I’ll have to come back for the bacon wrapped hotdogs sometime too!

I love coming down to Santee Alley for the atmosphere as a whole. This section of the city is real Los Angeles! The smells, merchandise and people make this a must feel experience while in LA. This is not Hollywood :)

Everything is expensive now. $ 35 for a shirt?! Oh hell nah! The hotdogs are still good though so that’s 1 star! They have fake makeup brands. Like nah! I ain’t Trying to get no lead on my lips from wearing fake ass lime crime

Pretty cool experience! I am originally from LA and have never been here. There are so many wholesale sellers, a lot of cheap knockoff stuff for sale. My daughter insisted on a peppa pig set that was $ 20 and obviously fake fake fake, but hey you can’t expect to bring your kids here and walk past the vast amount of toys and not get something. The smells of hot dog stands are amazing, and you must get the bag of «doritos» with valentina and lemon juice. Great deals on tshirts for the kids and the hubby. Restrooms are kind of a hassle with little ones. We had to walk quite a way to get to the only first floor restroom because the second floor one has no elevator (no good with a big double stroller) and you have to pay 50 cents per person to use the restroom (the lady was cool and didn’t charge for my daughter to go). All in all it’s an awesome experience and the sights and sounds just make it fun. Just don’t expect to get many high quality or authentic items here. Also keep your kids and belongings close, definitely a little shady and tons of people.

Look. I’ll make this simple and to the point. This place has some awesome stuff for the price. You get a variety of different stores from jewelry to clothes to tobacco accessories
The one issue is the uniqueness meaning a lot of the stores have the same stuff but the thing here is they all say a different price .
It’s a pretty cool and safe spot. A lot of fruit and la dog vendors are around as well.
It is worth checking out if you have time and are looking for some great items.

I love shopping here!
Obviously you have to really discern what a good deal is here. Be wary of electronics and makeup because those things may break easily and that makeup might melt your face off OR is the wrong color of what they’re trying to knock off.
However, I think some items are of really good value here! For example, I occasionally buy clothes and some boots and sandals that have lasted me quite awhile (a couple of years) considering how cheap I got them. My brother recently bought his tux for prom here, and it costed ~$ 120 (maybe a little less) and even if it’s decent enough quality to last for one use for prom and maybe a couple of other events for this year.
This past visit, I bought a couple of shirts, fake lashes, and makeup brushes. The fake lashes annoyed me because they sell it at 99 cents here apiece when they sell them at Ulta for 2.99 or 3.99 each! Same quality as Ardell! I have been wasting my money! Also I usually don’t buy makeup brushes, but they had a knockoff of those really expensive Artisan brushes that I could not resist trying. And they’re actually really good!!!
Make sure to bring some change in case you want to use a bathroom. There’s a bathroom at one end of the alley that charged 25 cents to use. Also there is cheap street parking or if you’d rather park in a lot those can cost up to $ 8 – 10 for the day.

Too much low quality items for sale. Everything is all about the knock offs. The alley isn’t what it used to be.
It smells like death down there. Street vendors cooking heart attacks on a bun.
My kids were not impressed at all. I tried to show them a little «culture». Fake purses, bootleg movies, and ummmmmmm fake contacts to change your eye color!!! Oh. Ok. And the icing on the cake:$ 15 to park in a sardine can parking structure.
Guess my days of shopping in the alley are behind me. Goodbye old friend.
PS do you think the gold chains are real down there? Only 10 bucks.

My favorite spot in LA… well for shopping. I love to walk the isles and see what the vendors have in store for me. From purses to make up to Levis 501. There is something for everyone. They have a lot of cool stuff and probably no other spot like this on this coast. If you haven’t gone it’s a definitely must do for all southern Californians.

L.A.‘s downtown fashion district is one of my favorite places to shop! I prefer higher quality, but love the vibe and walking down these busy streets.
I make it easy on myself by parking my car at the same location every time I go… a parking structure on the roof of a 2 story building, pay $ 3 to $ 5, and head out on my shopping adventure.
I’ve racked up a few times out here, purchasing scarves, leggings, shades, costume jewelry, etc. Not a big fan of most of the clothes or knock-​offs, but when I find something I do like and am willing to purchase, I’m always very satisfied.
Anyone who lives or even comes to visit L.A. HAS to check out the Santee Alley! It’s not a trip to downtown L.A. without it!

