Today we went to Pollo Loco for lunch. It was a great experience. First of all. It was super easy…read moreto park next to the restaurant second they weren't busy and they took our order right away and her food came out a few minutes later. There are other restaurants at the corner where we were.

With additional encouragement from my Yelp friend, Lilah J, to score another FTR for a shopping…read moreplaza in the City of Lakewood, here goes my go at Lakewood Marketplace. Lakewood Marketplace is located at the intersection of South and Woodruff. Here's a question for you: Which corner of that intersection is Lakewood Marketplace? It's a trick question because the answer is all four corners! lol It's true, there's something going on at every corner, and depending on your needs, you may be able to fulfill all of them at this one intersection. Just like parks, I don't find shopping centers easy to review, not knowing exactly how to approach it, but since I've stopped by all four corners at some point in time, I'll split this review into four sections, one dedicated to each intermediate direction. Southeast Corner: Vons is the anchor store here, but you'll also find a Daiso Japan, Starbucks, Granny's Donuts, Banfield Pet Hospital, Arby's, and an Ace Hardware store that just recently replaced Tuesday Morning, oddly enough, opening their doors to the general public on a Tuesday morning. The Vons here is more spacious than the *other* Vons on Woodruff, so if that *other* Vons is your usual Vons, and you can't find any of those seemingly scarce eggs, you may want to consider making the 1.7 mile trek north to this Vons instead. If you read my review of Carwood West Shopping Center, also in Lakewood, I mentioned a story where I tried to find something at the Vons on the other side of Woodruff and encountered a suspicious family asking for gas money. I told them I didn't have any, but wished them luck anyways. I drove up to this Vons, and when I was about to leave, that same suspicious family came up to me again! Luckily, that was the only such encounter I've had at Lakewood Marketplace. Northeast Corner: I've only been to El Pollo Loco and Pizza Hut. Also the Seven Eleven on 7/11, but they had run out of free slushies. UFC Gym was the anchor business there, but they have since closed. However, Tesla owners will be thrilled to hear that there's now a Tesla Supercharger here! I don't own such a vehicle, so I can't really comment on how effective the charging station is there. For eats, there is also a Church's Chicken and Thai Villa here. They're probably better than what I had at El Pollo Loco and Pizza Hut. I don't find this corner particularly interesting compared to the Northwest and Southeast corners; I find it about as boring as the Southwest corner. Northwest Corner: Alongside the Southeast corner, there's just as much or maybe even more going on at this corner with the recent addition of a Cassidy's Corner Cafe, though I personally think it's overkill to have 5 locations within 6 miles of one another! The other grocery store, Grocery Outlet, is at this corner, and shopping there lately has been more of a game of maximizing your savings while minimizing your spendings. Don't expect the quality of the merch to be better than that of Vons, but you can definitely save a ton of money if you shop here often. The expiry dates are much earlier than at Vons, so keep that in mind in deciding whether to patronize Grocery Outlet or Vons. There are more options for eats here: Yoshinoya, Mamma's, Adobo Taco Grill, Subway, and Carl's Jr. There's also Cafe Monster that took over Ding Tea, and I'm not sure if it's a rebranding of the bubble tea shop with the same employees? If it is, I'd be hesitant to visit as my one visit to the then-Ding Tea was a complete and utter failure. See my review of that one to see why. Southwest Corner: The only businesses I've patronized on this corner are ARCO and Boba Bee, the last of which is a pretty nice boba shop. Much better than the *other* bee-themed boba shop in Lakewood, which happens to be next to the *other* Cassidy's Corner Cafe, both of which I'm avoiding like the plague. Some gas stations are set up so that if you want to park your car in the parking lot directly in front of a business in the same corner, you'd have to get back on the main road for a few feet. Not here. There was a time when I needed to pump fuel at ARCO, and then immediately after, I parked in the lot without having to get back on Woodruff, which was pretty convenient, but with such a smaller space to traverse your vehicles through, you'll have to keep a keen eye on other drivers finding their way about. Compared to the other three corners, I believe fender benders are likeliest to happen at this corner. Did I mention the parking lot here? Since it's a strip mall, there's a long strip of parking spots with minimal room for two vehicles to pass by one another in opposite directions. If you're really having difficulty finding an open spot or maneuvering your vehicle with such a short turn radius, I recommend parking closer to Tokyo Hibachi. Overall: It wouldn't be easy for me to give a rating to each individual corner of this intersection. Luckily, deciding on a holistic rating was. 4 solid stars!

