This isn't your average outdoor shopping mall. Thanks to its dancing fountain and light shows, complimentary San Francisco-style trolley rides, fine dining options (Katsuya, Din Tai Fung), 70-plus premier retailers and even luxury apartments, the retail concept is more entertainment than shopping mall. With alfresco dining areas and open grass fields, the Americana at Brand cultivates more of a leisurely, joie de vivre experience rather than a quick in-and-out of the store errand run. Designed and operated by Rick J. Caruso (also the force behind the Westside's similarly designed outdoor mall, the Grove), the Americana at Brand offers the same kind of urban oasis that makes it a top tourist attraction and a favorite among LA locals. Heavy hitters include Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, Anthropologie, H&M and Barneys New York, while smaller boutiques range from Lululemon Athletics, Free People and J. Crew to Tiffany & Co., Kiehl's and Sur La Table.
We Angelenos all know Glendale for its rich hub of Armenian bakeries (some of the best in LA) and late-night roller skating at Moonlight Rollerway. But it’s not just pastries and roller skates that have us hopping on the freeway to this suburban metropolis near Burbank. Home to some of the city’s largest shopping malls (looking at you, Glendale Galleria), luxury retail concepts and under-the-radar local boutiques, this burgeoning neighborhood is ripe with top-tier shops spanning all genres. Think luxury clothing and accessories, movie set-ready costumes, Etsy-approved art supplies, rare bookstore finds and so much more. While all of LA is crawling with malls and standalone boutiques, it’s Glendale that has Angelenos making the trek for all their shopping needs because chances are, whether you’re looking for a prom dress, first edition tome, video game or pretty much anything else, there’s a shop for it.