Going shopping in the U.S can differ from shopping in Europe. I believe the biggest reason for that are shopping malls. I have never been anywhere were shopping malls are as big as here. You can go to a mall and get your lunch, dinner, entertainment, shopping and haircut without leaving the building. The malls here have everything you need. I don’t really prefer shopping in a mall however it is very convenient and you don’t have to worry about the weather.
Woodfield mall is the biggest shopping center in the Chicago area. It is located in Schamburg, IL and is super easy to get to with I-90 W/I-94W. In 1973 it was the largest mall in United States. Today it is the fifth largest shopping mall with 27 million visitors per year. On its 2,700,000 square feet (251,000 m2) the mall features nearly 300 stores and restaurants. This is shopping paradise! What better way to spend a rainy Saturday? And IKEA, which happens to be one of my favorite interior design/furniture stores, is just around the corner.
When you enter Woodfield you might feel a little overwhelmed but just embrace it and take one floor at a time. If you prefer to shop in an even more secluded area, the mall has several different department stores such as Macy’s, JCPenny and Nordstrom. The mall also have some great women’s fashion stores like Anthropologie, Akria, Banana Republic, bebe, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21 and True Religion. For shoes you ladies should check out Steve Madden, Lady Foot Locker and Aldo. This is a dream for anyone who loves shopping and you can get all this without having to step outside.
Since I am writing about fashion and shopping in the U.S. this week I’m leaving the Chicago area to go to Wisconsin and the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets. If you like a good deal and feel that some stores at Woodfield robbed you on your last pennies this is the place to be. Pleasant Prairie features 90 outlets stores such as Coach, Nike and Ralph Lauren and is an hour drive north of Chicago.
The five most popular outlet malls in the U.S.:
According to the 2005 census report there were approximately 47,695 shopping malls or shopping centers in the U.S., so there are quite a few to choose from. I can’t be writing about malls and shopping centers without mention the biggest mall in America, with the very appropriate name Mall of America. It is located in Minnesota and is about a seven hour drive from Chicago. This mall has over 400 stores, its own blog and is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. Mall of America is like nothing else. It has its own mall campus for high school students and the mall can also brag about being responsible for 5,500 couples exchanging vowels in its Chapel of Love Wedding Chapel. If you are planning a vacation this summer, this mall is the place to go (if you love shopping). There are over 50 hotels located within 10 minutes of the mall so you can go to bed, wake up and start your shopping right away. But don’t expect to have a nice calm shopping time by yourself because Mall of America has between 35-40 million visitors per year. If you are wondering exactly how big this mall is, take a Boeing 747’s airplane, time it by 32 and put them all together; that’s how big it is. As you can imagine the shopping here is amazing. The mall feature all different kinds of stores from Ann Taylor, Bloomingdale’s, Hugo Boss and Burberry to American Apparel, Gap and Levi’s. (Another hint is that there is no sales tax on clothing in Minnesota!) This place is a perfect getaway for a girls' weekend or family vacation. You will find something for everyone here.
The five most popular shopping malls in the U.S.:
As always, enjoy your shopping and keep and extra eye on your purse/wallet when you are in the mall. If you want to find out more about the malls in the U.S. visit this great guide http://www.malls-info.com. Have a nice summer!
/SMEA
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| Photo credit: thefuntimesguide.com |
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| Inside of Woodfield Mall Photo credit: vidular |
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