The Grove

The Grove is a popular outdoor shopping mall on 3rd and Fairfax in Los Angeles. I'm not really much of a shopper, but it's a fun place to walk around every once in a while, especially during the holidays when they have lights up.

The best part about visiting the Grove is the people watching. A lot of people dress up extremely well to go shopping here (except for the ever-present, half-naked employees standing outside the Abercrombie store). You'll see a lot of stereotypical LA personalities, including:

- Older ladies, with lots of plastic surgery done, shopping with purse in one hand, pet lap dog in the other.

- Trendy hipsters wearing regrettable clothing combinations

- Angry, whining people complaining about everything imaginable. My favorite was, while reading a book at the Barne's and Noble/Starbucks, hearing a woman complain in a loud voice "This drink is not even what I ordered. It has the wrong name on it. Who is responsible???"

I wanted to reply "Maybe it's not your drink?", but I have found that there is little to be gained in arguing with crazies. Anyway, you'll find a lot of people like this at the Grove, and it's a good LA "experience".

Fortunately, there is also a "Farmer's Market" right next to the Grove that is pretty interesting. It's mainly small food places, and not really fresh fruits and vegetables that you would expect, but it's a good place to relax and grab a casual bite to eat after you've had Grove Overload.

I agree with much of what is being said above (great shops, good for an afternoon, fun things to eat/see/do, etc.). However, I do have a couple of objections to The Grove.

First off, it isn't very inviting from the outside. For such a huge development with so much potential, it doesn't really add any aesthetic value to the neighborhood. Although its very nice once you're inside, you'd barely even notice that exists if you were just driving by because it just looks like a big mall from the outside. Does nothing to help beautify L.A. The same problem exists at Hollywood & Highland, although to a lesser extent.

In addition, The Grove feels entirely artificial. Once again, its a beautiful design on the inside, but the quasi-European/South Carolina design style simply doesn't fit. Luckily most Angelenos don't care about silly things like authenticity so I guess it doesn't matter much. The Grove is a wild success so it seems like I might be the only one who has a problem with some of its design.

So, only 3 stars from me : )

One of my highlights of my trip to L.A was finding 'The Grove in west hollywood. Imagine disney built an open air shopping mall and you might get an idea.
Set amongst Lush greenry and waterfalls, Old style trams transport you from Farmers market right into 'the grove' Packed with Cinemas, Restaurants and your typical american stores (abercrombie,macys,barnes and noble and many more).
Even if you are not into shopping, you will probably find something here to entertain and if you love shopping (like me) its one of the best places to go on a nice sunny L.A day.

The Grove is a really nice outdoor mall near Fairfax and Beverly that's just the best place to spend a sunny afternoon. It's always crowded, parking is always insane, but between the beautiful cobblestone walks, the wonderful stores (Barney's, Apple, Nike Women) and the theatre, you're bound to end up here or at the sprawling Farmer's Market that is adjacent to the Grove. If you're going to a taping of American Idol, you'll find yourself next door at the studios.