Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield MO

Chesterfield mall is a large suburban mall, possibly the largest in the St Louis area when it comes to square footage. It's located in Chesterfield county, about 10 miles west of Interstate 270 just off Interstate 64 (or highway 40, if you're from 'round her). Though it's obvious by looking at the exterior (especially Sears) that the mall's been around for a while, both the inside and outside have had extensive renovations and additions. The end result is a mall that's beautiful if somewhat eclectic in it's layout.





Inside, you will find many of the "staples" of the modern mall; the ubiquitous Macys, a Forever 21 which ten years ago were hard to find and now seem to be everywhere, Abercrombie and Fitch, and, lovely in it's anachronism, the above mentioned Sears. All in all, some really solid stores from clothes shopping.



Additionally, you'll find a huge Borders, Banana Republic, Body Shop, Gap and Gap Kids, and at least 3 different jewelers. There's also an interesting little "Asian Gifts" store, for all your Asian decorative needs. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't point out the AMC megaplex theater.

For the kids, there is a small play area and two story carousel. For the older kids, and maybe some of you adults as well, the ever-present Game Stop will provide endless choices on which to spend your hard-earned cash.



One disappointing area is the food court. There are only six choices: Subway, Hibachi-San, Charley's Subs, WOW Chicken fingers (which I'm unfamiliar with in any other location), Sbarro, and Panda Express. That's basically two sandwich places, two stir-fry places (one with sushi), a chicken place and a pizza place. Also, there is no free Wi-fi in the food court. You MIGHT be able to sit close enough to Borders to access theirs, but I had no success with this. So, you can get Wi-fi, you just need to go to Borders to do it. Fortunately, in addition to the food court, there are Macaroni Grill and Chilis as out buildings.

All in all, this is a solid mall with many choices for shopping. It's somewhat inconvenient to get to unless you're traveling through the center of St Louis area, as there is no access from Interstate 70 and a decent distance to 270.

Pluses: Attractive mall, large number of stores, ample parking
Minues: Average to poo food court, Wi-fi in Borders only

I give Chesterfield Mall 4 Kiosks.

Jamestown Mall, MO

Jamestown Mall in the northern St Louis area (north of Florissant on Lindbergh) is a small mall; it appears to have been originally designed to serve a growing community of subdivisions that never quite materialized. Regardless of it's origins, I'm sad to report that Jamestown Mall is quickly on it's way to becoming a dead mall. Approximately 40% of the square footage is closed, with the remainder being mostly filled with small independent shops. The main draws are a Macys and a fabulously large JC Penney Outlet store.

For mall lovers like me, however, this place is purely beautiful. Both the interior and exterior speak of a classic 80s mall design. I was so impressed by the ceilings and large interior fountain with sculptures (that picture didn't turn out, unfortunately) that I found myself really saddened by the mall's slow death.



With the state Jamestown is currently in, I'm not going to bother with the traditional "Kiosk" rating system or listing pluses and minuses. There are few reasons other than an appreciation for mall history to visit Jamestown. It's out of the way and there are not many stores. The JC Penney outlet, while out of the way, offers much in the way of reasonably priced clothing (my wife was able to purchase 7 new shirts and a few other items for about $100), and if you have an interest in supporting independently owned specialty businesses, this mall might be worth a short trip.

St Claire Square Mall, Fairview Heights IL

St Claire Square is one of the first malls I visited in the St Louis area, back when my wife and I had first gotten married and long before I thought of moving here. The mall is an older mall, with many stores that have been there for decades. It has managed to remain lively and active; I only noticed two closed storefronts during my most recent visit, and it is full of shoppers on almost every visit.

Located just a few minutes from downtown St Louis across the river in Fairview Heights, just off of interstate 64, St Claire Square is easy to reach for visitors to the St Louis area, and provides a wide assortment of modern mall staples, such as Victoria's Secret, Macy's, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Hot Topic. Several older mall staples, such as RadioShack, Deb, and General Nutrition Center, can also be found here. One thing that impresses me about this mall is the size of some of the stores. In particular, I noticed the Justice and Forever 21 stores are massive compared to their counterparts in other malls I've reviewed (though, by contrast, their Layne Bryant is one of the smallest I've seen).




