Irvine Spectrum Center is one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon or evening. The layout is…read moreopen and easy to walk, and there's a great mix of shopping, dining, and entertainment all in one spot. It has a lively atmosphere, especially at night when the lights come on and everything feels more vibrant. Parking can get a little hectic on busy weekends, but if you're patient you can usually find a spot without too much trouble. There are plenty of places to grab a bite, from casual snacks to sit-down restaurants, and it's also a nice place to just stroll around and people-watch. The giant Ferris wheel and outdoor seating areas give it a fun, almost vacation-like vibe. Overall, it's a clean, well-maintained shopping center that's great for meeting friends, going on a casual date, or just getting out of the house for a while.

I think this is a nicer shopping area than most others. It has a decent blend of popular/big-chain…read morestores, smaller stores, restaurants, and other things (like a movie theatre, carousel, and jungle gym). We went into a few stores to look around and enjoyed our time here. They basically have something for whatever you're in the mood for. It definitely is a very crowded place. There's a reason why they have soo many parking lots/areas. I'm glad we were able to come at a less busy time, but I'm sure weekend are extremely crazy. I liked the mall enough where I would come back.

Quiet, pleasant, peaceful plaza. Nice place to hang with family and friends. Can go to the fitness…read morestudio or grab a bite. Abundant parking. Conveniently located right by the 405. I felt safe here.

One of the worst "security" experiences I've ever had. While waiting for food, a woman who called…read moreherself a supervisor named Alexa banged on my car window, yelled aggressively, and told me I couldn't come back just because she didn't like my music. She was extremely rude and a liar, even claiming she was present at times she clearly was not. The truth is, I once saw her using marijuana behind Albertsons during her shift and gave her a friendly reminder. Since then, she's harassed me out of a personal grudge. I even called Irvine dispatch (09/11/25, 9:30 AM), but the man who answered sounded half-asleep, spoke rudely, and sided with them. Completely unprofessional. Security is supposed to protect people, not harass law-abiding citizens. I will be pursuing this further with my attorney until there is real accountability. One of the worst "security" experiences I've ever had. While waiting for food, a woman who called herself a supervisor named Alexa banged on my car window, yelled aggressively, and told me I couldn't come back just because she didn't like my music. She was extremely rude and a liar, even claiming she was present at times she clearly was not. The truth is, I once saw her using marijuana behind Albertsons during her shift and gave her a friendly reminder. Since then, she's harassed me out of a personal grudge. I even called Irvine dispatch (09/11/25, 9:30 AM), but the man who answered sounded half-asleep, spoke rudely, and sided with them. Completely unprofessional. Security is supposed to protect people, not harass law-abiding citizens. I will be pursuing this further with my attorney until there is real accountability.

South Coast Plaza is definitely a lux shopping destination…read more They have brands, variety, and an amazing selection of high end stores, serving the Irvine area. The events are top notch and hands down my favorite activations! I had a great time at South Coast Plaza and it's always a blast when you are having fun!

It's Disneyland for kids and Adults of all ages! Even just for people watching, window watching,…read morebuying experience or otherwise, it's always a fun and exciting place to visit ! Huge selection of food options, great value found at most , definitely worth checking out!!

What a fun and gorgeous addition to SJC! We visited on a busy Saturday and parking is a challenge…read morebut we were able to find a spot after circling around for a bit. Love the open air feel and selection of shops, restaurants and bars. The huge lawn in the middle of the center is a gathering place for families and kids along with groups of all kinds. Lots of tables and chairs available for hanging out or bringing food purchased at the food hall which has some delicious selections. I love how this area seamlessly connects to the Los Rios Historic District and the train depot. You could hop on the train, take it to SJC and spend a couple of hours wandering around both, shopping, getting a meal and grabbing a few drinks. A perfect place for families, couples and friends to spend time together in the beautiful weather.

River Street Marketplace is a development and shopping area located in San Juan Capistrano. There…read moreis ample parking ($2/hour) but you can also take the train as the Metrolink station is right there. It reminds me of the SoCo plaza in Costa Mesa but it has a pretty common vibe where there are indoor shops, outdoor seating, play areas, and restaurants. This place in particular also has some old school charms like the River Street Ranch (a petting zoo) with modern boutique shops and a food hall. It's a place to hang out when it's nice outside and it's packed with people.

In the day and age of online shopping it is harder for the traditional brick and mortar malls to…read moresurvive. I see the effort that the company is making to draw more shoppers to visit the mall. They have been doing lots of improvements on the property and new tenants into the space. I've visited several new shops in the mall. Going to Round1 and Chagee to speak of a few new locations. They also hosted several community events to bring more traffic to the space.

