Waterford Lakes Town Center (Jacksonville, Orlando: house, movie theater, construction)

[beckycat]

I was there today and all I can say is WOW! It's huge and it has every store imaginable in one parking lot. I love that It was busy but that doesn't bother me one bit.

[Crane's Rooster]

If it wasn't outdoors or set up more like a traditional mall like the outlets I would be there more often. But the current setup, just too hot. It's nice during the holidays.

[boy3365]

Yep. It's a great shopping center. Apparently, it was supposed to be a traditional indoor mall, but then the announcement for Oviedo Marketplace was announced and plans were changed to make it an outdoor complex with a mix of regular stores and mall stores.

[kyle19125]

I too had hoped it would be a different set-up when I heard about it, only to find it out it was basically a large strip mall with lots of traffic. It has too much concrete/asphalt and too little trees/greenery/shade for Central Florida heat and in such the developers kind of missed the boat conceptually in my opinion, gearing it more toward automobiles versus pedestrians as well as limiting to big box stores-only versus a mix of smaller specialty retailers with larger ones.

[Crane's Rooster]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I too had hoped it would be a different set-up when I heard about it, only to find it out it was basically a large strip mall with lots of traffic. It has too much concrete/asphalt and too little trees/greenery/shade for Central Florida heat and in such the developers kind of missed the boat conceptually in my opinion, gearing it more toward automobiles versus pedestrians as well as limiting to big box stores-only versus a mix of smaller specialty retailers with larger ones.

That's exactly what I was getting at Kyle. I don't mind it being outdoors, but I wish they would have built it more like the outlet malls with covered walkways and those mist fans. And it would be nice to go to all the stores without having to leave the shopping areas, it's just to hot to be walking across hot pavement. On top of that it's so busy that sometimes it doesn't make sense to re-park your car. During the cooler months though it much better and you can get alot of shopping done in one place. I like the Christmas parade they have there also.

[Pete C]

If they had to go outdoor, which for some reason is the new fad, they should have made it like St. John's Town Center in Jacksonville...built for pedestrians. That is the nicest outdoor mall I have ever seen. At the end of the day though, it's too hot here for outdoor malls!! I just don't get it. I guess rents are lower since they don't have to share the cost of A/Cing the common space?

[Crane's Rooster]

Well non AC works in the tourists corridor because those tourists just love the heat. I don't know what other explanation there is for there Lobster complexions.

[Greenwell]

I live a couple miles from there and shop there quite often. I'm not a fan going there on weekends at all. It get so busy that the whole experience becomes a pain in the arsh. I do like having so many different places near home though.

[GLS2010]

I also live right by it. I'm usually there mulitiple times a week. It's very convenient. At normal malls you have to park and walk through a whole mall to just to get something from one store. I like how in Waterford if you just need to hit one store you can drive right up to it and get in and out fast. Where else can you park 5 feet away from the front door of a Buckle or Victoria Seacret? Of course the best time to go is during the week. Its a mad house on weekends, the week before school starts and the holidays. I do like all the events they have though. a weekly farmers market and an endless list of big community events. Including a month long Christmas fair with ice skating, taste of Orlando festival, wing break, to name a few. The IMAX movie theater is also nice (avoid fri and sat nights, it's a middle school hangout).

[GLS2010]

Oh and construction has picked up again on the new plaza across the street. There was a thread for it somewhere. It's been sitting unfinished for almost a year now.