The Avenues

Reviews 4

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Alanna Ritchie

This week Irma tore through Jacksonville. Day 2 without power meant my roommate and I were in dire need of air conditioning and maybe a little entertainment. We put on our sneakers, grabbed our purses and a snack and headed out. First mission: find coffee. We got some chik-fil-a breakfast with coffee, biscuits and fried chicken and chowed down in the mall parking lot. Then we began our attack. That Time We Played Mall Madness A Jacksonville native once told me The Avenues Mall wasn’t the greatest place, that it had its hay day, but go to Town center for shopping. She’s not wrong if you want to drive from store to store, battle an enormous parking lot and hit up some bougie spots. But the Avenues has enough to keep me pretty entertained. It has the basics: Forever 21 for me to get lost in and not leave broke from, Francesca’s to check out novelty sentimental items and sparkling things, Charlotte Russe to peruse discount glam heels and everything else that’s pretty much extra. Our Afternoon Amusement Park We decided the mall was like an amusement park and we wanted to go on all the rides. AKA, whatever was open. We’d already gone by the chick-fil-a ride, so it was time to see what else was there. We browsed DVDs and comic book paraphernalia at FYE. I saw Reece’s peanut butter cups the size of small hands. We eyed rockstar band shirts at Hot Topic. Then eventually felt the magnetic pull of Forever 21. We went in with #goals. And knowing we’d be going on “mall rides,” we put a cap on our spending at the beginning. $100 max for this hurricane refuge. We found baseball caps printed with “1984,” the year we were both born and HAD to buy them. We found sparkly keds for under $15 and couldn’t argue with that. I got 2 shirts, 1 dress, curlers and one of those oh-so-popular jumpsuits. Def hit the shopping high. Irene, my roommate disappeared somewhere between leggings and colored blouses. We regrouped in the dressing room, and finally she had to drag me off of this ride before I did more damage to my not-so-full savings account. Hot Food, Retro Styles and Relaxation It was time for another ride. This was the pizza ride. The savory smells of Sbarro had wafted toward us as soon as we entered the mall. Hot meals were something we couldn’t make at home, so the fresh baked items were extra alluring. We split a slice of pepperoni, making room for other rides later. Then we explored Subculture to check out the retro styles, classy glam, steampunk vibes and vintage looks with modern prices. Irene plans to return after the next paycheck. Our feet were a little sore and the day was still young so we decided to go on the massage ride. We chose a double feature: a 15-minute foot massage and 15-minute chair massage: equalling a 30-minute escape from all things mundane. Very relaxed, happy and dizzy with the pampering, we wandered out into the glow of the mall halls and headed toward the puppy store. The tiny little creatures slept or pranced at us. The place had an overwhelming stench so we made this visit brief. To the Mattresses We considered a painting or ceramic art adventure, but decided to save that for another trip to the mall. We headed to Dillards (or Macy’s – I’m not really sure) to have some department store fun and get ideas for our new apartment’s decor. We smelled exotic Chanel perfumes. We touched overpriced fashion bags. We drifted towards the men’s section and reminisced about shopping for the men in our lives. Then we escalated to the second floor to look at home goods. We visited a few more spots. We skipped out on the nail ride, the new hair ride, the tattoo ride and the handful of stores that remained closed for the day. Our final purchase was a sweet note to end things on: Cinnabon bites with rich icing. Life without electricity can be brighter than you’d expect.

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Brandi Shaffer

A decent mall with lots of in-style stores that carry a plethora of fashionable items. From the old to the young, theres something here for everyone! Im pretty impressed with the selection of stores available here. I could spend all day shopping, and Im not one who likes to hang out in malls and stores often. One thing I didnt like were the bathrooms, they werent as clean as they shouldve been, but I wont dock too many points for that because Im sure its hard to keep them all clean during the holiday season with thousands of shoppers coming through there. The food court is also super crowded. Thats why I recommend eating when its not meal-time such as before or after lunch, or else youll end up standing in long lines and fighting for a table to eat at. Also, during the rush times the employees speed through trying to get the customers in and out of there as fast as possible. While zipping through customers has some pros to it such as shorter wait times, it can also cause mistakes to happen where they end up screwing up your food order. Other than those few issues I mentioned, I really think this is a great place to shop! I love how spacious it is, and the sky lighting brings sunshine in making it feel even more open and airy. I also think its adorable how they decorate it for the seasons! I wish more places would get festive and decorate. Theres also a huge area where Santa visits and sets up his little area for families to line up and to have their turn getting their picture taken with him. It was entertaining to watch all the excited little kids trying so hard to be patient as they wait their turn to see Santa. Ive been to a lot of malls all over the US, and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite malls to visit. My kids also agree with me, they too love to shop at The Avenues Mall.

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delta2ude

I was visiting Jacksonville for work. I lived there from 1996-98. This mall was hands down the absolute best. On my visit this week I was so disappointed. This mall has gone down and has not been kept up properly. I visited Forever 21..my final straw was going into the restroom. Prior to going into the restroom. I had a tone of items for my daughter to purchase to bring back home but I was so disgusted I left the restroom and went straight to the car to the airport and just set for hours until it was time for me to depart. I cant believe the mall administration allows this poor practice. My excitement was killed by that nasty restroom. In my opinion, if they arent attentive to the public restroom in that store what else is being neglected? Are the clothes clean? Is bacteria and filth floating around in the back areas where the clothes are. stored unto they are put out? Who knows. Highly disappointed! SMH...

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Brad Clayman

Good place to go. Ruby Tuesdays is there and it is a good place to go. Have to be wary as to whats going on around you. Do not spend much time wandering in malls. This is some what of a dangerous time and best not to tempt trouble. Was on the second floor some time ago and some young males decided to walk six abreast and wanted to make it a little difficult for the seniors to walk the mall. And yes they were a ethnic group. When they approached my wife and I Saw what was going on and moved my hand into my jacket pocket. They noticed it and split apart. And yes they were right. From that point on we only go to the Avenues Mall to participate at Ruby Tuesdays. We enter through the side walk entrance and leave the same way. The population of the mall has changed in the last two or three years, and as I mentioned when walking the mall be wary as to what is going on around you.

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