Visited 3÷6÷2016
It’s been a long time since my last visit. And it’s probably going to be another long time before I come back.
It was a weekend and there were a lot of people. Parking was a nightmare. I would recommend going to the first guy who flags you down because the prices and parking lots seems to all be the same. Your best bet is to stay in the area for several hours in order to get your moneys worth. I ended up paying $ 12 for about 3 hours.
We spent about an hour or two looking around, but didn’t buy anything.
There were a lot of shops that sold REALLY PRETTY prom/​formal dresses, but the prices were not any cheaper than the mall! Also you can’t touch the dresses! You also can’t try on at some of the places. You also can’t return! Give me the mall with dressing rooms and coupons and exchanges any old day!

This is such a fun place to go shopping. It’s a little rough around the edges, but don’t let that deter you. You can find some really awesome things for a great price.
There are all kinds of things that are sold here: clothing, purses, all kinds of accessories, luggage, shoes, and so much more. I personally don’t think the clothes are that great of a bargain because it’s basically the same as shopping at the mall.
I recommend walking down Santee Alley once and scoping it out, then walk back and buy what you want. A lot of the places sell similar things at different prices, so don’t buy the first thing you see because somewhere else might sell it for a lower price.
Definitely bring cash with you! That’s a must. Some of the places take card, but I feel more comfortable using cash here. You can also negotiate prices with the vendors.
Unfortunately, there are vendors who are selling pets. This makes me sad because this is not a proper place to be selling animals. The bunnies that they sell look too small to be away from their moms.
As far as parking goes, park in a lot that’s a few blocks away and just walk over. You can save some money that way because the parking close by is expensive!

I’ve spent many a dollar and ate many hot dogs at the Santee Alley. The latter is a rite of passage, which I highly recommend if you haven’t done so. No more elitist attitudes that some rat is gonna steal your bag or poison you with street food. That BS is NY if you ask me, not here. The friendly people of Los Angeles still love a good deal and that’s what you’re gonna get at «los callejones». No doubt this is one of my favorite things to do, but a fair warning to the crowd-​haters: This may not be for you.
Saturdays, there are maybe thousands of people walking the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, haggling down for fabric or buying wholesale dresses for their inland boutique. For a regular gal like myself, I like looking for trendy outfits and accessories as well. This last trip definitely served that purpose with some cool finds. I found a chartreuse colored top! When’s the last time someone said «chartreuse» on Unilocal?The love for the Alley is real.
It’s one of those places people love to hate. The Feds hate it (
), but locals dig it. There’s food, jewelry, toys, luggage, clothes, phone accessories, clothes — the list goes on and on. It’s an experience. Surely, not everything is cheap (contrary to popular belief), but it makes for a unique experience not covered that often in the US mainstream. Parking is mostly easy to find nearby, bring comfy shoes. Come to the Santee Alley for fashion forward finds or for those damn good hot dogs.

I always have heard great bargains you can get at santee alley and i am glad to say that it’s all true. Get ready to have a day of fun. Parking is located at many different corners. Average price per parking is between $ 5-​$ 8. There are local food vendors that sell dirty dogs, fruit drinks, churros, snacks, etc for dirt cheap. I came here with an empty stomach since i was craving for authentic local food. The place can get pretty crowded and messy with shoppers. It can be a bit dirty in certain stores so I wouldn’t get too dressed up or you will feel out of place. Dress casual would be my recommendation so you are comfortable and relaxed.
Be prepare to see tons of stuff and pay a fraction of the price. Make sure you bring cash because most places will not accept credit card. You can get clothing, shoes, make up, accessories, toys, etc for men, woman, and kids. The quality of the items are not as good as the quality you will find at the department stores, but you will be paying at least half the price. The best part is that you can also bargain with the vendors. The trick i would advise is to have a final price in mind on how much you are willing to pay for an item before you start throwing a price. You also gotta have a poker face not to show too much interest in the item. Now you don’t have to settle if you didn’t bargain down to your ideal price. Chances are that you will find another vendor that is selling the same exact item and are willing to sell at your ideal price. The last resort is that you can always go back to the same vendor if you feel it was a reasonable price or can’t find another item like it elsewhere.
I loved coming here on the weekends and got a lot of good deals. My friend and I had such good time that we are bringing more friends to come along next time.

