What is the number one shopping center in the United States?
Nov 27th, 2001, 02:47 PM
#23
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I found King of Prussia to fit all your criteria except great people watching. I live in Philly and wouldnt live anywhere else but the people around here just are not animated or especially attractive...just mildly interesting. Great people watching?..you cant beat Santa Monica Place and the adjacent Third st. Promenade in California for that.
Nov 27th, 2001, 04:00 PM
#26
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I live in Philly so I know. The King of Prussia Mall is one of the best in the world. I have been to Short Hills Mall many times, but KOP is better and bigger. Stores: NeimanMarcus, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Hugo Boss, Bally of Switzerland, FAO Schwartz, Tiffany, Armani, Nordsrom's, Bloomingdale's, Coach, Oilily, Macy's, Strawbridge, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, J Crew, Brooks Brothers, Body Shop, H20, Enzo Agolini, Starbucks, Cheesecake Factory, Cosi, Smith & Hawkin, Gap, Old Navy, Kenneth Cole, Lord & Taylor, Banana Republic, Restoration Hardware, etc., etc., etc.. Try to find better.
Nov 27th, 2001, 07:53 PM
#28
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All right, I've been to most all the malls mentioned in this thread.
The problem with all of them, it seems to me, is national homogenization. You can scan the mall directory at most malls and read the same names over and over and over.
Yes, King of Prussia and Short Hills have some of the higher end vendors not found at some of the west coast malls, but by and large malls are becoming whitebread nationwide.
The Country Club Plaza in KC, for instance, was once a unique combo of local/regional stores, grocers, drug stores etc not found anywhere else. It was sold to a REIT in North Carolina 3 years ago and now all the non-national stores have been eliminated. It's the same as going to a mall in Peoria or Bakersfield.
The Mall of America was pretty generic when it opened, but has become much moreso over the past 3 years.
Even city downtowns with unique shopping, like San Francisco and Chicago, have really become more generic during recent years.
Very sad. It's all about profit margins, of course.
The problem with all of them, it seems to me, is national homogenization. You can scan the mall directory at most malls and read the same names over and over and over.
Yes, King of Prussia and Short Hills have some of the higher end vendors not found at some of the west coast malls, but by and large malls are becoming whitebread nationwide.
The Country Club Plaza in KC, for instance, was once a unique combo of local/regional stores, grocers, drug stores etc not found anywhere else. It was sold to a REIT in North Carolina 3 years ago and now all the non-national stores have been eliminated. It's the same as going to a mall in Peoria or Bakersfield.
The Mall of America was pretty generic when it opened, but has become much moreso over the past 3 years.
Even city downtowns with unique shopping, like San Francisco and Chicago, have really become more generic during recent years.
Very sad. It's all about profit margins, of course.
Nov 27th, 2001, 08:11 PM
#29
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As much of a hellhole as Houston is, the Galleria is a truly world class shopping experience. Yes, there are the cookie cutter national chain places (think Gap, Banana Republic, etc) but there are also lots of smaller local/regioanl shops and some very upscale ones as well. There are two hotels (both Westins) in the complex and several others nearby. There's a reason that it is the highest volume (dollar/sq ft) retail space around!
Nov 27th, 2001, 09:08 PM
#30
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No one has mention Phoenix. They are many great malls in the Phoenix area. The most exclusive would be the Biltmore, and Fashion Square, and while you're in the area the Phoenix Zoo has stupendous Xmas decorations. Also, while you're here you can stay at one of the awesome resorts like the Phoenican.
Nov 28th, 2001, 12:30 AM
#31
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Of the "standard" malls, I'd go with King of Prussia. It's huge and has a lot of high end stores. The Mall of America is boring, IMO. Too many stores selling basically the same stuff.
But my favorite mall experience is Pioneer Place in Portland, OR. First of all it's a mall IN a city, rather than in a massive parking lot somewhere in the suburbs. And having been to the conventional Portland malls--Clackamas, Beaverton, etc.--I find parking is actually much better downtown--no endless walk from the back of the suburban mall parking lot during Christmas season. Second, while Pioneer Place itself has plenty of shops, you just have to step outside to be surrounded by a wide range of other shops, many of which are one of a kind places. Third, food choices. You're not confined to the same old food court stuff (although the Pioneer Place food court is a cut above most). There are great little restaurants and coffee bars in the immediate neighborhood. Finally, there's no sales tax in OR (yet). The flagship stores in downtown Portland are good--Saks and Nordstrom--and the whole Pioneer Place area has a much better vibe, more life, than the usual mall experience.
But my favorite mall experience is Pioneer Place in Portland, OR. First of all it's a mall IN a city, rather than in a massive parking lot somewhere in the suburbs. And having been to the conventional Portland malls--Clackamas, Beaverton, etc.--I find parking is actually much better downtown--no endless walk from the back of the suburban mall parking lot during Christmas season. Second, while Pioneer Place itself has plenty of shops, you just have to step outside to be surrounded by a wide range of other shops, many of which are one of a kind places. Third, food choices. You're not confined to the same old food court stuff (although the Pioneer Place food court is a cut above most). There are great little restaurants and coffee bars in the immediate neighborhood. Finally, there's no sales tax in OR (yet). The flagship stores in downtown Portland are good--Saks and Nordstrom--and the whole Pioneer Place area has a much better vibe, more life, than the usual mall experience.
Nov 28th, 2001, 08:43 PM
#35
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I like a lot of the malls mentioned here but especially like Somerset Mall in Troy MI (actually it is two malls across from each other), Southdale in Edina, MN (it's the oldest enclosed mall in the country), South Coast Plaza in Orange County (very upscale) and I also like Mall of America (has lots of stores and things the kids enjoy too).
Nov 29th, 2001, 05:38 AM
#39
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What a great thread. I love shopping and have to agree about Tyson's Corner in Va (other than the traffic) I also vote for the Fashion MAll on the northside of Indianapolis. I live in Chicago and the malls in our area are really nothing special, I much prefer shopping on Mich Ave. Woodfield doesn't have enough high end boutique type stores like a Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Prada Kate Spade type places, it is big but mostly filled with stores like the Gap and Bananna Republic. Of the others in the area, I guess Oakbrook is the best (they have a great Sephora store) but it is an outdoor mall so not really good to go to in the winter. I am taking notes as I travel a lot for work and always try to hit a mall while I'm gone rather than sitting bored in my hotel room in the evenings.
