BIGMallrat's Editorial Review
The goliath of all factory outlet shopping centers, the
Great Mall of the Bay Area in Milpitas is the largest factory
outlet center in the San Francisco and San Jose regions. So big,
it is able to tire even the most sprite bargain hunters.
A few years back, they put a corridor in the middle,
between the two main walkways, so you don't have to go all the way
around to get where you want. A smart move on their part.
Occupancy
Although there are plenty of stores to keep you
busy, we did notice quite a few vacancies (they seemed to be grouped).
I imagine it's hard to find retailers to open an outlet in
the middle of an urban area. But, it might explain the
influx of non-outlet
stores, such as Kohl's and Beverages & More.
Atmosphere
The center banks on the building's industrial
past (it used to be a Ford plant). Hard edges and bold colors dominate.
Pay attention to the ceiling color to identify which part of the
shopping center you are in. Even with the generous skylights,
some parts of the mall seemed dark. Nevertheless, the architects
kept true to industrial design.
Stores
With nearly 200 stores, this place is a factory
outlet shopping extravaganza! You can find many of your favorite
store's
outlet here, including The Gap
and Abercrombie & Fitch. Also, some, non-outlet stores
like Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, and Kohl's. Finally,
many restaurants
and entertainment tenants like Dave & Busters and Century Theatres.
This IS the place for bargain shoppers.
Food
A large food court near Entrance 4 offers a variety
of offerings for a quick bite on the run.
Parking
The Main Street side of the center is a parking
nightmare. A Home Depot shares the lot and makes it really difficult.
I'd suggest parking in the back where parking is a little easier.
Location
Located between I-680 and I-880, Great Mall seems
a little tricky to find. The Great Mall Parkway skirts the shopping
center and you have to look carefully past the elevated VTA tracks
(there are
limited left turn lanes). Even exiting the mall is sometimes frustrating.
In addition, there is a convenient VTA
station for excellent public transportation.
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