dphies00: I am with you on loving Short Hills Mall. It's not at the top of my favorites list, though, because it's too close to the in-laws' house :(

Honeychile: Tyson's Corner is just wonderful! And you are absolutely right about if it's not there, then you don't need it :)

Jackson, MS Shopping Area
 

Jackson has 3 major malls. Dogwood Promenade, Northpark Mall, and Metrocentermall. Dogwood and Northpark are the fancy malls, while metrocenter is the ghetto mall. Metrocenter has shootings and fights every week. It definitely a urban mall. Northpark and dogwood has stores like American Eagle, Abercrombie, Hollister, Ann Taylor, Gap, Cache, BCBG, Wet Seal, Banana Republic, and Chicos. Metrocenter has urban stores like Underground Station, Man Of Fashion, Ashley Stewart, Footaction, and other stores.

Up here in Yonkers, there is Cross County Mall, which has got to be the WORST excuse for a mall I've ever seen. First, its an outdoor mall. Second its being renovated. Third, their anchors are Macys, Stop-n-shop, Sears and freaking Home Goods/TJ Maxx/AJ Wright (in my head theyre the same thing). I always feel like little kids are peeing in the parking lot and what not. It is definitely one of those "ghetto malls."

Buy if you drive about a 1/2 hr north, there's this mall in White Plains (i forget the name of it) that's kinda nice, i think there's a Crate and Barrel there, among other stores.

But yes, i will almost always take the drive to Roosevelt Field for mall shopping. Even if its like 45-60 minutes away and have to pay a toll.

Fresno: really improved: Fresno Fashion Fair; added Cheesecake Factory, classier shops.
so-so if you are in a hurry, not as big but also not as good a selection, Sierra Vista.
River Park (oaks?) other side of town from me, is supposed to be nice, but am not up for the traffic.
Favorite mall, in hills above Balboa Island, in Newport Beach, Fashion Island

The nice mall in White Plains is called The Westchester. It's beautiful inside. I was just there Friday. Has Nordstrom & NM as dept. stores. The Galleria Mall is also in WP with Macy's & Sears.

Not so nice mall- University Square Mall
Nice mall- all 4 other malls in the county

LOL the cross county IS the worst! I hardly go there, and even though I've lived here for two years, I feel like I always get lost for a little bit, it's so damn confusing.
The Westchester Mall is hoity toity with Louis Viutton and Lord & Taylor, etc.. it's nice but I don't go there much... The Galleria in WP is ok... I go there for Forever 21 and Old Navy (but the Old Navy in Cross County is bigger and usually has the better sales...)
There is also Palisades which is right over the tappan Zee (yes 4 dollars to come back over...:rolleyes:) but I usually just go when my friends have EZPass lol.... The Palisades is nice, HUGE and good if you need about 5 bath and body works (there is one on every floor :rolleyes:) but there's a target and just about anything else you need (plus a huge movie theatre with overpriced tix ...) I don't go shopping much anyway but as far as grocery stores go, Stew Leonard's is the best (a GREAT liquor store...) and fresh produce... don't get freaked out by the animatronic animals though (I do... hahah)

Fairview Mall in Toronto used to be a very nice mall and even had a Holt Renfrew store back in the 80s. In the 90s, it started to go downhill and became a hang out for the local high school. But things are changing. They're going through a makeover and they're becoming more mid-tier to upscale (though not as "upscale" as say, Bayview Village (mostly pricey boutiques) or Yorkdale) A BCBG will be opening in the spring.

Is there any reason why malls are going more for the 'outdoor strip' look?

Because people hate walking so far to get to 1 store! Also...it's the newest thing.
Any Atlantans here?
I used to haunt Lenox and Perimeter. Lenox is keeping it up, but Perimeter seems to be going downhill. :( And that one in Alpharetta (can't remember the name) just seems to have the same old. Mall of Georgia has ALMOST everything...ALMOST.
Any other newer malls? I only get to Atlanta once every two years, so I have to make the best use of my shopping time!:p

The new outdoor malls up here consist mostly of big box anchors around here.

I actually like Perimeter more than Lenox. Lenox is so crowded and I end up getting annoyed every time I'm there. Plus a bunch of women were getting mugged out in front of Lenox in broad daylight a few months ago - some guys dubbed the "Buckhead Bandits" were holding the women at gunpoint and demanding that the women give them their engagement rings/wedding bands.

Atlantic Station is the new thing. There's not many high end stores but it's in a great location and the concept is nice. Plus the big H&M store will be opening in Atlantic Station sometime this spring.

I usually go to Cumberland since it's close to my house (I'm in Smyrna/Vinings). The mall was going downhill for a while but it's been on an upswing ever since they put in PF Changs, Maggiano's, Ted's, Cheesecake Factory and Stoney River. I like going to Cumberland in the morning before the crowds come in. I find it much easier to do my shopping when you're not having to wait for a dressing room or push through a mass of people while walking through the mall.

When we were in Chile and looking to leave, my husband had two job offers for back in the US - one in South Dakota and one in Connecticut. When he was interviewing at each place, they gave him a bunch of brochures for the area. In each packet was a brochure for the local mall.

Well, he said I could choose the place. Connecticut had the better mall, so that's where we moved.

And, in all honesty, there was more (his mother in Boston was in hospice). But the mall played a big part in it.
:D

We just had a new outdoor mall open up in my town last year, The Promenade. It's really nice!

There have been a lot of Chicago-area malls discussed already. Some others I like: Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, Yorktown in Lombard.

Not-so-good malls: The first one I think of is North Park Mall in Villa Park. North Riverside Park Mall used to be good, but now...not so much.

You have very good priorities! ;)

Seriously, had you ended up in South Dakota, you would have been on first name basis with several catalog people.