For decades the Glendale Galleria has been an archetypal mall in Southern California: two stories, seemingly gazillions of shops, anchored by Macy’s, Sears and Nordstrom. Then about a decade ago–with initial mixed reactions from the good citizens of Glendale–developer Rick Caruso built the Americana just across the street.
Some people predicted the death of the Galleria. That didn’t happen. While many shopping malls around the U.S. have been abandoned in the last few years, as of 2016 both the Americana and Galleria thrive.
The Americana is not just another mall. It is an artificial and very upscale village square with expensive apartments and condos above it. And, it has become a hang-out center for people of all ages, especially teenagers and old folks. Even Nordstrom moved out of the Galleria and into Americana. (Sears closed, but Target took its place.) So I decided to go see what was happening for the holiday season at the Americana.