My boyfriend and I came to the alley around 3:00pm on a Sunday. Street parking was easy to find, $ 4/​hr (which isn’t that pricey considering parking lots were charging $ 3 for every 15 minutes and $ 10 flat rate.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere, which was surprising to me considering I read a lot of poor reviews. Personally for me, I kept my cash in my cell phone case and my boyfriend put his wallet in his pocket and we had no problem with pick-​pocketters. It wasn’t as crowded as I thought it would be, so it was just a nice day to walk, chill, and find some good deals. Yes. Everything is fake, but if the product seems good for it’s price, I think it’s worth it. & Always try to bargain!
I would recommend going down the alley and keeping an eye out for what you’re interested in, compare the prices for each vendor, and as you walk back through the alley on your way out, you can purchase what you want for the best deal.
They sell everything ranging from:
Clothing/​bags/​shoes — these products ranged anywhere from $ 10-​$ 40+ depending which vendor you go to; not worth in my opinion
Phone cases — these ranged from $ 10-​$ 25
Bongs/​glass pipes — these ranged from $ 5+
Yoga pants — around $ 10-​$ 15 per pair, but the fabric isn’t suited for yoga workouts
Color contacts — I purchased one set of daily use blue color contacts w/​no prescription for $ 5, most of the brands I found were from FreshLook and are $ 10
I felt like it was a little hard to bargain and the prices were a little higher than I expected. Regardless, I think it’s something fun to do when you have free time and a little cash to spend. One thing that I would say YOU CANNOT LEAVE WITHOUT GETTING is the Elote corn (corn without the cob, mixed with mayonnaise butter and cayenne pepper) or the bacon wrapped hot dog. They marinate the entire hot dog in the bacon fat juice and it’s literally a eyesrollingback experience. PLUS, they top it off with an avocado salsa. FOR FIVE DOLLARS. Definitely will be back.

The alley is SUPER DUPER CROWDED! I felt like I was in a maze trying to keep up with my family and not get lost. There are tons of vendors with great prices. I left with some great bargains on yoga pants, flat iron, and T-​Shirts for the SuperBowl. We also snacked on the hot dogs, nachos, and fresh corn and fruit. I had a great time and will definitely return. Maybe in about 6 months… not too soon :)

Sometimes a little crazy here. Lots of people all around. Definitely a sight to see and experience to feel. Some pretty cool and many inexpensive items worth bargaining for.
Pretty cool phone cases, covers and related items here dirt cheap. Including clothing, bags and all kinds of other things.
A visit worth checking out. Watch out for the fake anything and everything out here. Watch your bag and some vendors too.

bargain shopping. Found tons of great items.

The age old saying that if it’s too good to be true truly is too good to be true. I bought 4 Mac lip liners in brand new boxes straight out of a larger package all supposedly different colors by name and packaging only to uncap them when I got home to find they are all the same color of an ugly Brown.
Bought a flower girl dress for my niece that on closer inspection at home was… Lopsided. Bought 3 suits for my nephews and 2 had buttons that didn’t line up with the button holes. Who knows what else is wrong with them until the kiddies actually try on the suits.
If you must buy, be extremely critical of what you are buying. There’s a reason they don’t want you to open boxes or try on anything.
Most of the stuff you find out here are made of cheap materials. Won’t ever be coming back.

My sister loves this place during the holidays. She found some one size fits all pants! The Santee Alley is full of people. However, if you go during black Friday, or after Christmas day, you’ll find a ton of deals (50%-75% off). Its worth the experience. Just go (never alone), and you’ll always find something.

The Santee Alley used to be perfect… now I cannot stomach it because it just smells like bacon wrapped hot dogs. Prices used to be relatively low for items that you would find in stores located in the mall but I have noticed that they are just as expensive. You used to be able to haggle, but not anymore… they think they’re a real shopping mall. LOL! Anyway, I guess it is okay if you are looking for some basics. I would suggest bringing cash and Ubering to The Alley if you live nearby. Otherwise you will have to pay an arm and a leg to park if you don’t find the right lot.

Over the years, santee alley has gotten too expensive for my taste. I will not pay 15 dollars for a cheap shirt that will probably fall apart after 2 – 3 washes. I do however enjoy coming here for heels, since I don’t wear them often, they will last me quite a good time. I don’t recommend buying everyday shoes here, they get super ugly real quick after a lot of use.
Also, counterfeit makeup is dangerous people! I know it’s very tempting, but I say invest in quality makeup from the retailer. All in all, this place is good for finding cheap stuff that you need for special occasions only.

If you don’t like flea markets, and all of the undesirable characteristics of a flea market, then do NOT go here.
If you love flea markets, then go here but don’t expect anything old. Do expect all the crap made in China you would find at Walmart super cheap tho.

Great place to buy LA souvenirs!
They have all things that are wearable and very cheap prices!
T-​shirts are $ 2-​$ 10 each
Hoodies are like $ 10 each
Hats are generally 3 for $ 10
Decent quality. Good place to go.
Keep in mind, you won’t find any shot glasses or magnets there… so you might have to go to Hollywood Blvd for that.

Santee Alley is in the LA Fashion District and is similar to the flea market. There are a bunch of stores selling apparel, accessories, toys, perfume, etc. Many of the stores seem to carry the same things. Bargain prices, but quality is low for the most part. Some vendors accept credit cards but many are cash only– various ATMs are located throughout the alley. The main store worth checking out was Perfume Los Angeles. My friends dropped a chunk of money here.

I love the Santee alley NOW. I’m not much of a dtla shopper but early mornings I will shop there. Can’t do large crowds too much so this is perfect for me. Few shops won’t open til 10 but most are open by 8 where you can bargain a few dollars cheaper on some items. There are a few food places to eat. I’m not a huge fast food eater as it may seem but I do like a turkey burger or a chicken taco and some fries to share. There are many street food vendors and healthy restaurants if you walk a few blocks from santee alley. Also there are many stores on other streets nearby not just in the alley.
Many store are wholesale not retail. So If you don’t have license look for retail merchants.

The Santee Alley is similar to Hong Kong Night Market, the Nanjing Road in Shanghai, or Paranaque in Manila. Similar I say, not exactly because it does not have that organized elbow to elbow chaos that most of the international Asian markets have. What Santee does have are items such as clothing, makeup, toys, lots of women shoes, imported from Asia, at dirt cheap cost! I even managed to find a nice shoes for me for less than $ 20. Though I didn’t buy, I was tempted. There’s also a ton of mom and pops restaurant mostly Mexican and a few Chinese. The Santee Alley is a an intersection of about 4 blocks alley, all within walking distance from each other.
What I like most about The Santee Alley is how respectful and very nice the vendors and small business owners were. They were not pushy in sales, and in fact, they were more intersted in making sure, we bought the right item, and that we were happy with them.
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

Hold on to ur children… Hide ur wallets… never take the first deal… its always cheaper somewhere else :)

I will forwarn you, you will need a shower after visiting Santee Alley! There’s heaps of people, food vendors, car exhaust, shouting fashionistas, sly characters selling fake louis V and MAC makeup on the side of the road and much much more! If you are in a hurry or aren’t in the mood to put up with the chaos, skip Santee Alley.
On the flip side, if you have an open afternoon and are ready to shop, negotiate and charge through crowds in the heart of DTLA’s fashion district, Santee Alley will have more deals than you can even begin to fathom. I made out like a bandit the two times I went.
So, if you have the time and the patience, you should totally go! It’s great to live in one of the major fashion hubs in the world! Sample sales, inexpensive clothing… sign me up!!! Just get me home stat after to wash off the musty grim and grit that comes with trudging through Santee Alley!

If you are a native of LA you know about 90 blocks of the fashion district! Santee Alley is one of the popular shopping sprees. What we have here is pointless knock off shit you don’t need, but for some reason I’m always spending tons of cash here on knock off Mac make up! My friends swear it’s going to eat my skin! So far My face is still in tact. When Ed Hardy liked to Party this was the spot to get it!
You need to know someone for the quality underground knock off (look for walkie talkies) & don’t dress like a cop! Be street smart assholes are everywhere… and eat a street dog I’ve survived like 3 of them over the years
Also this is where all the LA dip shits that want to be ballers buy there tailored suits (those are the guys I ended up sleeping with)

2.5 stars rounded up. Santee Alley is really a hit or miss. I usually end up getting a cheap pair of sunglasses, cellphone accessories, and a sweater (if I’m lucky). Do shop around because prices can vary from store to store and most stores you can haggle on the price.
Parking can be tough… there are meters (make sure you keep track of your time because you will get a ticket if you are late) or you can opt to park in the lots (make sure you read the small print at the bottom and don’t get fooled by the $ 3 parking sign.

Talk about a GREAT bargain! Mannnnnnn… Count me in!
First time coming here this summer and I was in awe! I would have to describe it as little garages that people are selling their products in. Clothes, luggage, Jewelry, purses, shoes, makeup… You name it best believe they got it. It’s a LONGGG alleyway full of different cheap deals. I noticed that some people were advertising the same price but I played the game and used my mouth-​peace:
Me: How much does this cost?
Owner of store: $ 35 dolla
Me: The ol’ man next door will give me this same product for $ 5 less than what you will give me so I’ll just go over there”.
Owner of the store: I give to you for $ 30 then okay.
HAHA naa they didn’t like that, they instantly brought there price down to beat the next competitor! HAHA Talk about a BARGAIN! I’m the one hunny!
They had tons of parking garages to park in because parking is crazy but I was lucky to find parking on the street.
I personally didn’t trust there jewelry so I wasn’t going to buy it but it looked nice and pretty from far.
ONLY CON:
The nasty bathrooms! UGHH! After all the long hours of shopping I REALLY had to go potty and I felt that they bathrooms were going to be somewhat presentable but little did I know! HA It was so dang smelly and to top it off they had the nerve to put the food stands right next to the bathrooms… Now come on… do you REALLY expect me to eat the damn food that was made next to smelly bathrooms… REALLY? I’ll pass son.
I now know that if I want a steal deal on products where to come and get the good stuff! I will definitely be back to the Alleys when in the LA area and know to bring more cash on me because some of their products on things you will NOT find in the Bay Area!
Until next time Santee Alley!

