A Guide to Shopping Malls in LA

This post was originally published in September 2020. It was last updated in October 2026.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved going to the mall.

When I was little, I briefly lived in Brasilia and Mexico City, and this meant spending afternoons at the mall with my family.

There’s a part of me that will always love people-watching and window shopping. Needless to say, my favorite ’90s and early 2000s teen movies frequently featured malls as backdrops. Remember Regina pretending to be Susan from Planned Parenthood in Mean Girls? Or Jessica stealing hoop earrings from an African-themed store in The Hot Chick before being body-swapped with a criminal? And who could forget the iconic shopping scenes in Clueless? In 2020, Billie Eilish filmed her one-shot music video “Therefore I Am” at the Glendale Galleria.

Living in LA, we’re so privileged to have a myriad of premier shopping and fine dining destinations. There are three major shopping malls in central LA: Beverly Center, The Grove and Westfield Century City. But what if I just feel like going for a drive and enjoying a good mall? The malls in Orange County are always a good idea! I included some of them on the list as well.

Los Cerritos Center

239 Los Cerritos Center, Cerritos, CA 90703

As of 2026, this is my newest favorite mall in LA. When it’s a Saturday and I have a clear schedule, I make the drive to Cerritos, which isn’t exactly close, but I end up spending the whole afternoon there! I love how spacious it is, and there’s a myriad of restaurants outside where you can continue your mall day. It’s always bustling with people, and I love the overall energy. Sephora, Apple, Macy’s, a K-beauty store… There’s so much to explore, and I love the natural light that filters through the arched ceiling, creating a sense of spaciousness.

I used to go to this mall sometimes before the pandemic, but what keeps me coming back lately is the movie theater. I’m currently writing an article about the best movie theater popcorn in LA, and guess what? Harkins Theatres has THE BEST buttered popcorn. It’s too bad that the only other location is nearby in Buena Park! And if that weren’t enough, their reclining seats and theaters are the crème de la crème of movie theaters. I’ve never seen anything quite like it in LA, not even at AMC.

South Bay Galleria

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 album Star-Crossed.

The clear glass ceiling was the most impressive feature! Walking through this mall, I could appreciate the quintessential ’90s/early 2000s vibes. It made sense that Kacey Musgraves’ team picked this location to do the classic slow-motion walking scene with her friends in ’90s-inspired outfits. 

I can only imagine how cool this mall must have been when mall culture was in its heyday. The movie 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 one of the “Simple Times” scenes was filmed! You can see they took out the retailers’ names for the video.

Speaking of retailers, it was disappointing 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. 

Overall, this is a beautiful mall and I hope they don’t tear down this ’80s 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 Pavilion, featured in the movie Clueless (1995). Once upon a time, the Westside Pavilion was LA’s hottest mall. In 2018, it permanently closed its doors to the public and was repurposed into office spaces. I was so lucky I got to go there and see it back in 2016 and 2017. 

Glendale Galleria

100 W Broadway Suite 100, Glendale, CA 91210

Glendale Galleria has been my hangout spot since I moved to LA. I love it because it has an amazing variety of stores that you don’t find at many other malls in LA: a beauty store inside JCPenney, a three-story Target, a gigantic Dick’s 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 isn’t too far from Highland Park, where she grew up. 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 adjacent parking structure. If you want to visit The Americana and not pay for parking, you can park for free at the 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 mix of mid-range and high-end retail chains, an outstanding selection of eateries, a trolley, a majestic dancing fountain, and a green space for year-round events. I like it much more than The Grove (it’s less touristy), and it’s also one of my favorite places to hang out in LA. I can’t believe people actually live in the apartments above the stores!

Palisades Village

15225 Palisades Village Ln, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Note: Due to the January 2025 wildfires, some of the businesses mentioned may have changed or may no longer be operating.

This charming upscale outdoor mall has been a wonderful addition to this celebrity enclave. Palisades Village opened in 2018 and was designed by Rick Caruso, who’s also the designer of The Grove and The Americana. The dining options aren’t as plentiful as those at an indoor mall food court, but they’ve been carefully selected to offer visitors 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 examples.

There’s also a sprawling green lawn that is used for family activities and holiday-themed events.

Del Amo Fashion Center

3525 W Carson St, Torrance, CA 90503

As the second-largest mall in California, with 2.6 million square feet of retail shops, this famous mall was revamped in 2015, and the results surpassed everyone’s expectations. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it’s a sheer delight to walk around the seemingly never-ending indoor corridors. The mall offers a nice mix of high-end and affordable stores. There is something for everybody!

Additionally, Del Amo has an open-air promenade that includes an AMC movie theater and more retail stores and restaurants. Seriously, it’s so big your jaw will hit the floor.

The food court, 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 their endless shelves with $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. I’m also really fond of this mall because the movie Clueless was filmed here! Do you remember the shopping scene with Cher and Dionne? Or when Tai has a near-death experience on the railing? This mall is great for roaming around, window shopping, and spending some downtime, but don’t expect to have a four-star meal. There aren’t that many options at the food court. Overall, this mall is a must-visit for Clueless fanatics. If you want to know more about where the specific mall scenes were filmed, visit my favorite movie location website here.

Irvine Spectrum Center

670 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine 

This is one of my favorite outdoor malls. I can’t rave about it enough. It has everything you could ever ask for: a great selection of stores, a wide variety of restaurants, a beautifully designed movie theater, and relaxing seating areas for people-watching. Parking is not a hassle. However, what sets this mall apart from the others is the layout and beautiful architecture. I checked their website and surprisingly, the architecture was inspired by the Alhambra palace complex in Granada, Spain. The influence is pretty evident: the column arches, the elaborate tiles, and the beautiful lion fountain.

