Looking to do some shopping in Glendale, California? Here’s a review of two major shopping centers in Glendale - the Glendale Galleria and The Americana at Brand. They are conveniently close to each other, allowing you to easily enjoy both in a visit while offering so many shopping opportunities that you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Updated 21 October 2021 to reflect recent changes. Search each shopping center’s website for the latest information. Changes may occur.
Signs indicate that masks are required for both the Glendale Galleria and The Americana at Brand.
The Glendale Galleria is a classic mall that has recently been renovated, but you can still see hints of many old filming locations; it’s a bit of a local resource, being located near several studios and the heart of Hollywood. In the traditional mall-style, the Galleria is enclosed - making it good for getting out of the weather (rain or heat). And there are lots of neat food pop-ups (both inside and occasionally out front on Central Ave). The Galleria offers more clothes stores and specialty stores than it’s neighboring shopping center, The Americana. It features an upper level that stretches above Central Ave and connects to an adjoining section of the mall on the other side of the street. And, if you’ve never seen a multi-level Target with cart escalators, make sure you check out the one in Glendale Galleria.
Note that the Glendale Galleria parking structures offer free parking.
The Americana parking structure, however, is free for the first hour costs $2 for the first hour and only gets more expensive from there. (Sorry, friends, they raised the cost of parking.) This structure utilizes tickets that can be validated at a store (or restaurant or theater). If you plan on a long stay and purchasing over $250 worth of shopping from The Americana, present your receipts totaling at least that amount to the Concierge for complimentary (free) parking for that day. Otherwise, keep track of the length of your parking validation, or you may as you will likely need to pay for parking. At The Americana, you get your ticket upon entry, and - when ready to leave - you briefly insert it into a pay station to pay parking fees before you head back to your car, and then you feed it into the ticket box when exiting to the street.
The Americana at Brand - named for its location along Brand St - is a newer, outdoor shopping center with a theatrical atmosphere of music, lights, and a large fountain featuring spectacular water shows. There’s also a large grass area that gives it a park-feel, where many events are held, such as Bingo Under the Stars, Yoga on The Green, and holiday festivities like Meet Santa, the (giant) Tree Lighting Ceremony, the Lunar New Year celebration, and an Egg Hunt. Year-round, there’s also an electric-powered trolley that can take you for a short ride around The Americana.
There are great views of downtown Los Angeles from the upper levels of the parking structure, so take a moment to enjoy the view near the elevators (where escalators are also available). Take advantage of the balcony on the upper level of the Barnes & Noble to sit and look out onto the open-air shopping center. Or watch a movie at the AMC 18 Theater (with parking validation for only 2 hours, which many movies may exceed, so plan carefully). This shopping center offers great food options as well as high end shops. Though, keep in mind that The Americana is especially crowded on weekends.
Between the two shopping centers, this major shopping district provides amazing selection with a plethora of shopping options to choose from. Enjoy eating at any of their fantastic places to eat, including some of our favorites: Lemonade (Americana; Check out: Foodie Review: Lemonade - California Comfort Food), Din Tai Fung (Americana, near the corner of Brand Blvd and Colorado St), Bar Verde (Americana, in the Nordstroms), and In-N-Out (Galleria, near the corner of Broadway and Brand Blvd).
And, with the relevant updates to this post, a sadly amusing bittersweet note: The sad part - Since the pandemic has shaken up the restaurant industry and food places altogether, several eateries that used to occupy space at The Americana have since been replaced, but - and now the amusing part - it seems like they have all been replaced by food places that specialize in fried chicken, especially chicken sandwiches. There are, by my count, now at least 4 fried chicken sandwich places all competing in close proximity with one another for Americana customers! What is going on there? Did none of these businesses consider market saturation? Did The Americana lease these spaces without warning them who their new neighboring businesses would be? Who knows! But if you love fried chicken and chicken sandwiches, have fun with it - do head to head matchups - and let us know your favorite in the comments below. My personal pick? Well, I’d go with Big Chicken (in that little island of Americana eateries across Brand Blvd near Colorado St).
