La Plaza Mall has grown, but for me it's less a place to shop and more a place to walk with air…read moreconditioning and observe with amazement and wonder the diverse crowd of humanity and also the evolved mall creatures with rainbow hair and pieces of metal sticking out of their tongues.
Unless you're really into paying large amounts of money for the privilege of advertising for a company by wearing clothing covered with their logo (so others know you paid $800 for your sneakers), or cheap Chinese imported fad stuff, you may want to use the entrance that leads directly into the anchor store you want to shop. Thank God, there is still a JC Penny, Dillard's and Macy's and a few decent places to eat.
Those who are more adventurous can enter the vortex that is the mall where there are other stores like Old Navy, Abercrombie & Fitch, Build a Bear Workshop, Torrid, Hot Topic, Sephora, Bath & Body, Victoria's (not so) Secret, Van's, Boot Jack, and a few chain jewelry stores like Zales, Kay, and Reed's.
Naturally (or unnaturally) there is also a labyrinth of kiosks and other smaller stores all competing for your attention and money. You'll find people trying to spray you with fragrances, straighten or curl your hair, fit you with a hair piece, put some new glitter make-up on your face, or polish your shoes for free ...only to try to pressure you into buying their way over-priced shoe polishing kit or at least give them a big tip.
Can you tell I'm not really into malls? I had not been in over a year. I was going to the bank, but discovered it doesn't open till 11 AM, so I could drive somewhere else or walk around for 25 minutes. I chose the latter as walking is good exercise.
The Northside newer expansion of the mall has some good restaurants like Texas de Brazil and Yard House. Of course you can always go to the food court and eat a large pizza sized cookie or some kind of fast food while trying to pretend you don't mind the whining children and their parents who ignore them.
Thankfully, when I went it was a weekday morning and not many mall creatures were out. The parking garage was mostly empty. But I saw enough that I know I do not want to return during the Christmas shopping season.
If you happen to be a mall creature, I wish you well, and a long happy life. Please don't take it personal if I do a double take when I see you made up as an Anime character doll complete with special pupil-enhancing contact lenses, or sporting subdermal implanted Vulcan-style bumps or a third eye tattooed on your forehead. My reaction is involuntary and partly out of shock. I've never had a piercing except for my annual flu shot.
