Orange County has many wonderful options for shopping. You’ll find traditional shopping malls with department stores, and luxury open air shopping centers. Some areas are seeing an uptick in multi-use developments, with shopping on the ground floor and residential living above. Other locations build residential space adjacent to shopping and dining. One thing is certain, there’s no shortage of great shopping in OC.
Bella Terra
7777 Edinger Avenue, Huntington Beach
An open air shopping center with restaurants, theaters, a variety of stores, and salons. Bella Terra hosts regular events as part of their Kids Club program with regularly scheduled family events, crafts, and story times. They host many other events including live music and celebrations in the Pavillion Plaza. Big name stores in the Bella Terra shopping center include Barnes & Noble, REI, Kohls, Old Navy, Burlington Coat Factory, and Cost Plus World Market. Choose from a variety of restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, Island’s, King’s Fish House, Solita, and the Public House.
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Fashion Island
401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
Fashion Island is a premier shopping destination in Orange County. Just steps from the beach, Fashion Island features over 200 shops and restaurants and offers a multitude of services like personal shopping and home delivery. The center opened in 1967 as Newport Center, and has undergone many changes. Fashion Island features unique spots like the World’s Largest Wind Chimes sculpture located near Macy’s, and Butterfly Court where the shopping center hosts special events like fashion shows, live entertainment, and the annual tree lighting ceremony. In 2010, Fashion Island underwent a $100 million renovation to get the updated, high end image you see today. Shoppers will find something for everyone from Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus to Barnes & Noble and Wahoo’s Tacos.
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Irvine Spectrum
670 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine
Irvine Spectrum is a popular shopping and entertainment destination. You’ll see it from the 405 Freeway where the giant Ferris Wheel covered with 52,000 LED lights peeks out over the stores. There’s also a carousel, a splash pad for kids, a kiddie train, an IMAX theater, an interactive motion ride, and so much more. Like other shopping centers, the Spectrum continues to change and grow, providing more choices, more services, and more fun for visitors. The Irvine Improv is a premier comedy club in OC with shows nightly, and shoppers will find goods from a variety of stores including H&M, The Children’s Place, Levi’s, Motherhood Maternity, and more. Hungry? Find everything from ice cream at Cold Stone or Haagen-Dazs, to sushi at Kabuki. For food and entertainment in the same spot, check out Dave and Buster’s.
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MainPlace Mall
2800 North Main Street, Santa Ana
Located in Santa Ana, the MainPlace Mall is a local destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. MainPlace is a traditional indoor shopping mall with a movie theater and stores like Macy’s, Journeys, Claire’s, and the Disney Store. Round One Amusement offers bowling, karaoke, billiards, darts, ping pong, and an arcade. Choose something from their menu like burgers or chicken wings, or venture out to one of the other many dining establishments at MainPlace. Choose from quick bites at the food court or try one of the restaurants like Blaze Pizza, Lucielle’s Smokehouse, or Genki Sushi. Additional shopping and dining options are located directly across from MainPlace Mall at the Orange Town & Country Shopping Center where you’ll find Barnes & Noble, Party City, and more.
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Pacific City
21010 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach
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The LAB Anti-Mall
2930 Bristol Street Costa Mesa, CA 92626
The LAB Anti-Mall is a unique indoor-outdoor shopping center that fuses art and industrialism with a quirky selection of shops and restaurants. The goal was to create an unconventional place to hang out, shop, and enjoy good conversation with like-minded friends and strangers. Stores at The LAB include Creme Tangerine Records, Buffalo Exchange, Urban Outfitters, Red + Blue Vintage, May Martin, and The Little Penguin Shop. Shoppers can enjoy food and drinks from restaurants and cafes like Bootleggers, The Gypsy Den, Habana, Good Town Doughnuts, LA Brisket, and Popbar.
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The Shops at Mission Viejo
555 The Shops at Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo
The Shops at Mission Viejo offer a wide variety of shopping and dining establishments. Nordstrom, Macy’s, Forever 21, and H&M are the big anchor stores here with the Gap, Gymboree, Abercrombie & Fitch, Apple, and many other stores for shoppers to get everything they need from clothing to home goods. There’s a children’s play area, a Build-A-Bear Workshop and plenty of dining options available from snack items like See’s Candies and Wetzel’s Pretzels, to popular lunch and dinner spots like Ruby’s, P.F. Chang’s, and Island’s. The Shops at Mission Viejo also hold regular events like kids clubs and fashion shows so be sure to check out the events page to see what’s happening.
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The Shops at Rossmoor
12201 Seal Beach Boulevard, Seal Beach
The Shops at Rossmoor in Seal Beach is a shopping destination located just off the 405 freeway on Seal Beach Boulevard near the intersection of Lampson. The Shops at Rossmoor is a collection of stores that line both sides of the street and include big box stores like Target, PetSmart, Rite Aid, HomeGoods, and Kohl’s. Smaller boutique style shops have been added and include Jos. A Banks, LOFT, ULTA Beauty, Soma Intimates, and Francesca’s Collections. Prep Kitchen Essentials is perfect for home cooks to get their chef supplies and they offer cooking classes for the whole family. There are also a variety of service establishments including Rossmoor Cleaners, Rossmoor Dental Group, Rossmoor Nails & Spa, and Fidelity Investments. Hungry after a day of shopping? Enjoy a meal or a snack from Bowlology, Panera Bread, Chipotle, California Pizza Kitchen, Chick-Fil-A, or In-N-Out.
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South Coast Plaza
3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa
An indoor shopping mall with over 250 shops and 30 restaurants, including high end stores like Bloomingdales, Cartier, and Chanel. Other popular stores shoppers will find here are Nordstrom, Lego Store, Crate and Barrel, Disney Store, Express, Gap, Gap Kids, and more. There is something for everyone from apparel to gardening to home décor to toys. Families with kids will enjoy the Carousel and the family lounge, as well as the variety of dining options. South Coast Plaza holds many community events, so be sure to check the calendar to see what’s happening.
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Heidi Deal is the author of the 6th edition of the Newcomers Handbook to Living In Los Angeles (includes Orange County), an expert at exploring all that Orange County has to offer, and a children’s book author specializing in history and improving human rights.