I have to confess, mine is a family of shoppers. We come by it pretty honestly, as my mom used to work in retail clothes stores. She taught us to watch the sales, shop smart, and have fun while being frugal. Which comes in quite handy for those of us with big families. 🙂 Our favorite shopping centers over the past 15 years or so include The Peninsula Town Center in Hampton, Virginia; the Lakewood Towne Center in Washington, and the Westfield Galleria at Roseville Mall in Roseville, California, and Each of them share several points in common:
- They were in our neighborhood, close to us
- They have a great selection of stores
- They had yummy places to eat
The interesting thing I’ve noticed over the years – especially with traveling – is that malls and big shopping centers are no longer always the traditional “under one roof” style. Westfield Galleria at Roseville Mall is under one roof – and I have to admit, I prefer those. Especially on rainy days! But The Peninsula Town Center, Lakewood Towne Center, and the Fountains of Roseville are all the outdoor style where you have a ton of interesting stores all in the same area but you may have to drive from one end to the other if they are at opposite corners. Fortunately, they all have such great choices, it’s well worth it. And many times, the shopping center will have special events on holidays and through the summer – like the Fountains. Some will even have Farmers’ Markets during the summer months like the Towne Center
Some of my favorite places in many of these shopping centers include Target, Panera (yummy!), Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, and another yummy fave – Panda Express. My grandkids love the Dollar Store. I do too, as I can easily pick up balloons for my open houses. And my senior mom is thrilled with Ross and Marshall’s.
For fellow shopping lovers, there are generally good malls and shopping centers not too far away from your neighborhood. They are a fun place to visit and explore, aren’t they? What’s your favorite shopping center, mall or store? How about your fave restaurant? We’d love to hear.
