Catch a Performance and Shop 'til you drop at the Lab in Costa Mesa

Here's a retail destination for anyone looking for an alternative shopping experience.

There's a reason why The LAB  has been dubbed an "anti-mall." With poetry readings, dancers, and live music in addition to hip stores like Gypsy Den, and Buffalo Exchange, it's as much about art and creativity as shopping. The first Wednesday of the month, artists, poets, musicians, dancers, and performers of every stripe are given 15 minutes to strut their stuff onstage. The highlight of The LAB's artistic endeavors is the ARTery, a series of steel shipping containers transformed into a walk-through community art gallery. The ARTery showcases emerging artists and always in an eye-catching fashion.