If you read my review of Lakewood Square, another outdoor shopping center in the city where times…read morechange, but values don't, you'll know that I find such businesses as challenging to pen compared to a single store within. However, the same situation has arose with my Yelp friend, Lilah J, prodding me to score FTR, an honor that I'm not too keen on getting, but when the opportunity arises, why not? Of all the times (a lot lol) I've been to this shopping center on the northwest corner of Woodruff and Carson, I don't recall ever knowing it even had a name! The only reason why I know this as Carwood Shopping Center is because of Google and the City of Lakewood website. Otherwise, I've not seen the word "Carwood" anywhere in this plaza, but if you see stores like Sprouts, Harbor Freight Tools, and Smart & Final, this is the Carwood West Shopping Center for which this page is dedicated to. The "West" in the name denotes the west side of Woodruff. This plaza is pretty much a strip mall that runs almost entirely from Harvey to Carson. On the northern end, you'll find a Sprouts, and on the southern end, you'll find a nail spa nestled in between a Wienerschnitzel and an Air Force career center. One building over is another building that houses a Legend Hot Chicken as well as career centers for three other branches of the military: Army, Navy, and Marines. No signs of Coast Guard or Space Force here. Prior to the pandemic, Legend Hot Chicken was previously a BurgerIM, which also had a location in Artesia until both closed for good after a short while. Wienerschnitzel has been there for even longer. Those are unfortunately the only two restaurants in the plaza; the east side has more options if you're looking for something more exotic. All the other stores in this shopping center share the same building as Sprouts, and it runs in a long straight line. From north to south: Sprouts HomeGoods Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies Smart & Final Harbor Freight Tools Marshalls Alin Party Superstore There is a YMCA and an Allen Tire Company adjacent to Carson, but that's not part of Carwood. Even so, while not a bad selection of stores overall, there's not a wide variety that can allow you to do your one-stop shopping here. If you want to get your banking done here after doing your grocery shopping at Sprouts and/or Smart & Final, your only option is Chase, which is located in a building aloof from the actual strip mall itself. In conjunction with the east side, it would make for one nice shopping center, but it can get annoying that you can only cross by way of Harvey or Carson with no designated pedestrian walkway in the middle. I do this quite a lot whenever I need to shop for more at one store and only need a couple items from another store on the other side of Woodruff. It's most definitely not my favorite shopping center, however, for two reasons. First, the parking. Yes, there's plenty of parking, which can be deduced by anyone looking at Google Maps, but that doesn't tell you how much of a mess it can be during peak hours. I have no idea why, but I feel that customers are worse at parking here than at other shopping centers. Is it the narrow aisles between parking stalls? Or some drivers who don't know who has the right of way? Or perhaps the shoppers themselves who walk like they own the place and don't even bother to look for vehicular traffic in either direction? Who knows? Maybe if there was parking in the rear, I'd be less nervous about finding an open spot on a busy day. Secondly, some of the people there are just weird, let's put it that way. They'll loiter on the premises, and I haven't seen any security around to deter this. I once read a story about how a mother with her baby was being followed around in one of the stores, and she had to ask a store employee to escort her out to her car to act as a buffer. Hello?? Where's security when you need them?! That story alone is worrisome enough to cause me to have to watch my back whenever I'm there. To piggyback off the second drawback, I once had a time when I was trying to find something at the Vons on the other side of Woodruff, and a suspicious family stopped their car asking me if I had any money for gas. I said I didn't. I couldn't find something at that Vons, so I went to the Vons just a mile and a half north. Guess what I saw? That same suspicious family! They approached me again! I simply asked if they got the help they needed to indirectly tell them they had already asked me. That was years ago, and even though it was part of the east side of Carwood, it's always made me leery of being in the general vicinity. Seriously though, don't be surprised to see some random peeps trying to get your attention. Shortly after moving here, I got yelled at by another driver for no good reason at all. That's one way to welcome me to this city lol. But with a fair selection of stores here, it's not a bad choice to do most of your shopping.

I live a distance so why would I be at the Artesia Oasis Plaza (AOP) you ask. Well, I was actually…read morein route to pick up a Black Forest eggless cake for my work team birthday lunch. I happened to see Tony's BBQ in this plaza. I knew I had to drop by and pick up some delicious pork and chicken skewers. AOP is a commercial center situated in the heart of Artesia. Closest freeways are the 91 and 605. It's in a prime location on Pioneer Blvd. It offers a variety of retail and dining options to cater to the local community's needs. It serves as a hub for local residents and non-resident visitors like myself to shop, dine, and relax in a welcoming environment. Tons of free parking. Anchored by 99 Ranch Market and the many businesses listed below. * Aritaum * Boiling Point * Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken * Daiso Japan * East West Bank * Essence Salon & Nail Spa * Euro - Asian Sandwiches * Happy Bee Kitchen * It's Boba Time Cafe * Katrina's Mexican Kitchen * Kumon * Lee's Sandwiches * LET'S SEA Bag n' Roll * Lollicup * PHO 2000 * Precision Vision Optometry * Ramen Zuru * Sumi Lashes * The UPS Store * Tony's Barbeque * Tou Dao Tang Head Spa Unfortunately, I was on a crunch for time. I wasn't able to stay too long after Tony's BBQ pick-up order. I didn't capture any photos either. Will do so next time for sure. Based on the tenants in this plaza, it's definitely a great hang out place for the day or night in dining + shopping.