Irvine Spectrum Center offers several family-friendly amenities, like their Ferris Wheel and other children’s rides. You won’t feel like you’re shoulder-to-shoulder with crying kids throwing tantrums. 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, its Christmas decorations are some of the best in OC.

If it’s a beautiful sunny day and you want to go to OC, Irvine Spectrum is definitely worth a stop. Grab lunch at the fine dining Mexican restaurant Javier’s, The Cheesecake Factory, or one of the many other casual dining restaurants. You can also head down to Laguna Beach afterwards!

Westfield Century City

10250 California State Route 2, Los Angeles, CA 90067

If you don’t live in LA and you’ve seen the Barbie movie, you’ll know that Century City is the Wall Street of LA.

When I moved to LA in September 2015, Westfield Century City was a dead mall. The only people who frequented it were corporate bros on their lunch break. When it was completed in 2017, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the revamped version — what a marvelous transformation! The remodel is spectacular: lush greenery, a spacious food court, and a fancy dining terrace. The modern décor, with its beautiful wood accents and touches of greenery, will allow you to feel completely immersed in the mall’s lush atmosphere.

It has an outstanding selection of top-tier restaurants and stores. Additionally, Westfield Century City has a very family-friendly atmosphere 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. Westfield Century City also goes all out during the holidays!

The Grove

189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036

This high-end outdoor mall is a no-brainer for Angelenos and tourists.

Opened in 2002, The Grove boasts a plethora of high-end stores, cafes and trendy boutiques. It’s cozy and charming, especially during the holiday season thanks to its European-inspired architecture. There’s always something happening at The Grove — whether it’s an event or a pop-up. The legendary Original Farmers Market next door was established in 1934, long before The Grove was built, and is also worth exploring for its food stands. If you’re in the mood for pancakes, there’s nothing quite like Du-Par’s signature old-school American pancakes.

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. When I moved to LA, the Beverly Center was outdated and dead, with only a few stores open.

Taubman Centers Inc. spent $500 million revamping this mall to create a more pleasant shopping experience. The renovation was completed in 2018. The most noteworthy amenity is the rooftop dining terrace, which includes casual dining restaurants and breathtaking panoramic views of the city. It is indeed a beautiful mall and couldn’t be in a better location than the busy intersection of La Cienega and Beverly Boulevard. And yet, something about it feels off. It feels very eerie and lacks vitality compared to The Grove’s bustling and charming atmosphere.

Furthermore, the weird parking layout will make you feel like you’re in a maze going around in circles. The painfully slow elevators don’t improve the shopping experience either.

South Coast Plaza

3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

With 2.8 million square feet of retail space, this is the largest mall in California. It boasts 250 stores and 30 restaurants! Whatever your budget, 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-drop waterfalls inside the mall, which will bring a sense of relaxation to your overall shopping experience. After your exhausting shopping spree, you can indulge in a fine dining experience at one of their high-end restaurants. In 2022, Tiffany & Co. opened the Blue Box Cafe at South Coast Plaza, where you will be able to live out the fantasy of dining at this quintessential jewelry store. Just like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s!

If you’re a sucker for outdoor malls, make sure to check out these two in your next visit to Orange County:

Fashion Island

Newport Beach

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 its quaint boutiques to its waterfront farm-to-table restaurants, Lido Marina Village looks straight out of a postcard, with beautiful scenery at every turn.

The Shops at Santa Anita

400 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

What a gorgeous mall! Given the location in the San Gabriel Valley, The Shops at Santa Anita mainly caters to the Asian community, which is reflected in its stores and eateries.

The fast-casual restaurant Side Chick was what prompted me to make the trek to this mall and try their delicious Hainanese chicken 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! If you’ve never been there, brace yourself!

In 2021, Olivia Rodrigo filmed a few scenes for her music video ‘brutal.’ I immediately recognized the mall concourse.

2ND & PCH

6400 CA-1, Long Beach, CA 90803

I remember driving by this mall when it was still under construction, and what a beautiful job they’ve done! The contemporary ambiance, with its pops of color, was 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. A few of the most acclaimed retailers and restaurants at 2ND & PCH include Sephora, a massive Whole Foods, Shake Shack, and Spanish restaurant Teleferic. There are modern, impeccably maintained lounge areas spread throughout the mall where you can sit and people-watch. 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 mall’s beautiful concourse. 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 Fashion Square, if you’re in the Valley and want to do some shopping followed by a nice meal, you should come here as the latter doesn’t have an extensive food selection. Westfield Topanga is also connected to another outdoor shopping center called The Village, which is right across the street and has a nice assortment of high-end eateries, cafes and boutique stores. A restaurant that I highly recommend is JOEY!

Eagle Rock Plaza

2700 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041

Not your typical mall! What makes this mall so special, despite its desperate need for a makeover, 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 you’re in 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 venture into 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 ’80s, and it became the epitome of teenage mall culture in LA. Sherman Oaks Galleria has also been used as a filming location for a myriad of ’80s movie productions. The most popular ones are Valley Girl, 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 revel in ’80s nostalgia! Fast-forward to today, the mall hasn’t aged well and is now largely 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. People who frequent this mall mainly come for the restaurants, the movie theater, 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. This mall isn’t that big, but there’s a decent selection of stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Fashion Nova, Vans and H&M. Food-wise, there is a spacious food court, as well as plenty of food options outside the mall that include 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’re 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. The mall underwent further renovations in the mid-2010s. It’s not as upscale as a Westfield mall, but it does a good job of providing visitors with a pleasant, spacious atmosphere to spend time in.

That concludes my extensive guide to LA’s shopping malls (and a few in Orange County)! Are you an avid mall-goer like me? Despite online shopping, I think the experience of going to the mall will never die! These malls are always packed on weekends and during the holiday season! Another outdoor mall I LOVE is Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga!