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.