My first trip to Aventura Mall (Miami, Surfside: amusement park, theatre, restaurants)

[Jmlacysr]

It's a world class mall even by Texas standards. All the majors there even a Barneys and Ted Baker which was nice to see. 20 mins from the 60's and US1, likely faster using 95.

Drive up appeal was like an amusement park. Shocked and awed, just beautiful like all things well done in Miami. Loved the shopping and outdoor food court, it was so soflo. 3 floors of Zara, nice.

Traffic was a parking lot, walking there was like walking through human weave poles. It's not a place for people who hate crowds. I commented to my son, what a zoo this place would be during Xmas. There was no honking in the parking lot. Everyone seem to understand it was going to take some time to get in there but worth it. The most patient drivers I've encounted in south florida.

I was looking for the pants on the ground crowd but didn't notice any in the mass of humanity. I'm sure things change on the weekend and especially around the AMC.

Walking there, I had to think who I was seeing were all Miamians. Go to Aventura mall and to a Publix and this tells me who is who. While we saw some beautiful people, not everyone was a super model. My son commented that the older women were hotter than the younger which is a good thing for his Dad.

It's diversity on steroids, we sensed that we were in a strong Jewish and Russian community, add blacks and browns and whites and it had a unique feel to us. It was in Aventura but frankly reminded me of all Miami. I think it represents and like many other things in Miami I have found, it's done very well.

We'll be back.

[Tiger Beer]

I loved the feeling and demographics of that mall as well. I just like the South Florida feel in general.

[Inter441]

i love the ice cream there lol

[xS☺B☺s]

Actually I've heard a lot of people say that mall was getting run down. JM, there actually is supposed to be a world class mall in MIA. It's in Bal Harbour called the Bal Harbour Shops. I've never been in it myself although now I would like to check it out.

There's a thread on the Dallas board about malls and I have to say I'm not impressed with any malls in Dallas. If you happen to check out the BHS, would you mind taking some pix of the interior? I don't see much online that wows me about that mall either actually, but maybe it's just the pix online don't really capture it.

Some ding-dong thinks Stonebrier is some world class shopping experience. I told him there's nothing I've seen in the USA (including the Mall of America) that even remotely compares to European standards.

Galerie Lafayette in Paris (wiki pic)

[jasper12]

Just be careful at the Aventura mall...there was that riot there awhile back.

[Jmlacysr]

Originally Posted by Bostonian08

Actually I've heard a lot of people say that mall was getting run down. JM, there actually is supposed to be a world class mall in MIA. It's in Bal Harbour called the Bal Harbour Shops. I've never been in it myself although now I would like to check it out.

There's a thread on the Dallas board about malls and I have to say I'm not impressed with any malls in Dallas. If you happen to check out the BHS, would you mind taking some pix of the interior? I don't see much online that wows me about that mall either actually, but maybe it's just the pix online don't really capture it.

Some ding-dong thinks Stonebrier is some world class shopping experience. I told him there's nothing I've seen in the USA (including the Mall of America) that even remotely compares to European standards.

Galerie Lafayette in Paris (wiki pic)

Northpark is your best bet for high end stores in Dallas, that one and the Galleria are as good as it gets. I think town east mall is still the largest but that's in Mesquite.

If I can remember I'll take some photos at BHS. We drove by it many times when up in Surfside.

We just went to Aventura to see what was there and see who was there. Everything we need from a mall is at Aventura and then some.

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by Jmlacysr

It's a world class mall even by Texas standards. All the majors there even a Barneys and Ted Baker which was nice to see. 20 mins from the 60's and US1, likely faster using 95.

Drive up appeal was like an amusement park. Shocked and awed, just beautiful like all things well done in Miami. Loved the shopping and outdoor food court, it was so soflo. 3 floors of Zara, nice.

Traffic was a parking lot, walking there was like walking through human weave poles. It's not a place for people who hate crowds. I commented to my son, what a zoo this place would be during Xmas. There was no honking in the parking lot. Everyone seem to understand it was going to take some time to get in there but worth it. The most patient drivers I've encounted in south florida.

I was looking for the pants on the ground crowd but didn't notice any in the mass of humanity. I'm sure things change on the weekend and especially around the AMC.

Walking there, I had to think who I was seeing were all Miamians. Go to Aventura mall and to a Publix and this tells me who is who. While we saw some beautiful people, not everyone was a super model. My son commented that the older women were hotter than the younger which is a good thing for his Dad.

It's diversity on steroids, we sensed that we were in a strong Jewish and Russian community, add blacks and browns and whites and it had a unique feel to us. It was in Aventura but frankly reminded me of all Miami. I think it represents and like many other things in Miami I have found, it's done very well.

We'll be back.

Aventura is a world class mall and the Aventura area is lovely and is one of the truly diverse areas in Miami Dade County .... the only down side is the rough thug element that shows up on Friday and Saturday nights ... so just avoid the mall on those nights and it is a nice place .

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by Jmlacysr

Northpark is your best bet for high end stores in Dallas, that one and the Galleria are as good as it gets. I think town east mall is still the largest but that's in Mesquite.

If I can remember I'll take some photos at BHS. We drove by it many times when up in Surfside.

We just went to Aventura to see what was there and see who was there. Everything we need from a mall is at Aventura and then some.

Bal Harbor is lovely , unique , very , very upscale and very expensive .... worth visiting though for a couple of superb restaurants there .

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by jasper12

Just be careful at the Aventura mall...there was that riot there awhile back.

There was no "riot " ... it was a large fight between teenage street thugs at the movie theatre ... they have taken strict measures to avoid this happening again .... I was there two weeks ago and the security was impressive .

[ace587]

yeah they have a curfew now for teenagers after 10.

Aventura Mall is pretty nice and theres a lot to do, and the best part is that parking is free! Bal Harbour is nice if you have lots of money. Parking isnt free though :/