The Mall of Georgia - OH MY GOSH...
Written: Sep 26 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Everything
Cons: Nothing
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| chrisceb's Full Review: Atlanta |
Review Topic: Shopping
Those were my exact words when I walked into the newly built Mall of Georgia. I mean, I have done some shopping in my life, but this was far better than any mall I have been shopping in. I have been to Lenox Mall in Atlanta, The Gallaria in Birmingham, The Florida Mall and Fashion Square Mall in Orlando but none of them came even close to The Mall of Georgia.
Last weekend my bestfriend Denise and I drove four hours to Atlanta for an “all girl’s weekend”. That means no kids, no husbands, no laundry, no dishes and best of all no cooking. Just a do-whatever-the-heck-you-wanna-do-when-you-wanna-do-it weekend. It was my 30th birthday, and we decided to celebrate and start our Christmas shopping as an excuse. We chose Atlanta specifically because of the Mall of Georgia, as it claims to be the “biggest mall in the South”. I think their claim to fame is definitely accurate. It was incredible to say the least. This mall was just finished being built in the spring of 2000 and they continue to add stores and shops.
The Stores:
They have 150 different stores in the Mall of Georgia. If you are wondering if we got to all 150...we didn’t. It was just too much, even for the most ruthless of shoppers. I would like to share the store categories with you, and tell you about just a couple of the more unique stores in this mall.
Categories:
Department Stores
Men’s and Women’s Apparel
Men’s Apparel
Women’s Apparel
Children’s Apparel
Fine Jewelry
Health, Body, Beauty and Lifestyle
Books, Music, Electronics and Video
Cards, Gifts and Luggage
Home Furnishings, Kitchen Accessories
Specialty Stores
Sporting Goods and Apparel
Shoes, Jewelry and Accessories
Toys
Food Court
Specialty Food
Restaurants
The Village
The Village is kind of a mall outside the mall, so to speak. They have individual stores not directly attached to the mall, but not a block away either. Basically there was just a walkway in between the Village and the Mall. Their stores include Barnes and Noble, FAO Schwartz, Harold’s, Restoration Hardware and a couple restaurants. I highly recommend going to the Village first, as it gets pretty crowded in the afternoon. The food court is at the exit of the Village and many people go outside to eat, due to the park benches and wide-open space. In the Village courtyard is also a fountain that is very welcoming to children. As we went back and forth from the car to the mall, dropping off packages, we never saw it empty of children. The Village also has an open-air amphitheater, and as we were leaving around 5 pm, a band was just setting up to play, so I assume they have live entertainment appearing frequently.
If you have never been in FAO Schwartz I highly recommend just going in for a look-see. I found the prices to be too high, but the way they have the store decorated and the unique toys they carry are worth a 15-minute visit. If you do go, take the elevator to the top floor and walk around the balcony, you see so much more from up there. The store has decorated all the tops of the shelves with toys and accessories, and it is quite a site to see.
Restoration Hardware is another must see. Honestly, I thought this store was nothing more than an upscale Home Depot. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening. We were shocked to see lots of furniture for sale as well as very unique items for all kinds of people. They had separate sections for workshops, sailing, gardening, fishing, hunting, spirits (alcohol items) cleaning, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and many more I can’t remember. Plan on spending at least an hour touring the store, even as small as it is. They just have so much to look at; it is worth the extra time. A couple things that I bought that I thought were very unique was measuring spoons that measure a smidgen, a pinch and dash. An old fashioned sailors sewing tool to sew sail canvass. A glass called Optissimous/Pestissimous glassware...either the glass is half empty or half full. And old fashioned stainless steel bicycle bell. My friend and I spent about 90 minutes in Restoration Hardware and bought about 1/4 of our Christmas presents in there.
We didn’t inhabit the large department stores, as there were just so many great smaller shops to explore, however they do have Dillard’s, JCPenney, Lord and Taylor, Nordstrom’s and a Rich’s will be opening in the Fall.
Some interesting stores in the Mall of Georgia are as follows: ***Disclaimer…I have never heard of some of these stores, and I have only received catalogues of others. So for me they were unique in every way, but to some of you out there reading, you may have discovered these stores already***
•Hot Topic-men and women’s clothing store
•Lazy Iguana Trading Co.-men and women’s clothing store
•WhiteHouse/Black Market – women formalwear
•abercrombie-a children’s Ambercrombie and Fitch
•Aveda Lifestyle Store – make-up and hair products as well as a spa for massages and facials
•Thomas Kinkade Gallery – Thomas Kindade artwork
•Pottery Barn-housewares and home interior things
•Build-a Bear Workshop-build your own stuffed animal
•The Discovery Channel Store-really cool learning things from space to animals to reflexology
•Gaylan’s – 2 two story sporting good store <insert the Tim the Toolman laugh here>
As you can see you have a wide variety of well know stores as well as some you probably have never seen before.
Food:
Food is plentiful at the Mall, and even the pickiest eaters can satisfy their hunger pangs. The Georgia Mall has three restaurants as well as a food court which includes, but is not limited to McDonald’s, Sbarro, Dairy Queen, Chick-fil-a, Buddha Express. You can most definitely eat for under $5 a person.
Specialty Foods are everywhere in the mall. Shops like Godiva Chocolatier, Starbuck’s Coffee, Pretzel Time and even the Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Co. So if you are hankerin' for a snack to tide you over till dinner, you are in luck.
Other Entertainment:
If you actually do “shop till you drop” like we did, you can venture up to the third floor and have your pick from Regal Cinemas 20 theaters. None of the movies are duplicated and they actually have 20 movies available to you at all times. They start as early as 10 am and go till midnight. Along side the 20 cinemas is also a two theater IMAX 3D Theater, which for a few more dollars looked worth it. At the time we went you could choose from Disney’s Fantasia and A Tour of NY City Past and Present. Seats were $8 for IMAX, $5 for theater matinees and $8 for regular times. All theaters were stadium seating and very comfortable.
One other activity you can take the kids to while mom shops is the NASCAR simulated rides. Close to the theaters, this entertainment is sure to keep the kids happy for a while. Husbands too for that matter. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any prices, but there were a number of people lined up to get tickets, so it couldn’t have been that much.
We arrived at 10 am and shopped till 3 pm, then caught a movie and headed back to the hotel. We only saw about 2/3 of the whole mall, and probably needed at least another 3 hours to finish it out. If you are a shop-aholic, plan on the whole day to take in this shopper’s addict paradise.
We stayed in a hotel about 10 minutes from the mall that was very reasonably priced. It is the Fairfield Inn in Suwanee, Georgia. (see www.marriott.com ) Ask for Chiquita if you get lost…she is great with directions. You can check out a picture of the Mall of Georgia at www.georgiamall.com .
We had a lovely “mini-vacation” just me and my bestfriend, and have decided to make the Mall of Georgia an annual event…just don’t tell our husbands!
Recommended:
Yes
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chrisceb
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Member: Chris B
Location: Florida
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