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Does this mall have it's own zip code? Cause it should. Biggest mall ever. That I've been to at least.
I was very impressed by the selection of stores and the cleanliness. Went on a friday afternoon and it wasn't crowded! Yay
The Forever 21 was huge for a mall and I got some great stuff there (sorry I cannot pass up a XXI...... I'm a loser)
Awesome, huge Nordstrom! I love Nordstrom! Didn't buy anything there though.
The reason I went there is because they have a Torrid and I wanted a pair of knee high boots. I have very thick calves, don't know why or how, my legs are disproportionately large in comparison to the rest of my body, so if I want knee high boots that fit, that's where I have to get them.
The food court was disappointing for a mall that size, and the people who worked at American Eagle bugged me constantly about opening a credit card when all I wanted was to look at their awesome Aerie underwear. So annoyed that I just moved on. Other than that, no complaints!
This was my mall back in the day. Good stores, fun dinners of cheese fries and cokes at Ruby Tuesday and plenty of 14 year old boys to stare at, while my friends and I spent lifeless hours here every weekend looking for "cuties".
Fast forward almost 15 years later, and I MAY come here once or twice a year. I just can't do it. This mall gets way too crowded, enough to induce claustrophobia and it is not worth me driving around for a minimum of 15 minutes to find parking, and another 15 minutes to get out of the parking lot.
I have gotten into intense verbal arguments with people trying to steal my parking spot, and it's just not worth me punching a guido in the parking lot to get some cute jeans at Nordstrom.
As many have stated, the parking lot can be a hassle. To make matters worse, security loves to barricade off a good portion of the roads. Even if you're trying to get to the external restaurants or AMC movie theater on a Sunday, you have to drive all the way around the mall if you came in the 'wrong' entrance. Ridiculous.
I tend to avoid this place on Fridays and Saturdays because it's often packed senseless. The food court is filled with junk that seems like a good idea at first, until your stomach is hurting and you're hunting down the bathrooms (Go to Nordstrom and use theirs). There's pretty much every store here that you can imagine. If you leave, not being able to find something, there are many stores on Route 4 or 17 (Both highways intersect at the mall).
The AMC movie theater is very nice but also expensive.
The overall experience can be enjoyable if you find what you're looking for but if you don't like to be surrounded by large groups of people, avoid this mall.
Pros:
-They have a store for every taste and need.
-Conveniently located and easily accessible from NYC and NJ.
Cons:
-Parking is a nightmare.
-The local are pompous pricks.
-Every time I shop there I am followed around like a criminal. The guy in purse and bag department refused to help me, a girl in Juicy Couture as if I was going to steel and an old man working at Macy's asked if he could check my bag. Does something about me, say thief?
The Plaza is a shopper's paradise with everything from the Gap to Gucci all under one roof. There are plenty of options here- many high-end shops but a good amount of stores for the shopper with beer pockets. Parking is a complete nightmare day or night. The food court left something to be desired for a mall of this size (the largest in New Jersey). It pretty much sucked. But then again, there are several places to grab a bite to eat along Rt. 17. I recommend only going if you plan on doing some heavy duty shopping. Then you can make a day out of it and justify the crazy parking and weekend (Saturday) crowds. If you are just running in for one thing then I'd suggest going elsewhere.
Pros
- Great mall
Cons
- Out of state "folk" who fill the parking lots and cause about every other problem the mall has.
Look at the reviews; nearly every out of state resident has an issue with the Garden State mall. We are the most densely populated state in the US!!!! Of course you are going to hit traffic and find trouble parking!!!!!
If the garden state mall and its parking is to "overwhelming" for you ,shop in your own state at you own mall!
My favorite NJ MALL. I get lost everytime I go in the place. Huge selections. You can get just about everything here. Designer to cheap crap to midline crap. AHH CONSUMERISM..... I know you well. I always seem to walk away with an item of some kind when I goto this mall. And I'm usually pretty happy with it. Check out the Lacoste store and the Tommy among the numerous others. The food court is decent as well and there is a good restarant selection. I encourage you to hit the chick fil a while your in the area! OH and shop till you die!