Variety of stores and restaurants, price is somewhat reasonable, nice plaza, plenty of parking.read more

First off, why is this shopping center called Lincoln *Station*?! It sounds more like a train or…read moresubway station in a metropolitan part of town, and there isn't anything that reminds me of the 16th President of the United States unlike the namesake park in DTLB (Downtown Long Beach). Not that I'm factoring this into my rating, but I thought I'd point those out as a preface to my review. So I wasn't really planning to pen this review honestly, but my Yelp friend, Lilah J, continues to encourage me to add another FTR (First to Review) to my collection, so here goes! Lincoln Station is not a station, but rather, a shopping center. They're on the south side of South between Pioneer and Norwalk, right by the Artesia/Cerritos city border. Artesia Park is just on the other side of that border from this shopping center. Sprouts Farmers Market in the anchor store here, located where Sports Authority used to be on the eastern end of Lincoln Station. From there, you can circumnavigate the shopping center in a clockwise direction on foot, but don't forget to visit Smoking Tiger Bread Factory where Chase Bank used to be! Every time I stop at this plaza, I usually swing by Smoking Tiger to see the selection of pastries they have in the patisserie. Most of the time, I'll see customers sitting at the tables with their laptops, indicative of a great place to get some work or studying done. Businesses seem to come and go in this plaza quite a bit. The donut shop is just one example. Shortly after Smoking Tiger opened, Chubby Seoul Donuts followed suit, and from what I recall, Chubby Seoul would source their donuts from Smoking Tiger. Unfortunately, Chubby Seoul didn't find much success here, but Old Ferry Donut, who took over that spot, seems to be doing better to the point where one of my Yelp friends went there several times shortly after opening. Between the donuts and the farmers market, there's one eatery named Vita Cane, which specializes in sugarcane juices and acai bowls. All the other eateries in this plaza are west of the donut shop, and I've unfortunately not tried any of those, so I can't make any further comment other than the decent variety of eats available here. And drinks too, as in the case of Sharetea, a boba shop recommended by some Yelp friends of mine. Actually, I did have a Honey Milk Tea from Pot on Fire, a hot pot spot that also served cold drinks, though the one I got was somewhere along the lines of meh and whatever. The hot pots looked pretty good, but Pot on Fire unfortunately closed late last year. Today, it's still a hot pot spot, but it's now called Jomaru Korean Hot Pot. You can find them next to Meet Fresh. To the west of Sharetea are some other businesses that are also worth checking out, especially 8th Symphony Coffee, another good study spot of the likes of Smoking Tiger. However, please note these businesses are *not* a part of Lincoln Station. Parking is plentiful in this plaza, but it's also a crapshoot that I can never predict how far I'd have to walk to Sprouts from my car at any given time. You're more likely to find open spots in the middle of the lot, which would be ideal if you're visiting businesses on opposite ends of the plaza. And if for some reason, the lot is entirely full, there's actually a parking garage between East West Bank and Sharetea! I was surprised to hear of this parking garage when one of my Yelp friends mentioned it in a review of hers, and when I asked her, I thought to myself, "How did I not realize this was there the whole time?!" Probably because I'm usually on the east end of the plaza, but this parking garage is more westerly. A few years ago, a Yelp OCA (Online Community Ambassador) from our chapter, Orange County at the time believe it or not, once called this part of town "Foodie Lane". On South St heading east from the 605 freeway, you'll find a plethora of eateries that cater to a wide variety of different cuisines. You name it, they'll have it, or at least something reasonably within ballpark range! Lincoln Station is essentially the east end of this "Foodie Lane", though that's not to say there aren't any good restaurants east of Lincoln Station. There still are, but more scattered about and not as concentrated as the businesses on "Foodie Lane". Whenever I'm here, it's usually a stop at Sprouts Farmers Market, which may have some samples at the self-checkout lane from time to time! Overall, it's a decent shopping center worth visiting. Can you do all of your one-stop shopping here? Possibly, unless it involves electronics or furniture; otherwise, your next closest option would be Cerritos Towne Center. You also won't necessarily get the best food here, but there is a wide variety of businesses that you can certainly hit up more than one on a single stop here. You can definitely get a lot of steps in just by walking around this plaza, and did I mention how you could walk to Artesia Park from there?

We came to eat lunch at the California Fish Grill. We parked in the huge lot by Target. Tons of…read morefree parking. Lots of restaurants, dessert places and Starbucks. Other kinds of businesses too.

Lots of good places here, the Vegas buffet and watch repair are my favorites. Theres also wingstop…read moreand Panda Express.

Today we came to have lunch at Blaze Pizza. We were the only ones there, so we had excellent…read moreservice. There were plenty of parking spaces available close to the restaurant.

