Hordes of Twin Cities shoppers, clutching Christmas lists, are descending on Rosedale, Mall of America, Southdale and Maplewood, a few of the busiest malls during the holidays. But what attracts some shoppers makes others steer clear.
"I can't stand the Rosedale parking lot," said Amanda Kohuth of St. Paul. "Sometimes I turn in the wrong direction and then I don't know how to get out." She prefers smaller, less crowded malls such as HarMar, where she can easily drive in and out.
Some aging second- or third-tier centers seem as inviting as a 1960s-era strip mall (because they are), but they offer several advantages besides a break from bedlam. Big-box stores such as Target or Marshalls are less likely to be sold out of popular items at their less well-traveled stores. And second-tier centers are more likely to offer an uncommon assortment of tenants, from Cub Foods and Michaels arts and crafts to services such as nail salons and alterations shops.
At Knollwood in St. Louis Park, for example, you can shop T.J. Maxx, Bath & Body Works and Kohl's and then stroll down the avenue for swimming lessons, a manicure and a nosh.
The following five retail areas provide plenty of good holiday shopping, even if the decor is as dated as a '50s rambler, a few too many storefronts remain empty and most rest in the shadow of a brighter, shinier relative.
HarMar (2100 Snelling Av. N., Roseville, 651-631-0340, www.harmarmall.com)
For a mall that is what it is without putting on airs, try HarMar, where the theme is "shopping for real life." It's been around since the 1960s. Despite more than a few vacant stores, the remaining 40-plus retailers are a practical mix of standouts, including Barnes & Noble, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Lands' End Not Quite Perfect store (the only one in Minnesota), Michaels and Hallmark.
Cub Foods, a pet store, a nail salon and many sit-down and fast food restaurants complete the retail package. "It's one of the few malls that feels like a neighborhood," said Mary Winter of Lilydale, a weekly HarMar shopper. One nit: the "neighborhood" might want to spring for new Christmas decorations. Even Scrooge would grouse about the single strands of unlit lights hanging from the ceiling.
