Such as, the best place to buy shoes. Metro Atlanta is a great place to shop, for shoes and just about everything else. The region is the sixth largest retail market in the United States, grossing $64.6 billion in retail sales in 2001.

But you don't care about the numbers, do you? You've got a credit card burning a hole in your wallet, and you just need to know where to flash it.

Here are a few tips to get you started.

BEST PEOPLE WATCHING: That would be Little Five Points, roughly at the corner of Moreland and Euclid avenues in Atlanta (but not to be confused with Five Points downtown). Here you'll find an exciting collection of colorful, tattooed folk, the intentionally and unintentionally grungy, and other examples of tragically hip. "It's eclectic, more of the Bohemian style, but it's really very diverse," says Tim O'Hara, manager of Crystal Blue, a "spiritually oriented" gift shop. "That's what's so great about Little Five."

BEST FOODIE FIX: Eatzi's Market & Bakery, at 3221 Peachtree Road N.E. in Buckhead, is 16,500 square feet of hustle, bustle and great food to go. Yes, it's a chain, but a small one. About 2,000 people stop by each day to buy treats such as marinated flank steak, grilled salmon with fried caper tapenade, fresh salsa and built-to-order salads, says manager Tara Gilmore. The store also sells freshly baked breads, imported cheeses, wines and bottled oils and sauces. Look for red-dot specials after 9 p.m., when marked foods are buy one, get one of equal or lesser value free. Other great food stores: Star Provisions at 1198 Howell Mill Road in Atlanta and DeKalb Farmers Market at 3000 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. in Decatur.

BEST WINDOW SHOPPING: Just north of the square in Roswell lies Canton Street, a historic neighborhood with brick sidewalks, street lamps and "trees all over the place," says local shop employee Steve Isenburg. "It's a really quaint area." In addition to the paddle sports store where Isenburg works, Go With the Flow, are gift shops, garden stores, restaurants, art galleries and clothing boutiques.

MOST ELEGANT SHOPPING EXPERIENCE: "Phipps, for sure," says Marty Alterman, a Sandy Springs resident and self-described shopping artisan. "I mean, it's got Gucci, it's got Saks, it's got Bob Ellis, it's got Jeffrey Atlanta. The mall is beautiful, beautiful." Because it also has movies and a food court, it's a good place to bring the family on a rainy day. Alterman says that when her children were 4 and 8, "I used to tell them, 'I'll take you to Johnny Rockets if you go try on shoes with me at Bob Ellis.' " Speaking of shoes . . .

BEST SHOE SHOPPING: Locals know about Shoemaker's Warehouse, 500 Amsterdam Ave N.E., Atlanta. Only open Fridays through Sundays, the shop features more than 3,000 pairs of "the most stylish stuff," says manager Tracy Thomas. "We're a trendy, edgy type store. The reason our prices are lower is, we're not in a mall and we don't have the overhead." Look for shoes by Via Spiga, Charles David, Franco Sarto, NYLA and Steve Madden.