Unlike most
malls, the central plaza area is designed to work as a park, it
features a compact "dancing waters" fountain (both photos
below)...
...and a large lawn
(below). The few visits I've made to the complex on sunny days have
shown this grassy area to be quite popular - people sit and read, kids
are allowed out of their strollers to play - some folks pick up snacks
from the understated outdoor vending carts, which are grouped together
at two ends unobtrusively.
Having
walked around this park area (located in the eastern end of the
property), looking to the west you'll see a pedestrian street that leads
eventually to the Farmer's Market (below).
Approaching the street you
spot the Grove's double decked electric trolley (below) - which operates
back and forth between the two ends of the development.
The Trolley is nicely
detailed, it's free, and offers a pleasant ride for the kids and
grandma. There is one stop in the middle of the complex, near the Grove
Cinema complex.
The theater
sign is quite elaborate - it rotates, and then stops to light up
the letters one by one. The design is meant to evoke the marquee of the
old (and long gone) nearby Pan Pacific theater. You may remember the
theater from a starring role in the Olivia Newton-John movie "Xanadu,"
Disney also paid tribute to it in the entry plaza design of the Disney
MGM Studios in Orlando. Another
retro touch is the "air conditioning" signs outside on the
theater marquee.
The theater inside has
sort of a "Champaign deco" look for lack of a better
description. It's priced at a normal $9.50 a seat, offers a guest
services desk, and even has a private balcony area (shown in the photo
below) for private parties. All auditoriums are state of the art, and
the staff is dressed up in a similar "bellhop / usher"
style to the El Capitan in Hollywood. (Pacific Theaters operates both
venues.)
What struck me about the
theaters was the hotel-like flourishes in the lobby, such has having
fresh flowers (below). They plan to continue these touches.
Adjacent to
the theater (and accessible via a doorway inside) is Morels
French Steakhouse. It's priced a bit high - but they offered one thing I
thought was really clever, picnic lunches for the park outside. Again,
note the level of detailing below - this is a themed environment you're
dining in, not just a room full of tables and chairs.
Food options tend to be
sparse on the east end of the mall, limited to a few higher end
restaurants and the previously mentioned vending carts. They basically
acknowledge with this that the original Farmer's Market will operate
somewhat as a food court would in a normal mall.
Let's
peek inside some other places, shall we?
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