Los Angeles has some great outdoor shopping areas and shopping districts. There are also plenty of neighborhood malls built in the 1950s to 70s that look just like malls in the rest of the country. The indoor shopping malls listed here are only those worthy of being considered a "destination mall," either by virtue of their location or what they have to offer serious mall shoppers.
South Coast Plaza is
Orange County’s answer to Rodeo Drive only much bigger, grander and more profitable. The shopping center covers 128 acres including two separate enclosed malls and various outdoor areas. It is the largest (by square footage) and most visited shopping center in the country. Various international tour companies, especially those from Japan, include this retail Mecca as a tour destination. Six valet parking stations. Currency Exchange available. Translation services available.
The Beverly Center is located in West Los Angeles between Beverly Hills and Hollywood. There are over 160 brand name stores including Hugo Boss, Dior, Coach and Diesel. Anchor stores are Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. Foreign language directories and translators are available in Spanish and Japanese through Guest Services. Special tourism promotions are available including hotel shuttle service, fashion consultations, spa packages and dining discounts.
This complex is mostly open air, but has some lower levels that are enclosed. You can hardly visit Hollywood without stopping here, since it is attached to the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards. Hollywood and Highland hosts several trendy boutiques and restaurants including Wolfgang Puck's Vert and the Japanese Koji. Concerts and holiday activities are held in the public areas and TV show tapings occur regularly in and around the complex.
Easily accessible from the Beach cities area (Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan Beaches), the Del Amo Fashion Center is the largest mall in the western United States with 350 stores. Department stores include Macy’s, Macy’s Home and Furniture, Sears, JC Penney, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls. Del Amo also has three food courts and 12,500 parking spaces. This mall is undergoing revitalization and expansion in 2006.
Santa Monica Place sits at the end of the Third Street Promenade, two blocks from the
Santa Monica Pier. Macy's is currently the only large department store since Robinson’s May closed. There are a few higher end stores like Kenneth Cole, but most of the shops are the same as anywhere else in the country. They have a decent selection of vendors in the food court. The building was designed by architect Frank Gehry. The public art in the center courtyard changes periodically.
The Glendale Galleria is a large indoor mall with more than 260 stores and restaurants on three levels. Anchor department stores are JCPenney, Nordstrom, Mervyn's, and Macy's. They’ve added Coach and BEBE to the traditional Ann Taylor and Casual Corner. Plenty of men’s apparel and gadget shops, teen interest and kid stuff to keep the whole family happy. Valet parking on weekends.
