Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide

Shopping in Las Vegas?
Need some souvenirs?
Some personal items?
Something cool? Something hot?
Las Vegas is a "Mecca" for shoppers, with standard suburban style malls, outlet malls, strip malls, and specialty shops galore!
You can find what you need, what you want, and even what you don't need right here in Fabulous Las Vegas.
Following is a bit of information about the biggest malls in Vegas!

The "Standard Malls":

The Fashion Show Mall on the strip at Spring Mountain Rd. and Las Vegas Blvd. is a pretty standard, yet very attractive mall. Many of your regular mall shops can be found here. The "anchor" stores at the Fashion Show are Bullocks, Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillards, Robinson-May, and there are over 140 specialty stores. If you need shoes, clothes, electronics, collectibles, visit the Fashion Show. There is underground parking with valet available. The Dive, a submarine theme restaurant, Sfuzzi, an Italian "Bistro", Morton's Steakhouse, and Chins, for Chinese are a few of the eateries located within the Fashion Show. It's a great mall.

The Boulevard Mall is located at Twain and Maryland Parkway, about 1 mile east of the Strip. Take Sands Rd., which becomes Twain, east into the mall parking area. The Boulevard is a standard suburban mall, though it is Nevada's largest shopping mall. All of your basic mall stores are at the Boulevard, including Dillards, J. C. Penney, Sears, and Robinson-May. Anything you would buy at a mall at home is available here, and then some! The Boulevard also offers valet parking. Web: http://www.blvdmall.com

The Meadows Mall is another pretty standard suburban mall. The Meadows, located just off of the 95 freeway at Valley View (or Decatur) and Meadows Lane was just remodeled and is a very nice mall. There are over 140 specialty shops, restaurants and the Menagerie Carousel in the center. Robinson-May, J.C Penney, and Dillards anchor the Meadows. Free valet parking is available.

The Galleria at Sunset is located just off of the 95 freeway in Henderson, across from Sunset Station Hotel/Casino. The Galleria is the areas newest shopping mall. The Galleria is also a pretty standard suburban mall. Dillards, J. C. Penney, and Robinsons-May and Mervyns anchor the Galleria. There over 120 specialty stores and several nice restaurants in the Galleria. This is a bright mall with very nice southwestern décor. Valet parking is available.
This is my favorite 'shopping' mall. Web: http://www.galleriaatsunset.com

The "Attraction Mall":

The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace Hotel/Casino. There is nothing like it in the world. This "mall" is a shopping experience. The Forum Shops is a 526,000 sq. ft. upscale retail complex with more then 100 boutiques and restaurants that recreates ancient roman streetscapes. FAO Shwartz, the Virgin Records Mega-store, the Nike Store and others are incredible and a must see. Some of the cities best restaurants, Spago, Bertolinis, The Palm, and the Stage Deli are located within the Forum Shops at Caesars. Valet parking is available.

The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian will be partially open in May. The GCS will have over 500,000-sq. ft. of premium shopping. Gondolas will traverse the canals throughout the mall that replicates the streets of Venice. The shops within the GCS will include: Ann Taylor, BCBG, bebe, Cad'Oro, Casare Paciotti, Davante, Davidoff, DKC, Erwin Pearl Jewelry, Gallerie San Marco, Il Prato, Jesurum, Kids Karnivale, Jimmy Choo, Kieselstein-Cord, Kenneth Cole, La Donna, Lana Marks, Lido Beach Shop, Lladro, Lorenzi of Italy, Ludwig Reiter, Mikimoto, Movado, Oliver and Company, Pal Zileri, Regis Gallerie, Repa de Monti, Sephora, Simayof, Tino Cosma, Tolstoy's, and Toys International, representing the crème de la crème of European and Stateside elegance. I think I'll be window shopping here!

The "Outlet" Malls:

Belz Outlet Mall is located at Warm Springs Rd. and Las Vegas Blvd., about a 2 miles south of Tropicana . The Belz houses more then 140 shops. You can save up to 75% off famous name brands direct from the manufacturer at some of the stores, including Pfalzgraff, Danskin, Spielgel, and Bugle Boy. The Belz has a very nice carousel in center court. Many items are discounted, many are not. A great place to walk and bargain hunt.

The Fashion Outlet of Las Vegas is located in Primm, about 45 miles south of Las Vegas .The Fashion Outlet has over 100 stores and theme restaurants in it's 400,000 sq. ft. area. A few of the shops included are Banana Republic, El Portal, Escada, Gap, Guess?/Baby Guess?, J. Crew, Kenneth Cole, Timberland, Versace, and Williams-Sonoma. This is a very nice 'upscale' outlet mall with some great bargains to be had!

Vegas Pointe Plaza (Formerly called the Factory Stores of America). Located on Las Vegas Blvd., just a bit further down the road from the Belz Outlet Mall. This outdoor mall features traditional and manufacturer's outlet stores. Web: http://www.factorystores.com

There are also many Hotel Shopping experiences, too many to list, I'm afraid. Take a look around, you can't miss them! The Hotel's of the future, Paris, the Aladdin, and others will all have their own tremendous retail developments, assuring that Las Vegas will soon be The Shopping Capital of the World! So you can shop 'til you drop in Las Vegas!

Some tidbits:

Harrahs Fresh Market Square All-You-Can-Eat Peeled Shrimp & Snow Crab Leg Dinner Buffet is superb at only $12.99. This buffet is served from 4pm-10pm.

The Black Canyon River Raft Tours offers a three-hour, rapid-free float trip down the Colorado River. Their rafts can accommodate 14 to 40 people. Advanced reservations are suggested. For information call 800-696-raft.

The Venetian Hotel and Casino is scheduled to open May 3rd. It will be partially ready to open…I can't wait to see "how" partially, or maybe I can.

Spring has sprung in Las Vegas…or has it? The weather is most definitely changing! Hot (and dry) one day, overcast and windy the next. Be sure to check the weather, and get all of the information you need for your next Vegas trip at http://www.lvol.com. Check out those 'banner ads' too! Check into the 'Las Vegas Talk Discussion Board" at http://www.lasvegastalk.com for on the spot questions and answers about our favorite town…LAS VEGAS!

As always, your comments, questions, and remarks are greatly appreciated!

See you all at the mall in Fabulous Las Vegas!

Gary Jacobson

With contacts in all facets of the hospitality, construction, entertainment, and convention industries, Gary Jacobson gives you an inside look at Las Vegas, as it was, as it is, and as it will be!!! Be sure to check back here every 2 weeks for a new column.
Do you have a question about Las Vegas that you would like to see Gary answer in this column? Email your question to Gary at: gj_agt@mailexcite.com