Right next to the Santa Anita Racetrack is the biggest mall in the San Gabriel Valley; it's been an Arcadian staple for years.
By Shopping Syndra
Ah, malls. The great American tradition. Whether you're a high school student who just wants a free and safe place to hang out after school, a mom with two kids who wants to get a nice new dress, or a grandfather who just wants to sit in a nice air-conditioned place during the hot summer, the mall has been a great mecca for decades.
Bring into picture Westfield Santa Anita. This place is humongous! It's a super regional mall which basically translates to "there is a lot to see, eat, and buy here".
There is a great indoor portion as well as a beautiful outdoor portion. Best of all, the stores are very accessible to all classes; you have everything from Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Free People, H&M, Victoria's Secret, an AMC, and tons more.
Not only is there shopping, but there's a gym (Gold's Gym), a Dave & Buster's, an AWESOME food court and dining (CPK, Uncle Tetsu, Din Tai Fung, etc.), and much more. It's really a one-stop shop.
Best of all, while it is a place of healthy traffic, never have we seen it completely suffocated with people. The parking lot is designed very well, and you won't be scouring spots for hours or cursing your choice to come to the mall in the first place. The open layout of the mall really facilitates a comfortable atmosphere.
It also isn't afraid to be proud of the overall demographic of Arcadia, and to a large extent, the greater San Gabriel Valley area. Around Chinese New Year, expect to see tons of red ornamentation and cultural dances. It's a fantastic display to see in an American mall.
So, if you have to go to one mall today or this weekend, make it the Santa Anita Mall. We would even say it's worth going out of your way to see--even just once, or maybe time after time again.