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This post was originally published in 2017. Three years later, several new malls have emerged on the LA scene. This updated post chronicles the newest and most aesthetically pleasing malls in LA and Orange County.
I’m a true mall rat! For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved going to the mall.
When I was little, I shortly lived in Brazilia and Mexico City, and this meant spending my leisure time at the mall.
For me, the mall means family-bonding time. There’s a part of me that will always love people-watching and window shopping. Needless to say, my favorite 90’s and early 2000’s teen movies used the mall heavily as a backdrop: in Mean Girls, when Regina is pretending to be Susan from Planned Parenthood; or what about The Hot Chick when Jessica goes to an African-themed store and steals a pair of hoop earrings before being body-swapped; Clueless and Cher, I mean hello? Billie Eilish recently filmed her one-shot music video “Therefore I Am” at the Glendale Galleria.
Living in LA, we’re so privileged to have myriad of options on where to shop. There are three main shopping malls in the central LA area: The Beverly Center, The Grove and Westfield Century City.
Are you ready to take a deep dive into LA’s most iconic malls?
South Bay Galleria (added Sept 2021)
1815 Hawthorne Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
As a Kacey Musgraves fan, I had to include this mall as soon as I saw her music video, “Simple Times”, from her new album, “Star-Crossed”.
The clear glass ceiling was the most impressive part! While I was walking through this mall, I could appreciate the quintessential 90’s/early 2000’s vibes. It made sense that Kacey Musgraves picked this location to do the classic slow motion walk scene with her friends in 90’s inspired outfits.
I can only imagine how cool this mall must have been back when mall culture was in its heyday. Movie productions like Fat Albert and an episode of Disney Channel’s show Even Stevens, were filmed at the South Bay Galleria.
Here is the exact spot where this scene was filmed! You can see they took out the retailer’s names.
Speaking of retailers, it was very unfortunate to see so many empty storefronts. I suspect it’s due to the boring store selection. There isn’t a Sephora, a Hot Topic store, or even a Target, which are always crowd pleasers.
It’s a beautiful mall and I hope they don’t tear down this 90’s relic!
Even though this mall is not nearly as impressive as Del Amo, which is a mere 6-minute drive, it has a unique architectural character that modern malls in LA don’t have. The entrance is very similar to the Westside Pavillion, featured in the movie Clueless (1995). Once upon a time the Westside Pavillion was LA’s hottest mall. In 2018, it permanently closed its doors to the public and the space will be repurposed into office spaces this year. I was so lucky I got to go there and see it in person back in 2016 and 2017.
Glendale Galleria
100 W Broadway Suite 100, Glendale, CA 91210
Glendale Galleria is probably my favorite mall. I love it because you have an amazing plethora of different stores that not many malls in LA offer: Sephora inside JCPenney, a three-story Target, a gigantic Dick’s 7 Sporting Goods, Go Greek Yogurt, Victoria’s Secret, Lush, Bed Bath & Beyond… the list goes on and on. Right across the street there’s The Americana At Brand, which, in my opinion, surpasses the Grove by a long shot. Like a true LA kid, Billie Eilish filmed her music video “Therefore I Am” at Glendale Galleria, where she can be seen traipsing around the mall sampling pretzels, drinks, and Chipotle without a care in the world. This mall is not too far from her hometown, Highland Park. Although I don’t really follow her music, Billie and I share one thing in common: our love of malls. Can you believe Billie was a regular at Glendale Galleria during her early teen years? “I used to love malls, I used to spend all my time in malls…” she said in one interview.
There is plenty of free parking available in the parking structure adjacent. If you want to visit The Americana and not pay for parking, you can park for free at Glendale Galleria.
The Americana At Brand
889 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210
This is the sister property to The Grove! The Americana At Brand boasts the usual mid-tier/high-end retail chains, an outstanding selection of eateries, a trolley, a majestic dancing water fountain, and a green area for year-round events. It’s more impressive than The Grove and it’s also one of my favorite places to hang out in LA. I can’t believe people live in the apartments above the stores!