FYI, truck tailgates have been getting stolen out of the parking lot including my own. I was parked…read moreright in front of BJ's during the dinner rush. There are no security cameras and good luck with getting any help from Cerritos Sheriff's Dept. if something happens.

Shopping center has a few things to offer. At least 10 businesses remain open. The Post Office,…read moreMarshall's, Smart & Final, IHop, the Cleaners, the beauty supply to name a few.

Old center but a great variety of clothes stores, services, restaurants, financial services, two…read moredrug stores and three grocery stores, two of them discount, serving a vibrant neighborhood in Long Beach CA.

This is an outdoor shopping area made up of a few streets. There are lots of different kinds of…read morebusinesses and shops. Also restaurants and bars. I saw somebody getting his haircut at a barbershop. You don't see storo that you find all over the place. They are one of a kind and unique. Interesting to come here and look around.

Very cute area with a lot of great shops. Easy parking either on the street or 2 hrs free parking…read moreon a parking lot. Some of the shops were closed already when we went, so will need to come back

Okay Lilah J, here we go with another FTR! lol…read more I mainly go to Paramount Towne Center to visit El Super, but will stop by Walmart every now and then for those few extra steps. They have a handful of other businesses here, including three eateries adjacent to Lakewood Blvd, but El Super and Walmart are pretty much the anchor stores here. So first things first, do *not* get Paramount Towne Center in Paramount on Lakewood confused with Paramount Town Center in Paramount on Paramount. The shopping center on Paramount is divided into two halves with the main road being the divider, but this shopping center on, but not in, Lakewood, isn't. It is shaped like a right trapezoid with Lakewood Blvd and the strip mall as the bases, Century Blvd as the slanted leg, and the trees by the southern wall as the other leg. If you're coming here via freeway, just know that it's between the 105 and the 91, both of which run horizontally on a map. It's closer to the 105 that if I were to picture a numerical scale between those two freeway numbers, I'd put Paramount Towne Center at about 100 lol. The three eateries on the east side adjacent to Lakewood Blvd are Yoshinoya, Carl's Jr, and Taco Bell. All three have drive-thrus, so if you want to get lunch or dinner after shopping on the west side, you wouldn't necessarily need to make the long walk across the parking lot. There's also El Pollo Loco and Wendy's just a little further north, but aren't a part of Paramount Towne Center since both are on the other side of Century Blvd. Other than those three fast food spots, all the remaining businesses are in the strip mall on the west end from Planet Fitness to Walmart. Wait, did I just say Planet Fitness? Yup! There is now a Planet Fitness here! It's the southernmost business next to El Super, so this shopping center will surely attract gym enthusiasts in the area. There's another Planet Fitness just 2 miles south, and it's also just off Lakewood Blvd, so I can't be too certain this Planet Fitness will attract *that* much more customers to this shopping center. I actually didn't start shopping at El Super until this decade, so I can't be too certain what the previous business was before Planet Fitness. El Super is quite a supermarket that whatever food you need for your special occasion e.g. quinceañera, El Super will surely have it! Meat counter? Check! Baked goods? Check! Tamales? Check as well! I personally go here for the produce since I find that their produce prices are pretty competitive, especially in comparison to other grocery stores like Albertsons, Ralphs, and especially Sprouts Farmers Market. The quality of their produce can be inconsistent, however, but for the reasonable price point, I'm satisfied. I did find a little quirk on my last visit, however, that they advertised brown onions, which were 4 lbs for $1 at the time, as white onions, which were 89 cents per lb!? *And* they had one section of brown onions completely empty, which almost made me think they ran out! I'll also go to Superior Grocers for their produce as well. There's actually a Superior Grocers in the City of Bellflower just one mile south of El Super, but that Superior Grocers is significantly smaller than the norm. Often times, I find myself going to both since a product may be on sale at one, but not the other and vice versa. The Walmart Supercenter here is pretty much your standard Walmart Supercenter. They have a pharmacy, auto care center, vision center, and a garden center as well. There's also a pretty large section for self-checkout if you'd rather not get rung up by an associate, who may or may not be friendly. The rest of the businesses in Paramount Towne Center that haven't been mentioned previously in this review are located In between El Super and Walmart. Three examples are Boomy, Sally Beauty, and La Michoacana. Boomy is a women's clothing store, Sally Beauty sells beauty supplies, and La Michoacana offers ice cream. The parking lot, while spacious and ginormous, isn't necessarily in the best condition. Sometimes, I'll see shopping carts and other trash lying around, and the pavement could definitely use a resurfacing. In fact, I might even argue that would help attract more customers to this part of town as it wouldn't make a great first impression. In addition to the El Super here, I've also been to the El Super in Long Beach, and I believe the lot in Long Beach is in better condition. While probably not as difficult as parks, I don't find it particularly easy to review shopping centers like this one. I think 3 stars is fair; I doubt I'd go here if not for El Super because all my stops here have involved getting something inside the Mexican grocery store. While you could get a decent amount of errands done here, there isn't enough of an eclectic variety of businesses as, say, Long Beach Exchange (LBX). Not that I want to compare the two, of course, but I personally find LBX much more enticing with what they have to offer.