There aren't many indoor malls in the OC area so I decided to check out The Shops. The mall is…read morehidden away from view from the Main Street but parking is relatively easy to find. The mall reminds me of the malls from the 80s except a lot more run down. It was fairly empty for a Saturday which is when I would expect to see the most people. A lot of nostalgic stores were there including a Spencers. There was a decent selection of stores from high end to normal. Majority of stores were on the normal side. The food court was a good size with a large selection. It is large and spacious with plenty of room to go mall walking on those really hot days!

It been a few years since I shopped at this outlet mall. It has a good variety stores. I usually…read morego to the Citadel but today decided to go here instead. Parking is very easy. Lots of parking lots surrounding the shopping center (vs Citadel where the one lot and parking structure is a hike away). Plenty of places to eat as well inside and on the perimeter. Only.negative, I arrived right at opening time.and surprised to see stores not yet opened. Opening 5-15 minutes after! Smaller stores with only .one person staffing. Guessing its the norm here. Next time I won't come at opening time!

Overall, a nice outlet mall that's easy to walk and not overwhelmingly big. It's a great spot if…read moreyou're looking for a more relaxed shopping experience without spending all day there. That said, I did find myself missing some higher-end stores, as the selection felt a bit limited on the luxury side.

Located within the Kaleidoscope Center, this place has so much potential. I came here with friends…read moreon a Saturday evening, and this area had a lively atmosphere happening. The selection of little shops, some were open and some were closed, are so cute. The shops that were open, looked inviting and friendly. The prices on items were somewhat reasonable. During the day, depending upon which day, this place can seem dead or bleak. I don't know how some businesses survive here. Overall, I enjoyed my experience. As much as I want to love the Kaleidoscope, I really liked Union Market, and I would return to this spot, just for the adorable small businesses located inside. The Kaleidoscope, itself, is really run down and disappointing. Please read my separate review on my opinion of Kaleidoscope. If you ever consider going here, most definitely head to Union Market. Enjoy!!!

I was really surprised to come to Union Market around 6pm and see how empty it was. It was…read moredisappointing to see there were only 2 restaurants open, and one of them you had to ring a bell for the people to even greet you. This space is huge and really cool with a lot of artwork on the walls. There's great potential, but I think malls are a dying breed since covid. This spot has a couple really cool retail stores, including candle making and events with crafts. They also have a good sized bar, hangout areas, foosball, corn hole and more! They even have live music! It was just so sad to see how empty it was and how many businesses have shut down. I'm thinking this space is probably used more for private events.

Ever since CAMP added Camp Out, parking has gotten even busier, so valet is honestly the move…read more I usually swing by East Borough for lunch (always hits the spot), and Jazz Night at Mesa on Wednesdays is a favorite.

'The Camp management or owners' need to enforce cars to park in actual parking spots and not park…read moreon the curb sides which is causing issues with the flow of traffic in the parking lot. That's how pedestrians or bypassing cars get hit. Which we (including my six year old who was with us) almost did multiple times just for walking to our car or even trying to drive through the parking lọt. It used to never be this way until recently. Recklessness and obstruction. Better hope something doesn't happen and causes a big lawsuit.

Why haven't we been here before?? Great selections- can't wait to come back and try other options…read more We tried London chippy - check out my review on their page!! Amazing! Next time Doner place. Great idea to have this marketplace - can't even tell what's inside - or that there's an inside- if you don't know. Check it out!!

This is one of my favorite outdoor malls in the Orange County area for mall walking. As it is…read morelocated near the beach, the weather is always nice and there are plenty of places to sit and rest your feet at this mall with a nice view of the beach. The mall does tend towards high end stores with a small smattering of standard stores but in general, there are a wide variety of stores. Plenty of dining options from high end or quick casual. You can even do your grocery shopping here as there is a Whole Foods market. They occasionally have special events. I happened to be here during the Lunar New Year event so one of the areas was decked out with Year of the Horse decorations. I also always walk by the Koi pond to see how the fishes are doing. Staff has always been friendly and helpful when I visit.

As outdoor mall in the affluent community of Newport Beach, Fashion Island opened in 1967, making…read moreit one of the older malls in the area. It's had it's share of anchors leaving (think Circuit City and Forever 21), but the owner (Irvine Company) continues to pour money into it, to keep it fresh and relevant. As an example, when Forever 21 declared bankruptcy and closed its store in 2019, the building was demolished in 2022 to make way for a new Restoration Hardware gallery store...which we found to be quite nice. Parking is plentiful, (mostly) covered, and free, with a pedestrian bridge on the 3rd floor taking one to the main part of the mall. And it seems to be one of the most dog friendly malls in the area, which is saying a lot. One will see a lot of signs for something called 'The Lot', which is a high end, ultra-luxury, cinema/cafe/restaurant, geared towards the clientele that the area feeds.