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.

St Louis Galleria

This time I've chosen to review a St Louis standard, the Galleria. In my previous post, I mentioned that The Mills Mall was not the "hip" St Louis Mall. This is. Despite it's age, this mall is going strong. It's got a sophisticated urban feel, owing in part to it's proximity to both western St Louis and the suburb of Clayton. The crowd of the Galleria is generally stylish, youthful, and modern.

Getting to The Galleria from out of town is relatively simple; it's near the intersection of Highway 64/40 and Highway 170 (aka "The Inner Belt"), both of which dump you out near the Galleria with little trouble. Also, if you happen to be staying in downtown St Louis or near the airport, the Galleria is easily accessible via the Metrolink.

The fact that this mall is a little more upscale than other St Louis malls is easily visible from the outside. Sporting a Macy's and Dillards as anchors, The Galleria's exterior is done in vast marble facades and tasteful exteriors. The greenery outside the mall is fresh and well maintained, giving the mall a touch of nature despite it's urban location.





The inside of the mall continues the theme of marble, with tiles and several store facades virtually glistening with light reflected not only from the ample white ceiling lights, but from the plentiful skylights as well.



This mall has two stories with multiple escalators, plus a "ground" floor (which is actually a sublevel; the actual ground floor is 1) on which is located the food court and the cinema. A central open area allows one to view the lower level from both upper levels, as well as allowing a great view from the food court. Plus, if you park wisely, you can walk straight in from the parking garage on the 2nd floor to the elevator, which you can take straight to the lower level for casual dining or a trip to the movies.



It's not only through its design that the mall maintains its higher end image. The choice of stores attracts a more cultured crowd. Included are the anchors of Macy's and Dillards, an Apple store, Anthropologie, Nine West, Regis Hairstylists, and Godiva Chocolatier. Food choices include California Pizza Kitchen, Starbucks, and a Cheesecake Factory.

All of this is not to say that the Galleria is a mall only for those of the upper middle class, however. Stores include Lane Bryant, Torrid, LensCrafters, Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Claire's among others. Low-to-mid-ranged foods include Subway, Charlie's Subs, Hibachi-San and Panda Express.

The Galleria has quite a few stores and is a quick location to pick up some quality items or do some leisure shopping IF you're in the mood to spend some cash. It's not discount shopping by any means, but it is a beautiful, vibrant mall.

Pluses - Gathers some stores together that those with the right budget can really enjoy.
The Food Court is WiFi accessible AND has available power at a few tables. The Galleria is easy to get to from most locations, and is located near other shopping.

Minuses - Parking can be a bear: Even if you don't normally cruise for a parking spot, you might find yourself doing so here. While there IS WiFi access in the food court, I've had problems with it on non-Windows laptops. If you're here and need to use Wi-Fi on a Mac or Linux laptop, you might try the chairs outside the Apple store.

I really have a soft spot for the Galleria, and love to go there. I give it four kiosks.

St Louis Mills Mall

I've chosen to start with a review of this mall because it the closest to my residence, at just over 2 miles. St Louis Mills is a relatively new mall in North St Louis County. It's kind of out in the middle of nowhere off highway 370, not too far north of interstate 270. It's got the feel of an Outlet mall, but there are only a couple "Outlet" type stores. Mostly, you'll find standard mall fare and, surprisingly enough, a large number of local retailers.

Here's a view from an intersection near the mall. As you can see, it's quite expansive, but only one story.



Many of the mall's destinations can be seen from the vast parking lot, which is bordered on two sides by a moat! These include the Theater 18 and the Nascar Speedpark (complete with outside go-cart racetrack).



Inside, the halls between stores are spacious, leaving plenty of room for kiosks, gumball machines, and even an indoor playground. Despite only having one story, this mall has a LOT of square footage. There's even an ice skating rink inside (the official practice rink of the St Louis Blues hockey team, no less). Inside, it's divided up into "neighborhoods," most of which have their own entrances. Walking from one neighborhood to another is something in the area of a city block, so a complete walk around the mall is quite a hike. If you visit, try to use the outside of the mall as a guide to where you are most likely to exit, because after a day of walking around this place, you're done.



The food court is pretty average (at least for St Louis); it has a Subway, a Chinese place, a Sushi place, a Sbarro, and a Johnny Rockets (like Steak and Shake but not as cool). There's even a Burger King here, which serves all you can drink soda (a rarity in St Louis malls, where you usually have to pay for refills or at least walk up to the counter and ask). Off the food court, there's a Tony Roma's and a Chevy's. Outbuilding restaurants include Steak and Shake and Bob Evans.

There are some stores here for everyone, though you might not find your favorite. This is not the "hip" mall of St Louis, it's a tourist place with some useful stores (Payless Shoes, Books-A-Million), plenty of clothing stores (forever 21, Old Navy, Burlington Coat Factory) and some locally owned shops. It's very kid friendly, having a large indoor play area, a toy store, a candy store, indoor glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, and a couple game stores, as well as a train that actually carries passengers around the mall. For the outdoor fishing and hunting enthusiast, there's even a (very large) Cabela's in which you can actually purchase firearms and ammo (great zombie mall).

Pluses - Large variety of shops makes everyone happy. WiFi available in the Food Court area. Plenty of parking.
Minuses - Doesn't necessarily have the stores you might expect: definitely look before at the directory online before you go. With WiFi in the Food Court, you'd expect available power outlets: you'd be disappointed.

All total, I give St Louis Mills Mall 3.5 kiosks!