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4. Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, AZ
Cool Points: 5 out of 5
Online: http://www.shopbiltmore.com/, for redelopment news http://www.shopbiltmore.com/redevelopment/shopbiltmore/default.asp

What you are looking at here is an outdoor mall is similar to The Block at Orange. The central corridor runs beneath the words “Biltmore Fashion Park” is a grassy stretch with sidewalks on either side. It’s fun to look into the stores when you are on the outside, but, it’s also pleasant to be inside the store and look out onto the grass. That’s a lot better than the same instance in a typical mall. There, you look out of the store and see herds of people, a kiosk selling cell phone accessories, and then another storefront with people looking back at you.

The Biltmore adds to the community around it.

I know “parking” is a dull subject, which is exactly why it’s important to address here. Parking is a necessary evil, so it’s important to do it right. The long white structure rectangle on the top is a multi-level parking structure. It’s hidden behind the shopping area, so you don’t have to look at it when you are driving by. The limited amount of parking in between Camelback Road and the shopping center makes The Biltmore more approachable. It’s hard to drive by without wanting to pull in and explore. Part of the traffic problem at that the intersection of 24th and Camelback is that people miss their green lights because they are too busy gawking at the action.

When you are driving on 24th Street (up or down) or on Camelback Road (left or right), The Biltmore is interesting to look at. You don’t even have to go inside and shopping to enjoy the place; this is in stark contrast to Gwinnett Place Mall. The store fronts open up to the grassy interior walkway, but they also open up to the street and the parking lot. It’s just a cool looking group of buildings.

Of all the shopping areas I’ve written about here, Biltmore Fashion Park is the most ambitious project because of it’s history. It was originally built in the early 1960s with a bit of a futuristic Jetson’s vibe to it.

It’s been under a massive facelift for the past year or so. It looks great. I am impressed that they dug a pedestrian walkway underneath Camelback Road to people staying at the hotels (below Camelback) to get easy access to the shopping and restaurants at The Biltmore. Or if you are spending a day shopping, you can unload your stuff in the car and then catch a movie at the Promenade on the south side of the street. I’ve read that they are building residential towers and more office spaces to create that synergy of live/work/play.

The blue border defines the Biltmore Fashion Park. The two towers on the left are expected to be completed in the future.

Since the company is owned by nearby Scottsdale Fashion Center, they’ve traded around some stores to create an ideal line-up to cater to specific audiences. From what I’m seeing, The Biltmore is aiming for the young and rich–two words that rarely fit together in reality. But the idea is appealing to everyone, so I imagine this place will get more popular by the day.

A bonus is that it’s not too far from the center of town: 8.1 miles from the heart of Phoenix.

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5. The Forum at Carlsbad in Carlsbad, California
Cool Points: 4 out of 5
Online: http://www.forumatcarlsbad.com.

I go to The Forum all the time when I’m in San Diego. It’s only a few minutes from the coast, so this area keeps the temperate climate year round. It’s sheltered on the left by a low mountain range (notice the trees). On the right is plenty of green to separate the whole center from the noisy commercial corridor: El Camino Real. These trees create a haven so that you don’t feel like your stuck in just another square in the endless grid of shopping in SoCal.

The main appeal to The Forum is the experience of driving into the center on the L-shaped main street. (Okay, maybe it’s a reverse L-shape.) Part of the fun of finding a parking space is gawking at the store fronts, watching people, and being seen in your car. You just feel cool. You can pull off to the right up to the sidewalk, or park in the center spaces. The larger parking lots are on the upper corners, then more on the south side.

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6. Kierland Commons in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona.
Cool Points: 3 out of 5
Links: http://www.kierlandcommons.com

I’ve only shopped here a couple times in the past few years, but Kierland Commons has all the attributes of a successful shopping center: mix of shops and restaurants, wide sidewalks, leafy trees, street lamps, park benches, street-side parking, and and inviting store displays.

It’s a good place to cruise.

Livin’ Large in No Sco (that’s North Scottsdale)

The overflow parking allows people to get in and out of the big stores, but the lots are divided up so that it doesn’t make you feel like you pulled up to Wal Mart.

I would give this place more cool points, but it’s just too far away from me to judge accurately. I have a prejudice against areas in my city that are too far from the center of the city: 20.8 miles.