Palisades Village
15225 Palisades Village Ln, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
This charming upscale outdoor mall has been the best addition to this celebrity enclave, only known for its massive multi-million dollar mansions. Palisades Village opened in 2019 and was designed by Rick Caruso, who’s also the designer of The Grove and The Americana. The restaurants aren’t as plentiful as an indoor mall food court, but these have been carefully selected in order to ensure their guests a wide variety of choices. Needless to say, all the dining options at Palisades Village are top-tier: Erewhon Market, Blue Ribbon Sushi, and Porta Via are a few of them. Sweet Laurel Bakery is a must-try if you want to indulge in vegan, gluten-free cakes and other delicious guilt-free baked goods.
There is a sprawling green lawn that is used for family activities and holiday-themed events. Would you rather browse through books and catch up on some of the current best-sellers? Head over to the Amazon Books store!
Del Amo Fashion Center
3525 W Carson St, Torrance, CA 90503
As the second biggest mall in California, with 2,600,000 sq ft of retail shops, this famous mall was revamped in 2015 and the results surpassed anyone’s expectations: aesthetically pleasing, and a sheer delight to walk around the seemingly never-ending indoor corridors. The businesses are nice mixtures of high-end and low-end stores. There is something for everybody!
Additionally, Del Amo has an open-air promenade that includes an AMC movie theater, more retail stores, and restaurants. This mall will truly dumbfound you and leave you in constant awe of its immensity and splendor.
The food court design with its modern furniture, spacious atmosphere, plant walls and floor to ceiling windows that flood the interior with natural light will truly make for a pleasant eating experience.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: go to BookOff, which is on the Macy’s side of the mall (you’re going to walk a lot), and spend hours browsing through the endless shelves of $1 books and DVDs. This store is originally from Japan and has two locations in LA: Gardena and Torrance.
Westfield Fashion Square
14006 Riverside Dr, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
I like the wide variety of shopping options this mall has – Six02, Sephora, H&M and Forever21 are a few of my favorites. I’m also really fond of this mall because the movie Clueless was filmed here! Do you remember that scene when Cher and Dionne are shopping? Or when Tai has a near-death experience on the railing? It is great for roaming around, window shopping and spending your downtime, but don’t expect to have a 4-star meal. There aren’t that many options at the food court. Overall, This is a must-visit for Clueless fanatics. If you want to know more about where the specific mall scenes were filmed, visit my all-time favorite movie location blog website here.
Irvine Spectrum Center (Orange County)
670 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine
This is one of my top favorite outdoor malls. I swear by this mall. It has everything you could ever ask for: great selection of stores, flavorsome restaurants, a beautiful movie theater, and relaxing seating areas for people-watching. Parking is not a hassle. However, the element that makes this mall so unique from the others is the layout and the beautiful architecture. I checked their website and surprisingly, the architecture was inspired by the fortress complex of Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Rightfully so, the column arches, the elaborated tiles, and the beautiful lion fountain make this mall so inviting and whimsical.
Irvine Spectrum Center offers several family-friendly amenities, like their Ferris Wheel and other kid’s rides. You won’t feel like you’re shoulder-to-shoulder with crying kids throwing tantrums. The spaciousness of this mall will make your walking experience a very pleasant one. This place turns into the perfect date night spot thanks to the charming string lights that are wrapped around the palm trees. Speaking of lights, their Christmas decorations are one of the best in OC.
If it’s a beautiful sunny day and you want to go to OC, this mall is worth a stop. Grab lunch at the fine dining Mexican restaurant Javier’s, The Cheesecake Factory or other casual dining restaurants depending on your mood. You can also head down to Laguna Beach afterwards!
Westfield Century City
10250 California State Route 2, Los Angeles, CA 90067
I never thought I would see the day where families, not office employees would walk around here on the weekends. When I moved here in September 2015, this mall was a ghost town. With the never-ending renovations, only people in their office attire came here to have lunch. The neighborhood of Century City is filled with giant office skyscrapers so it’s not exactly youth or family oriented. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the revamped version — what a 180-degree change! The remodel is spectacular: eye-catching green plants, a spacious food court, and a fancy dining terrace. The modern décor with its beautiful wood accents and touches of greenery allow you to feel completely immersed in the mall’s lush atmosphere.