The food court is acceptable without being spectacular, taking it's cue from other St Louis area malls (or perhaps the other way around) with a Sbarro, Charley's Subs, and Panda Express. Also included are a place called Gyro Gyro, which I've not encountered in a mall before (guess what they sell) and a Quizno's subs, which is unusual in malls, at least those in the Midwest. Located off the food court is Hanley's Grill and Tap (keep meaning to eat there someday, looks good). Satellite stores include Casa Gallardo (a St Louis Mexican restaurant chain which is quite good), and a soon to open Qdoba. Many other restaurants and shopping venues are nearby.



One aspect of this mall which does not particularly stick out to me is the architecture and design. Internally, it's got an L-shaped layout, except for a couple small wings that lead a person to basically a dead end. The sky lighting is fine but somewhat overdone, and the white tile design which seems elegant in The Galleria is less impressive due to improper lighting.

In short, there is something for everyone in St Claire Square mall. Children (particularly girls) have many stores to interest them, and the clothing choices are both many and quite impressive. I recommend visitors to the area to try this mall if they've already seen many of the more iconic St Louis malls.

Pluses - A great many stores, many of which have a lot of square footage and thus a large inventory. A large variety of stores. Near many other shopping and dining venues.
Minuses - Design is nothing spectacular, traffic getting to the mall is a little nuts (if you're in the wrong lane getting off the highway, it can be almost impossible to get left when you need to).

I give St Claire Square mall 4 Kiosks.

Eastland Mall, Bloomington IL

I have to start of this review by saying that Eastland Mall is one of the first malls I ever visited. My first trip to this mall was in the mid 1970s, and I have a lot of fond memories. It has changed a lot over the years, shedding it's classic 70s decor for the brighter, shinier mall of the 80s and 90s. Some of the original features are still visible externally, such as this view of Bergners.



Inside Eastland Mall these days, one will find a wide assortment of stores and, surprisingly, one of the better food courts I've seen recently. The picture below illustrates the open-air feel of the food court, which has recently been repainted. Several spaces that were closed during my last visit are now filled. Choices include A&W Rootbeer, Great Steak and Potato (very similar to Charley's Subs here in St Louis), a Sbarro, a Subway, and a Kobe Japanese. In addition, there are TWO pretzel stores, one directly off the food court, another in a different area of the mall.



Though I am quite familiar with this mall, I looked over the selection of stores carefully for this review. Gone are the Woolworths and the Hardees restaurant of the 70s. A selection of modern fare includes Macy's, Victoria's Secret, Aeropostale, Hot Topic, and PacSun. For kids' clothing, there is a Justice and a Gap Kids. Additional stores include Gap, Old Navy, Game Stop, and Bath and Body Works. Anchors include Sears, Bergner's, JC Penney, and Kohl's.



I did not get a chance to test WiFi availability, nor could I find any information on it. The mall is very near a McDonald's which offers free WiFi, as well as a Starbucks which has WiFi available for purchase.

Pluses - Decent store selection, smaller crowds, and nearby availability of several dining, banking, and other establishments. Located right off of Veteran's Parkway, so it's easy to get to for both "townies" and out of town visitors.
Minuses - It's hard for me to find many minuses with this mall, but I will point this out: don't go here thinking it's a true regional mall. It's nowhere near as large as several of the malls here in St Louis, or others I've been to. Also, the layout is a little counter-intuitive, so be prepared to walk back and forth a bit to get to the stores you want.

I give Eastland Mall 4 Kiosks.

Century Shopping Centre, Chicago IL

This week, owing to my recent visit to the Windy City, I'm reviewing the Century Shopping Centre. This mall has a lot of sentimental value to me, as it was the only mall I discovered in my brief stay in Chicago in the mid-1990s.

Unfortunately, the Century Shopping Centre has seen better days. The last time I visited, it was undergoing renovations. These renovations, while not actually improving any internal features, seems to have been the death of it. I am sad to say, the Century is not a destination for anyone unless they fit into a very specific niche market. If you are female, between the ages of 18 and 40, and spend a lot of time and money on your appearance, and if you live in the city of Chicago and rarely leave it, this mall might be of interest to you.



Located on North Clark Street in the City, the Century is built inside an old multi-story theatre. When I visited this mall on a regular basis, there were all sorts of interesting stores. I remember a Role Playing and board game store I visited on occasion. Now, however, stores of interest are limited to Victoria's Secret, LA Tan, a Bath and Bodyworks store, and other similar fare. A hair salon is located on the first floor. Evidently, there is once again a functional theatre here as well, which I did not remember from my time living in Chicago.



A beautiful building on the outside, the Century does not contain much in the way of standard mall architecture. The interior is very utilitarian in appearance. Lighting is marginal, and functional escalators criss-cross the central open area.



