By Jennifer Agress
Check out these great shopping locales in Hialeah.
Influenced by a large Spanish and Cuban community, Hialeah is where you’ll find big flea markets and mom-and-pop stores mixed with national chains, name brand retailers, and large-scale 21st-century shopping malls.
But even those national chains have altered to fit the ultra-Hialeah mindset by putting up signs completely in Spanish and stocking store shelves with traditional Cuban goods and brands.
Whether you hit the flea markets, scour the Spanish discount shops or head to the mall, one thing’s for sure: in Hialeah, you’re sure to find whatever you’re looking for.
Opa-Locka Hialeah Flea Market
If you don’t know what you’re looking for, or looking for something you don’t expect to find, Opa-Locka Hialeah Flea Market is probably where you’ll get it. Home to more than 800 vendors, this sprawling market is packed with plenty of stalls of used athletic equipment, car stereos, discontinued beauty products, dance leotards, appliances, flowers, disposable cell phones, jewelry, a Mini Dollar stand, and much, much more. Most shops are cash only, and parking is free on weekdays and $1 on weekends. Opa-Locka Hialeah Flea Market is open 365 days a year, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
12705 NW 42 Avenue, Opa-Locka, FL 33054
Nooo Que Barato Discount
Started by a man named Serafín Blanco, Hialeah’s most popular department store, Nooo Que Barato Discount, sells definitively cheap goods. Driven by Miami’s large Cuban population, Cuban exiles can buy items for friends and family back home that you wouldn’t find in a typical store. Among them you’ll find official Cuban government school uniforms, mosquito netting, cheap plastic Bic lighters that can be refilled, pre-paid cell phones, white blouses and skirts for Las Damas de Blanco (Cuba’s anti-government protesters), and more. In addition to all those special items, this discount store is where you’ll find groceries and home goods, like textiles and tropical fruits, sweet onions, garlic cloves, tomatoes and anything else you’d need for a traditional Cuban dish. If you don’t know where to find Nooo Que Barato Discount, look for the life-sized statue of San Lazaro wearing a purple cape. It’s hard to miss.
1198 West 23 Street, Hialeah, FL 33010
Flamingo Plaza
There’s nowhere better to go thrift shopping than Flamingo Plaza. Around since 1956, and anchored by nothing more than a Winn Dixie, this east Hialeah shopping plaza was designed with trendy bargainers in mind. From vintage jewelry and old band t-shirts, to 90’s shoes, work and school uniforms, fashionable knock-offs and more, this mecca of gently-used goods promises a little something for everyone.
901 East 10th Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33010
Westland Mall
Located in the heart of Hialeah, Westland Mall is the area’s most popular shopping center. Perfect for anything you might need, Westland Mall has more than 100 storefronts, from specialty goods and food shops, to major department stores and brands like JCPenney, Macy’s, Sears, Victoria’s Secret, H&M, Tous, Express and more. When you’re not in the mood to shop, there’s plenty of other things to keep you entertained. In addition to free Wi-Fi, the family lounge and the play area, there are restaurants to fit every kind of craving, like Los Ranchos, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Fuddruckers, International House of Pancakes, Cajun Grill, McDonald’s, Latin Grill, and Charley’s Grilled Subs, to name a few. Westland Mall is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1675 West 49 Street, Hialeah, FL 33012