My favorite stores at this mall are Sephora (duh), The Detox Market, Shake Shack, and Sweetgreen. It has an outstanding selection of top-tier restaurants, high-end and low-end stores. Westfield Century City is very family friendly and there’s always an exciting weekend activity or event happening. Are you in the mood for Italian food? Head over to Eataly, the largest Italian marketplace in the world. Read my review here!
The Grove
189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036
This high-end outdoor mall is a no-brainer for Angelenos and tourists.
The Grove boasts a great plethora of high-end stores, cafes and trendy boutiques. The décor is very cozy and charming, especially during holiday season. The adjacent legendary Original Farmers Market was established in 1940 before The Grove was built in 2004. It’s the perfect place to bring your visitors and spend a nice time strolling around, browsing all the different food stalls. You will also find pop-up stores and there’s always an event going on.
The Beverly Center
8500 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
As a shopping mall fanatic, I find that this mall lacks substance. It opened in 1980 and instantly turned into a premier destination for Angelenos. After thirty years, this mall became outdated and a ghost town with only a few stores open.
Taubman Centers Inc spent 500 million dollars on revamping this mall with the intention of creating a pleasing experience for shoppers. The renovation was completed in 2018. The most noteworthy amenity is the rooftop dining terrace, which includes casual dining restaurants and offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city. It is indeed a beautiful mall and it couldn’t be located in a better spot than the busy intersection of La Cienega and Beverly Blvd. But I just can’t put my finger on it. It feels very aloof and lacks vitality compared to The Grove’s incessant bustling and charming atmosphere. Furthermore, the lack of posted signs and weird layout will make you feel like you’re in a maze going around in circles. The painfully slow elevators don’t add great value to the shoppers experience either.
South Coast Plaza (Orange County)
3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
With 2,800,000 square feet total, this is the largest mall in California. It has 250 stores and 30 restaurants! Whatever your price range is, you will inevitably find something to your liking. South Coast Plaza actually consists of two malls that are connected by a modern pedestrian bridge — it’s gloriously lit up at night!
Don’t wear uncomfortable shoes if you plan on shopping till you drop! Also, be prepared to spend most of the day there. There are sheer descent waterfalls inside the mall, which will bring a sense of relaxation to your overall experience. After your exhausting shopping spree, you can indulge in fine dining experience at one their high-end restaurants. In December, Tiffany & Co opened a Blue Box Cafe at South Coast Plaza, where you will be able to live out the fantasy of dining at this quintessential jewelry store like Audrey Hepburn!
If you’re a sucker for outdoor malls, make sure to check out these two on your next visit to Orange County:
Fashion Island
Absolutely stunning. Unbeatable location right by the beach.
Lido Marina Village
3434 Via Lido, Newport Beach, CA 92663
This place is an entirely different vibe! From the quaint boutique stores to the waterfront farm-to-table restaurants, Lido Marina Village has so many great photo ops thanks to its beautiful backdrops at every corner.
Westfield Santa Anita
400 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
What a gorgeous mall! Given the location in the San Gabriel Valley, Westfield Santa Anita caters to the Asian community, which is reflected in eateries like Ding Tai Fung, Hello Kitty Cafe, and a handful of boba and ramen spots! The restaurant Side Chick was the incentive that prompted me to make the trek all the way to this mall thanks to their delicious hainan chicken, which I found out through an Instagram foodie account back in 2017. The likelihood of getting lost at this mall is pretty high, so if you’re not good with directions, I highly recommend taking a picture of your parking spot. I’m not exaggerating when I say the place is big! Because of the size, the mall boasts an impressive outdoor promenade with playgrounds, more stores and restaurants! If you’ve never been there, brace yourself for a jaw-dropping experience.
In 2021, Olivia Rodrigo filmed a few scenes of her music video, “Brutal”. I immediately recognized the mall concourse, which is a mall terminology for that open space in the middle where you walk to get from one store to the other, take a rest on a bench or jump on the escalator to change levels.
