Black Friday is this week and what better way to start the short work week with a battle of Shopping Malls? They are a nice package of stores, restaurants and other strange things you might not expect in a Mall. If you live in New Jersey (Like I did) you might understand that a mall isn't just a mall. (After all, NJ is the mall capital of the United States)
They do more than to serve its purpose as a shopping destination. It's a place for leisure activity, a tourist attraction or just random strolls when you have nothing better to do.
If you've been to either of these malls, consider yourself lucky. We've got the Biggest Mall in the United States up against the Biggest Mall in the World. Get your credit cards and piggy banks ready, you might want to book a trip and check out these amazing complexes.
The Mall of America:
- If you had to guess where the MOA is, you'd think it would be somewhere like New York or Los Angeles. Incorrect: The MOA is located in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. (I guess the Midwest just has a lot of space for a big mall)
- Mall of America has a gross area of 4.2 million sq ft(390,000 m²), with 2.5 million sq ft. (230,000 m²) available as retail space.
- Opened its doors on August 11, 1992
- Has a Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park featuring roller coasters and rides.
- Make sure to visit Underwater Adventures Aquarium: A 300 foot long tunnel where you can watch 4,500 sea creatures. You can scuba dive and snorkel as well.
- Big stores include Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Nordstrom and Sears.
Dubai Mall: - Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Opened recently on November 4th, 2008.
- Over 12 million sq ft the Dubai Mall has a total internal floor area of 5.9 million square feet and leasable space of 3.77 million square feet.
- What's inside of this mall? A SEGA indoor theme park, a 22 screen Cineplex, a supermarket and 1200 stores.
- If you still need something to do, check out the Dubai Aquarium and the Dubai Ice Rink.
- Big stores include Galleries Lafayette, Debenhams, Bloomingdale's and Marks & Spencer.
For a girl who could spend DAYS in New Jersey malls, I think both malls would be dangerous to visit for me. I have to international and say I'd visit Dubai Mall. Bigger is better and there is a heck of a lot of things I'd also want to see in Dubai.
Which mall would you rather go broke for? Do you think Malls are good tourist attractions?
Comments (8)
In the profit sense, I think these 2 malls are excellent tourist attractions. A former coworker of mine once flew with her daughters to the Mall of America from Chicago for a shopping weekend--it was like a mini vacation for them. Sadly most other malls are lame in comparison.
I'm not sure if I could set foot in either of these 2 malls. They're so huge and ridiculous, I'd probably be overwhelmed. Well, that and pissed off that the US can build extravagant things like the Mall of America while people are starving.
Well.....they did get the mall idea from us. And no, I much prefer my native U S of A.
I'd go to the one in Dubai. Because even if MoA is the biggest one over here, it's still over here! I haven't been out of the USA much, except to go to Taiwan every so often or hop over the border to Canadia for a few (yes, I know it's actually Canada). Dubai sounds different, a break from the regular.
The one in Dubai.
Both of these malls frighten me to be honest. I have the KOP mall around and that's even bigger than what I like my malls to be.
I could stay a whole day in any of the malls. I like shopping and browsing. I love Dubai for its architecture and since I'm an architecture student, I'd go there.
Really big malls scare me. Maybe 'cause I have a little fear of wide open spaces. :P
Dubai needs to stop trying to outdo everyone when it comes to architecture. You got money, we get it, please tone it down.
I stay away from malls in general, unless there is a specific reason (thing to buy) to visit. I hate the places at Christmas, especially, with all of the brain dead shopping zombies shuffling around with bags of crap in their hands and blank stares on their faces. And don't even get me started about driving past a mall during the holidays. The same empty heads make the roads around more dangerous than the streets on New Year's Eve. To the author, if you want to take a random stroll when there "is nothing better to do.." why not do it in the fresh air?