I was in the Long Beach (LB) area for an event right across the street from the Los Altos Shopping…read moreCenter. I saw Trader Joe's (TJ) and wanted to pick up a few frozen salmons before heading home. What a coincidence... Nguyen's Kitchen and Purs Bowl are right next door to TJ. I got my salmon at TJ, grabbed a late night bite from Nguyen's Kitchen, and cooled down with an acai bowl at Purs Bowl. Very nice! This shopping center is located at the intersection of Bellflower Boulevard and Stearns Street. I don't frequent this area much if at all throughout the year. This was my second time in this area. Anchored by major retailers such as Target, TJ, and T.J. Maxx, with various dining options including McDonald's and Panera Bread. Essential services like CVS Pharmacy, Mobil Gas Station, multiple bank branches (Bank of America, Chase, Southland Credit Union), and U.S. Post Office make this a well rounded center. Here are some of the other tenants at this center... Amazing Comics & Cards Beach Eyecare Optometry Copyco USA Cosmo Prof Deli News Pizza Dvine Mediterranean Experience Five Below Golden Eyebrow Threading Krak Boba Kumon Math and Reading Center of Long Beach Long Beach Smiles Dentistry Nails 4 Season Starbucks Coffee Company Subway Supercuts Sushi Kinoya Tattered Wags To Whiskers

Kind of a funky combination of strip mall pieces thrown together with a sometimes odd parking lot,…read morebut this center is kind of a one stop shop(ping center). Close to CSULB and just a few minutes from the 405, it's quite convenient. Trader Joe's, Post Office, Target, Starbucks, Chronic Tacos, Rite Aid, Golden Spoon, and so much more. A couple of banks, fast food, dine in restaurants... a little bit of everything! Pro tip for Trader Joe's- park on the other side of the store. There are two entrances!

We came to Panera to use a $5 entree when you buy one at regular price. The front parking lot was…read morefull, but there were lots of available spots behind Amazon Fresh. There are a lot of restaurants here. I'm sure you can find one you like.

Been here several times. Has a great variety of shops and ample parking. Keep in mind though that…read morewhen they are busy it can be hard to find a spot near where you want to go. Try to avoid busy times if you can.

Went to the Lowe's store here. This shopping center has many businesses and restaurants. I'd…read morerecommend coming here early, as the parking lot can get filled up later in the day and on the weekends. It is located next to the 405 and right on Bellflower.

