So we went to Park Royal mall today. Kind of a holiday weekend adventure. It’s way out of the way for us but the Family thought it might be a nice place to go. As for me, I hadn’t been there for 10 years and then that was only to the future shop and before that was probably over 20 years ago. So after some basic indoor mall experience K. says we should have lunch at the Whole Foods and I’d looked at the Mall directory and it’s waaaaay over the far end of the place so we hike about three blocks and cross a busy street and, lo and behold, it’s a whole “village” mall concept at that end of the place.

Now, that’s interesting because in my days at the Land Centre I’d spent plenty of time reading about and learning about the new shopping mall tricks such as making them into “village” high-street places and these Park Royal guys have really gone to town with the concept. And it’s pretty seductive, I have to say. Lots of people all over the sidewalks. Lots of places to sit. Lots of stores (some small, some big) with their doors on the “street”. Feels very comfortable and “human scale” to walk around. Only problem is that, it’s still a mall. There’s mostly chain stores. Many of the stores are big box stores that are, well, still big box stores even if you walk across a sidewalk to get to them. But I have to admit: I can see why people who don’t over analyze things like I do would be quite happy to park their car on the fake street and walk down the sidewalk into the front door of the fake village grocery store. Very interseting (and not wholly unenjoyable) experience, I have to admit.

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