This is clearly the place to find it all. If you want a good bargain on shoes, luggage, cell phone cases, fashion jewelry, clothes, just about everything this is the place. Oh, dont forget about the bacon wrapped hot dogs, yum! With the Alley being in downtown la, parking is crazy so just find a $ 5 lot and you will be fine there. Most lots close at 7 and make sure you bring cash.
Most places will cut you a deal depending on how much you buy and they will keep lowering the cost. I would say be careful with a few things like makeup and handbags. If you like cheap bags some are great but not all. The luggage is a good deal and so are the clothes and variety of cell phone cases an selfie sticks. Just bring cash and be prepared for lots of bargains!

So this place has some nostalgia for me. My mom used to take me school shopping here every year as a kid. Now coming back as a grown up with my own money is a big difference. I think as a kid i was easier to sell but now i really dont care too much for the bargains. On the otherhand for my wife its amazing to get her some deals. I feel the fashion district is catered to women of course unless you want a suit theres a couple spots that do suits for men on the spot for cheap like $ 99. I will always be coming back here because i love the culture here.
Heres a tip though for people… dont get hustled you hustle and haggle the people because they need the money more than you need their stuff like seriously… i see too many people paying the pricetag here. especially here theres fabric shops where all these places make their stuff from. its like an endless business circle.
OH YEAH DONT FORGET TO GET YOUR BACON WRAPPED HOT DOG FROM ONE OF THOSE CARTS… they are so BOMB

I’ve been coming to Santee Alley for many, many years and I think I’ve just about seen it all here. There’s always something new. You come here to buy the knock-​offs, the faux designer items, the «in» items and the latest and greatest in fashion, music, accessories, etc. It is definitely quantity over quality here. Don’t be surprised when whatever you bought falls apart the next day, or even the second your bring it home. That’s just how they roll here. It’s all about the hustle.
A fond memory of this place is when they would sell fake Louis and fake Chanel right on the store fronts but they’ve since cracked down on this practice cause it’s illegal, if ya don’t know, now you know! But it’s just as easy to cop a fake Louis, fake Michael Kors, fake whatever from any guy that you walk by who mumbles, «I got that Louis, Michael Kors, Chanel…» and you pretty much tell him what you want — the style, color, etc. and he goes and gets it for you! So easy. Same goes for DVDs. Back in the day, they would just post up shop in the middle of the alley but they’ve cracked down on this, too. I’ve seen those who are just the «look-​outs» and they must have some signal or something cause all the sellers who are selling knock-​offs instantly start putting their stuff away! It’s like a well-​organized operation!
Some tips:
*Good luck finding a restroom. And if you find one, you will probably have to pay to use it.
*We have a spot to park in that costs like $ 3 or so for a few hours — there’s garages that wave you in but you gotta ask how much it really is cause the signs are definitely misleading! Or you’ll park in a garage where they’ll keep your keys cause they do the «valeting» of your car for you throughout the day.
*Haggle. Bargain. Especially if you’re buying more than 1 item. Some places are also only for wholesale so be sure you read their signs. Some sellers are overbearing. They’ll also have «hawk-​eyes» on you like you’re going to steal something! Just thank them and move on… if one place won’t work with prices for you, another place will. Try, try again!
*Try bringing cash cause most joints will only take cash. Some places charge tax, too — so just be wary of that.
*Try an LA dog. It’s an absolute must. They are on about every corner or so. It’s basically a hot dog wrapped in bacon, topped with your choice of pico de gallo, mayo, roasted jalapeño, etc. Don’t leave without trying one. Trust.
*If you speak Spanish… you are in the right place! Everyone speaks Spanish here. I need to brush up on my Spanish bargaining skills for the next time I’m here, doe!
It’s loud and crowded especially on the weekends. But it’s so much fun to see what they have and what’s «in» at the moment. But if you get overwhelmed easily with shopping, then this place might not be the place for you. It’s like a big swap meet or flea market on a whole different level! Be safe and have fun.