Shopping around

There is a trend here in the mid-west to build "open air" shopping malls. The idea, as I understand it, is to build an area that resembles a little village, and they often come complete with hotels and condominiums and their own little suburb.

There have been three built in my area lately and I can't help but think, "Why?" This is the Midwest, where it's hot in the summer, cold in the winter, wont to rain or snow in either season, and the November and March winds whip under your heaviest coat to chill the marrow in your bones.

I went to the newest of these malls yesterday for the first time. I didn't appreciate its unique style.

In the first place it was built out in the country. I suppose land was cheaper there and as this is a rapidly growing area, it probable won't be in the country for long.

Once I found it (and that wasn't easy), I entered the center and drove around a little bit. The first thing I noticed was that there didn't seem to be a lot of traffic. Which was a good thing, because the streets were a little confusing. They weren't laid out in straight grids so I had to pay attention to where I was going, when I stopped and yielded, and watch the rest of the traffic while I scoping out the stores. It didn't help any that it was raining and gloomy.

I went down what I think was the the main street and around a traffic island (which this county will install anywhere - they even have one in the Lowes' parking lot). This led me to what may have been the main shopping area. It did resemble the main street of a thriving small town (minus the business offices). One could park on the street here, in front of the stores, head-in parking. There weren't many spaces available.

I drove down that street, turned left and saw a J C Penny store in the not-too-far distance, but some what off to itself. Before I got there, I meandered off in the other direction to see what else was around, and I found myself at a stop sign. If I turned right I would be at a stop light leaving the center. I tried to figure out if I could turn left onto the second lane or if it was a four lane street and I'd have to go to the third and fourth lanes over, but I was confused by a car in the third lane that was backing up. I looked around a little and when I looked back the car was going forward but in the same lane so I was even more confused. You'd have to see the street(s) to see my dilema - the lanes didn't exactly run parallel like most 4 lane roads. Eventually I went out at the stop light and came back in at the next one. It seemed safest. At least no one was backing up and turning around in the middle of the street.

I stopped at the Borders bookstore because there was more-or-less convenient parking there, and because I haven't been to the one near me since they moved it about a year ago and they've been sending me emails with the heading "We miss you!" (Honest, I'm not making that up.) It was a large bookstore, set up to maximize walking, full of artfully arranged displays and bookshelves that produced an over abundance of corners and curves. They had too many salespeople and not enough customers. Every time I turned a corner, someone would pop up and ask "May I help you find anything?" Frankly, it became as annoying as the emails. I got tired of them and of getting lost in the store so I left without buying anything. (Yes, I left a bookstore without buying a book.)

I walked down to the corner where the "village main street" was and tried to see if the other store I wanted to visit was close. The store signs were on the front of the stores so I couldn't see them. It was rainy and cold and I hadn't eaten breakfast and the whole thing had lost what little alure it had for an old lady. So I left.

I'm old enough to remember when covered shopping malls became poplular. In most small towns, shoppers deserted the downtown stores and embraced enclosed shopping areas that were air conditioned in summer, heated in winter and had plenty of parking (OK, except at Christmas). Where you could go in and out of more than a dozen shops without getting rained on or snowed on or assaulted by gale force winds.

Bottom line: The mall is new and different, it's probably attractive when it's not raining, but this old lady wasn't thrilled with it. If I want to hike, I'll go to the woods. If I want to be rained on - it won't be in November in the midwest.

Slate has an interesting article on these centers if you want a differnt perspective.