The Falls: Scenic Shopping Mall for the Holiday's

With the holidays fast approaching the shopping mode is on for most people. Here in South Dade, Miami, there are two malls I consider the best for many diverse reasons...the biggest and best for the consumer, due to the size and amount of stores is dadeland.Mall but by far the prettiest and most elegant, if a mall can even be considered, elegant, is the Falls Shopping Center, a delightful place to just go for a stroll, if that is all you are interested in doing and many people go just for that purpose, but for the true high end shopping experience there are quite a few terrific stores at your disposal, even for the serious shopper...

This is an open air shopping center, a shoppers delight with the feel of the tropics wherever you look....wooden bridges lead you from one side of the mall to the other, across the small ponds...little waterfalls cascade throughout, the water falling on large slate or coral rock stones, the foliage is thick and well maintained. Throughout the year,there are animal topiaries located in various spots as you look out over the water, and then, during the Christmas holidays a different theme emerges and you will find Reindeer sculptures, made of golden twigs, grouped together in 2 or 3 different sizes. At night when they are lit up, it is just the most cheerful and sparkling sight, definitely a delight to see and most unusual for any shopping center... wherever you look, you will spot the lovely sight of twinkling lights placed strategically in the palm trees and the rest of the beautiful greenery....for a small,tropical holiday wonderland feel, this is the place to shop for those very special gifts and goodies.

But what about the stores, you might wonder, what will I find there?

Well, to begin with, the mall is anchored on both ends by two major department stores, Bloomingdales, which was the first to open in South Florida, is definitely a big draw since it is the only Bloomies in South Dade...On the other end of the mall is Macy's, which just underwent a major renovation... In between those anchors are 100 or so other specialty stores and small boutiques, including, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Disney Store, Origins, Gap Kids, The Gap, Williams Sonoma, Bath and Body Works, Brookstone, Coach, BCBG, Victoria Secrets, Crabtree and Evelyn, Build a Bear Workshop, (my favorite card shop), Papyrus, Restoration Hardware and even an Apple Store, just to name a few....there are dozens of other unique and special stores, most moderately priced and some quite expensive.

During the Christmas holidays they have a fantastic Santa workshop where you can have those classic Santa and the kiddies Photos taken at a pretty hefty price...in addition they have Santa parades through the mall on certain dates and times usually advertised in the Newspaper in advance.

Another big draw is the United Artist megaplex movie theater situated right in the middle of everything.

If you want a bite to eat, you will find many venues to suit your mood...for a quick bite there is Johnny Rockets or the Crepe Maker, right near the theater ...or for a slower pace P.F.Changs has wonderful Chinese food, or go to TGIF's, Hops or other little eateries found throughout the mall. Oh, and the best Chocolate store on the Bloomies end.

The best thing about the Falls, in the winter months, is that it is cooler to walk around...being an outside mall does have it's drawbacks during the summer's hot humid months, so my favorite time for shopping at the Falls is just around the corner. Being that the Falls is a favorite shopping destination for travelers I expect to see quite a lot of activity the next time I hit the stores or just take a walk to see what new Holiday sights have been added this year to make this a most attractive and unique shopping experience for all.

The Falls is located on South Dixie Highway right at the intersection of U.S.1 and SW 136th street.
There is plenty of parking, both covered and open, but it does get crowded. especially during the Christmas season