Lakewood Square, Lakewood Center, and now Lakewood Galleria? Shopping centers are a plenty in the…read moreCity of Lakewood, and in this case, all within or around the same city block. While Lakewood Center is vast and spacious, it can be confusing to tourists which business belongs to what shopping center. Let's see if I can help. Lakewood Galleria is the smallest of the three, perched on the northeast corner of Clark and Candlewood. Just on the other side of Clark is Outback Steakhouse, which is part of Lakewood Center. Lakewood Center is entirely east of Lakewood Blvd whereas Lakewood Square is entirely west of Lakewood Blvd. Got it? Good! Let's move on. Since Lakewood Galleria is significantly smaller than the other two, it wouldn't be fair for me to compare the two shopping centers; if I were to do that, I'd be comparing apples to avocados, both fruits, but certainly not of the same type! I also personally find it difficult to review a plaza like Lakewood Galleria as it'd be more expository compared to a business located within, but my Yelp friend, Lilah J, continues to encourage me to take on this FTR endeavor with an additional prod from another Yelp friend, Te-see B. If you're familiar with Lakewood Center, you should know about Restaurant Row, which spans as far west as IHOP/Chipotle to as far east as Outback Steakhouse. Since they're on the north side of Candlewood, I would argue that you can extend the row past Clark and add a few more eateries from Lakewood Galleria: Ohana Hawaiian BBQ, Corner Bakery Cafe, Pick Up Stix, Cold Stone Creamery, Rubio's Coastal Grill, and the most recently added Mlem Mlem Crab Cajun Seafood. For eats, my go tos are Corner Bakery Cafe and Rubio's Coastal Grill, sometimes on the same trip when I want to eat a nice, delicious meal from Rubio's, and then treat myself to a nice beverage afterwards from Corner Bakery. I personally think Corner Bakery Cafe is on the decline and do not see a bright future ahead for this cafe that has already closed its doors in nearby Long Beach and Whittier. Rubio's is a better choice, offering a wider variety of eats on their menu, though they're not open all three meals of the day. I reviewed three other Rubio's nearby, awarding each of them two stars. This one, however, is superior, and I always appreciate being welcomed by the recently promoted manager whenever he's there. My visits to this Rubio's have been consistently good, though with a few one-offs here and there. The spot occupied by Mlem Mlem Crab seems to be cursed. In a span of 15 years, it went from It's A Grind Coffee House to The Dog House, then to Dickey's Barbecue Pit, and now Mlem Mlem Crab Cajun Seafood. Besides Locks & Lather Hair Salon, which used to be a Fantastic Sam's, I don't recall any other spot in Lakewood Galleria having a changeover like that. I suppose that's why CityTV decided to do a feature on Mlem Mlem to encourage denizens of this city to try something different. They also have a location in nearby Hawaiian Gardens, so hopefully, they are here to stay. I have witnessed the same person in the parking lot of Lakewood Galleria multiple times offering to wash customers' car windows. I usually get wary of stuff like that, so I stay far from him, though I've seen him come inside, and he's never posed a threat to anyone. I generally feel safer here than at Carwood West Shopping Center, and I haven't heard any stories of the likes of what I mentioned in that review, which Lilah also encouraged me to write. While there's not really a doctor here, you can find The Joint, which can cater to your chiropractic needs. There is also Serene Dental Care that can cater to your dental needs. But like I said, no doctor, although I saw that MemorialCare is opening a location on Restaurant Row very soon where Men's Wearhouse used to be! No grocery stores here, but there is an Albertsons just one block south of Lakewood Galleria. The post office is about halfway in between, and there's not a whole lot of parking in front, so if you really can't find a spot to park, I'd suggest parking here instead. The parking lot is large enough that I've never had an issue finding an open spot. Similar to Lakewood Square, Lakewood Galleria serves as a good respite from the hustle and bustle of Lakewood Center. You won't find the best eats here, but there's a good variety for the size of this plaza that it shouldn't be difficult to agree upon a gathering place here. Corner Bakery comes to mind first only because of how empty the cafe has been on my recent visits, though do bear in mind the decline I mentioned earlier in this review. Also, Mayfair Park is a few hundred feet north, just south of South lol. It'd make for a good place to walk off your calories after your meal here.

This place used to be way better! There used to be lots of businesses in here that you'd actually…read morewant to go to. Unfortunately, life has become very busy and chaotic for me, so I haven't been frequenting this area as I used to. I was recently in the area, and saw where a lot of the old businesses that were here are now gone. I really don't see how this tiny strip mall will continue to stay open.

