Shopping in Suburbia

So my friends birthday is coming up and I am plotting a trip back to the city to celebrate with her. She is going to have a nice little celebration at The Cheescake Factory. I am currently freaking out about what to get her for a present; due to my recent move I am currently jobless and the thing they call a mall here is, well, very depressing. The anchor stores include a Macy's that is completely indecipherable from the Carson Pierre Scott and lacks any decent counters as far as makeup goes, and a JcPenny's and Sears which are also fairly similar. In short the mall here fails. I know what I want to get my friend, and luckily I might be able to find it here, but I miss city shopping. In the suburbs shopping involves a long drive to stores surrounded by a sea of asphalt and concrete. I miss the freedom of walking or hopping on mass transit to shop for anything from luxury bath items on down to organic groceries. What does everyone else think of suburban shopping compared to urban shopping; am I the only one that finds it annoyingly lacking in selection and variety, or am I just picky? Well that's all for today give me any ideas you'd like to see!