2ND & PCH
6400 CA-1, Long Beach, CA 90803
I remember driving by this mall when it was still under construction. What a beautiful job they’ve done! The contemporary ambiance with pops of color were perfectly designed for a stress-free shopping experience. The best thing about 2ND & PCH is that it’s located right across from the marina! Do yourself a favor and park on the second floor to enjoy the views. To top it off, they host al fresco drive-in movie theater sessions on the parking rooftop! A few of the most acclaimed retailers and restaurants at 2ND & PCH include Sephora, a massive Whole Foods, Shake Shack, Ample Hills (read my review here), Boba Guys, Lululemon, and Amazon Books. There are modern lounge areas throughout the mall and the space is impeccably maintained. Sidenote: there’s a Trader Joe’s less than four minutes away and it truly is the largest and most beautiful Trader Joe’s I’ve ever been to in LA.
Westfield Topanga
6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Canoga Park, CA 91303
I love the abundance of natural light and the wide corridors this mall has. A few of the stores and restaurants at Westfield Topanga include Target, Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Although I always go to Westfield Sherman Oaks, if you’re in the Valley and want to do some shopping followed by a nice meal afterwards, you should come here as the latter doesn’t have an extensive food selection. Westfield Topanga is also comprised of another outdoor mall called The Village, which is right across the street and has a nice assortment of high-end eateries, cafes and boutique stores. If you go there make sure to eat at Joey!
Eagle Rock Plaza
2700 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Not your typical mall! What is so special about this mall which is in dire need of a good revamping, is that Avril Lavigne’s breakthrough “Complicated” music video was filmed there back in 2002! If you go inside, many storefronts will be closed and it will certainly feel like a ghost town. To my surprise, this mall caters to the Filipino community, which you will see through clothing stores, fast-food joints and the big grocery store Seafood Market. Other than a Target and a Macy’s, there isn’t much to do. Nonetheless, If you’ve ever wanted to visit a run-down mall, this is the place.
Sherman Oaks Galleria
15301 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Sherman Oaks Galleria was the ultimate hangout spot for Valley kids back in the 80’s and became the epitome of teenage mall culture in LA. It has also been used as a location setting for a myriad of 80’s movie productions. The most popular ones are Valley Girls, Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Back To The Future Part II. This place definitely makes me want to hop into a time machine to relish in the 80’s nostalgia! Fast forward to today, the mall hasn’t aged well and it is now barren. The main problem lies in the painfully long distance between the parking structure and the stores. It was not well designed and the floor plan is very odd. Not to mention that you also have to pay for parking! People mainly frequent this mall mainly do it for the Arclight movie theater, Cheesecake Factory and the 24 Hour Fitness gym.
The Shops At Montebello
2134 Montebello Town Center, Montebello, CA 90640
Remember that scene in The Hot Chick where Jessica and her friends are strutting around the mall and stumble upon the African-themed store? This is the mall!
I’m a cinephile so I had to check it out. It isn’t that big but there’s a decent selection of stores like Victoria’s Secret, Fashion Nova, Vans and H&M. Food-wise, there is an ample food court, as well as plenty of options outside the mall, including Applebee’s, Lucille’s Smoke BBQ and a Chick Fil-A.
Northridge Fashion Center
9301 Tampa Ave, Northridge, CA 91324
I love this mall because you will be bound to find good deals in nearly every store. Northridge Fashion Center opened its doors to the public in 1971. After the devastating earthquake in 1994, it was severely damaged and was renovated extensively in 1995, 1998 and 2003. In the last two years the mall has undergone more renovations. It is not as upscale as Westfield, but it does the job in providing guests a nice and spacious atmosphere. In my opinion, the store selection is better and more varied than Westfield. Moreover, outside of the mall there’s a big outdoor shopping plaza with a slew of of restaurants and entertainment retailers.
The Commons
4799 Commons Way, Calabasas, CA 91302
If you want to run into a Kardashian, go to The Commons in Calabasas. The Commons is probably the fanciest outdoor mall in the Valley. The grounds are beautiful and everything is meticulously well-kept. From the beautiful pond with fish and turtles to the dancing water fountain, this place is definitely worth the drive for a nice afternoon outing.
More malls:
Los Cerritos Center (Long Beach).
Citadel Outlets
Westfield Culver City
Here concludes my thorough mall blog post! Are you an avid mall-goer like me or do you find it to be an onerous task? Do you think online shopping will ever manage to make the activity of going to the mall go away?