By and large, though it pains me to say this, the Century Shopping Centre has little to offer except for those who live close enough to visit it as a convenience.

Pros - It's in the city, and is easily accessible by bus (the 22 Clark). It's a beautiful piece of architecture. There's no WiFi, but with a Borders right across the street, who cares?
Cons - There's not much here of interest except for stores catering to maintaining one's appearance.

I give the Century (a tear in my eye as I say this) 2 Kiosks.

Westfield West County Center

The first thing that pops into my mind when I see this mall is: BIG! No, it's not the largest mall ever, but located on a ridge overlooking Interstate 270 at Manchester Road, this mall seems both towering and expansive.

Much of this has to do with the architecture. There is a three story parking garage which wraps around 2/3 of the mall (you can literally drive around a large portion of the mall on the 2nd floor), and the external facades are many and grand.





Inside, you will find a large variety of shops, for the more common (Hot Topic, Foot Locker, Victoria's Secret) to the up-scale (Nordstroms, Macy's), to the eclectic (Wet Seal, Teavana). There is also a variety of shops of interest to parents and children (Build-A-Bear Workshop, The Children's Place, Game Stop, Toy Tyme). The food court includes many standards (Subway, Charlies Subs, Sbarro).



One of the more interesting internal features is the lighting. Many malls make good use of natural lighting or original artificial lighting treatments, but this mall has both, in many varied forms. From large overhead skylights to lighting effects on the facades of internal stores, this is a mall of many moods. Walking from one end to the other, you will go from cosy to vibrant to relaxed. You will also go from JC Penney to Macy's to Barnes and Noble.



I would consider this mall a must visit if you're in the St Louis area, simply for its variety of shops and interesting architectural features. For out-of-towners, it's easily accessible from interstate 270 OR by taking interstate 64 to 270 and heading south for a short drive. For those who prefer a city route, Manchester road drops you off right there.

Pluses - Variety of stores; interesting architecture, great parking
Minuses - No WiFi in the food court

I give Westfield West County Center 4 Kiosks!

Mid Rivers Mall, St Peters, MO

Mid Rivers is a medium sized mall that's been around for a while, and looks it. The decor, with it's gray and white mat tiles, is the epitome of the late 80s/early 90s mall. Most of the storefronts are new, of course, and there are some more modern choices in both shopping and Dining.



Located in St Peters Missouri, across the Missouri River from the St Louis area and past St Charles on Interstate 70, the mall is a relatively easy destination for anyone from the St Louis area on the road to Kansas City. For out-of-towners coming from the east, it can be approached by taking I-270 around the north of St Louis and merging onto 70 west in Bridgeton (my town), thus bypassing downtown traffic. There are no easy non-car routes out this far.

The mall has several anchors, both more traditional mall anchors like Sears and JC Penney and more recent additions like Macy's and Dillards. Also included in major features are a Cinema 14 and the requisite food court. Dining choices include Sbarro, Charley's Subs, Taco Bell (unusual for food courts in St Louis), [add more here]. Outside the food court are a Qdoba and a Pretzel Time, and outbuildings include a Chilis.

Mid-Rivers hosts many old mall standards, including a Spencer Gifts, Deb, Tilt (yes, a Tilt arcade, complete with a Galaga machine), Gap, Radio Shack and the Limited. Also included are many modern favorites, such as a two-level Borders bookstore, an AT&T Wireless store, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Finally, there are several specialty stores including a Yankee Candle Co., a Game Stop, a martial arts dojo called Bushido, and one (very cool) sci-fi specialty store called the “Neutral Zone.”



Mid-Rivers is a suburban mall with some years behind it, but still draws a crowd. There is a wide variety of stores, and it is close to a large number of casual dining facilities. I find little here to go out of the way for, but for those passing through on I-70, or those that live in the St Louis area, it's definitely worth a visit.

Pluses – I was unable to test the presence of WiFi, but with a Borders in the mall, there is likely WiFi available there at least. Mid-Rivers has a wide variety of stores for many different types of shoppers, from teens to adults. This mall is not usually as busy as many St Louis area malls, and would make a good shopping destination for someone not wanting to deal with crowds.
Minuses – I did not see a lot of kid-friendly stores or entertainments. If you have kids under 7, Mid-Rivers is probably not your best choice.

I give Mid-Rivers Mall 3 kiosks. It's a nice mall, and great for nostalgia, but has little to offer that other malls do not.