Though First to Reviews (FTRs) are quite an honor to have on this review platform, I honestly…read morewasn't planning on having said honor bestowed upon me until a Yelp friend, Lilah J, prodded me to go for it. I thought it would have been quite the challenge to be reviewing a shopping plaza, one especially across the street from the 4th largest shopping center in California, in spite of my frequent visits to both. However, I figured if Lakewood Square could serve as a good respite from the hustle and bustle of Lakewood Center, it surely deserves at least one review, am I right?! So ironically speaking, Lakewood Square isn't even square in shape, but Lakewood Center, at least sans Restaurant Row, fully occupies the square block encompassed by Lakewood, Del Amo, Candlewood, and Clark. Hardwick divides Lakewood Square into two sides. Either side has plenty of parking, but the north side will be more abundant, especially on Sundays when the anchor tenant, Hobby Lobby, is closed. That Hobby Lobby used to be a Vons, which closed some years ago in spite of its seemingly prime location from a birds eye view. The south side is anchored by World Market, which offers a wide variety of international goods as well as some neat furniture that could go well in your backyard or your front porch. In the immediate vicinity, you can also have your teeth done at Ocean Dental before finally rewarding yourself with some food from one of Subway, Pieology, Cafe Rio Mexican Grill, or Yogurtland. I've been to all four, but none of them have the best food in Lakewood. However, they will certainly do in a pinch if you're too lazy to go across the street, either Lakewood or Hardwick. Eateries on the north side include Crazy Delights, Wasabi Roll & Ramen Bar, and Chuck E Cheese. In addition to a dentist, there's an eye doctor as well as an urgent care to care for your eye and medical needs, respectively. Plus, Metro Infusion Center will be opening very soon. As I mentioned before, there is plenty of parking on both sides of Hardwick, but if you really can't find a spot on a busy day, try to look for parking in the rear of the buildings. You might be able to snag a spot there :) There's also a security guard roaming about the plaza, so you can feel safe while shopping there. Tenants come and go pretty frequently here, so if you were to come back in 5 years, it would look quite different. One thing that has befuddled me is having two Phenix Salon Suites just a mere hundred feet from one another. There was already a standalone location on the north side hugging Hardwick, and now there's another location on the south side, also hugging Hardwick, that recently replaced Catherine's. I don't think it's clear where the bounds are for Lakewood Square, but after consulting their website www.shoplakewoodsquare.com, it seems that First Bank is at the northeastern corner whereas Yogurtland is at the southeastern corner. However, there's more excitement in either direction! To the north, there is JOANN, Big 5, Petco, and Savers, the last of which recently replaced Big Lots. To the south, there is an Optum, Farmers & Merchants Bank, and the old OfficeMax building, which will be a Sender One very soon! I can see that last one getting a ton of foot traffic, indicating that Lakewood Square may be seeing more activity in the near future! In addition to F&M and First Bank, there's also a Chase at Lakewood Square to fulfill your banking needs. Need a haircut? Great Clips has you covered! Or uncovered? lol Need a place to work out? Check out 6 Degree Fitness! There used to be a Crossfit BPM on the northwest corner, but that unfortunately closed recently. Between Hobby Lobby and Crazy Delights, you can also find a laundromat, beauty supply store, and a tobacco store. I mentioned JOANN previously, but there's also Michael's if neither JOANN nor Hobby Lobby has the arts and crafts material that you seek. Artists can try their luck at Painting with a Twist, and if they'd like a manicure or a pedicure, Beam Nail Bar next door can provide those services! What about the kiddos? They can meet some new friends at The Little Gym of Lakewood, or they can have their own birthday parties at Chuck E Cheese! If you're wondering why there's no longer a Men's Wearhouse on Restaurant Row, it's because they recently moved into the spot that was recently occupied by The Avenue. It seems clothing stores have not had the best of luck here, unfortunately. Hopefully, Men's Wearhouse doesn't succumb to the same fate! Though it pales in comparison to Lakewood Center Mall, Lakewood Square is a nice plaza to visit if you want to experience a different kind of shopping. There's just about something for everyone here, but you can't really do all your one-stop shopping here due to lack of a grocery store. However, there's a CVS Pharmacy where you can also pick up your prescriptions and get your COVID/flu shots. Plus, Albertsons is just one block east.

I didn't realize that there was only one review for lakewood Sq. I frequent this area for a few…read morebusiness. My most used is the CVS. I use the drive thru for all of my prescriptions. Theplace I visit most often other than CVS is the UPS store. I do all of my mail returns here. It can get pretty busy. In terms of holiday or party decor you can't go wrong with Micheals or Hobby Lobby! I use Michael's for all of my art framing also. World Market has been the staple store in this center. We used to call it Cost Plus! I love their cards and Xmas ornaments. I bought my turquoise night tables here too. Savers is now my go to to drop off donations! There is a drive thru drop off thru the alley.

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.

This is a terrible shopping center! The parking is horrible. All compact size parking spaces with…read morezero room to move around the lot. There's definitely not enough room or parking spaces for the amount of people coming in and out of this lot. I'd avoid if you care about your car in any way.

It's convenient. There is no parking problem. I live nearby and use the nail salon, eateries and…read morethe liquor store has many things if you don't have time to go to the market. A great auto parts store for many years! There's nothing to complain about. It's just an older shopping center!