Depending on your perspective, this place is either Hell on Earth, or a terrific place to spend a Saturday afternoon (I lean more towards the former). NJ's version of Mall of America, this sprawling beast of hyper-capitalism has every imaginable store, and the hallmark of every contemporary mall- a food court (complete with teriyaki chicken and Sbarro's - also the hallmark of food courts). Please note:
1) It's hell on earth to get in and out of this place. The parking lot was clearly designed by someone on drugs, because it's virtually impossible to navigate it without at least one near collision.
2) Like everything else in this God forsaken county, the mall is closed on Sunday's so that, of course, we can sit home and pray (side note: Bergen County-ites, um, get rid of your silly Blue Codes.)
This was my first visit to this mall and I really liked it! It is totally different from the more open, larger-feeling Palisades Mall in NY because it has several long branches that have narrower walkways, more like most malls in America. There were so many stores and several delicious food options: Grand Lux Cafe (Cheesecake Factory's supposedly fancier offspring), Napa Valley Grille, Flirrt Sushi and many others. The Garden State didn't feel as "fancy" as the Westchester in White Plains, but that made it all the more fun. If you include a movie at the attached theatre, dinner and shopping, you could easily spend several hours here.
Grand Lux Cafe is the best! The food was great (very big portions) and the service was excellent.
Ask for Samantha Diaz, she was fantastic helping us with the menu..
GSP is a nice orderly mall that I have watched grow over time. My favorite stores are the Apple Store (Knowledgeable & good Svc) and The Invite Health store (Good health advise & quality products).
Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world, with seven major shopping malls with in a 25 square mile radius. Most people in New Jersey live within 30 minutes of at least three different malls.
Yes, it has every store in the world, and the movie theater is lovely. But just getting in and out of the parking lot is enough to give even a seasoned Jersey driver a burst blood vessel. God help you if you actually want to park. The only time I go near the place is to drop my teenager off and pick him up. He doesn't mind walking miles between stores. I don't shop there myself, though. It's just not worth the aggravation.
Parking here SUCKS. Don't go.
Yes, yes, there are lots of great stores at Garden State Plaza. I got a Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors suit from Macy*s for $400 together-- yep, that's right, for both. Anything you could hope to buy can be had here. Now that that's out of the way, I have a few bones to pick.
GSP suffers from the same affliction that many malls that were developed in an area where people already lived and then expanded in a piecemeal fashion over time. It is a complete urban planning nightmare, a patchwork of clogged roads and overstuffed parking lots, of vehicular stalkers shadowing pedestrians in the hope that someone, somewhere is returning to their car to leave, thus opening up a parking spot. Entrance and egress from the mall should be easy, right? I mean you have Rts 4 and 17, and the Garden State Parkway all right near the mall-- but no, that's really difficult too. Often you can only get on your chosen road in one direction, not both, or you have to drive through the mall to get to the place where you can find the road of your choice, and that can take an additional 15 minutes on a Saturday. It is a hideous mess.
Once inside the mall, the food court mirrors the chaos of the parking lot-- over crowded, with narrow aisles. You'll spend a good few minutes weaving in and out of human traffic with your tray looking for someone to finish their meal so you can grab their table. I mean, should I really have to work so hard to spend my money?
One last gripe: No matter where you go in GSP there is always-- and I mean ALWAYS-- a screaming baby or child. Next time you go, listen out. You'll see I'm right.
OK, so this was a lot more curmudgeonly than I had anticipated, or probably was warranted given that I gave this place 4 stars. It is pretty great, just go on a Tuesday morning.
Largest mall in NJ and top 5 biggest malls in America.
Route 17 is the NJ mecca of mall shopping!
Blue laws is still in effect in Bergen County therefore all shopping retailers are closed on Sundays.
Still fairly decent for a large mall. This place has every store under the sun. It also has a decent police presence. I would say the best time to go here is during the weekday if you are able. It's probably the best time to appreciate the scale of this place.
I would avoid on any weekend night as it becomes incredibly crowded. Has not yet become "ghetto" as most other malls in New Jersey have. Just providing a fair and honest assessment.
Edit: This place has become somewhat ghetto and there are fights on Saturday nights. It's annoying but if you want a good laugh check it out.
Once upon a time I didn't worry about money. I didn't worry about bills. I was super into school and extracurriculars.. but during the summer.. during the summer I had a full time job (and then some), worked my arse off... and shopped even more. For what is there to do in Jersey when you're 17? You can only eat so many plates of disco fries.. injure yourself so many times at Action Park.. see so many movies.. play so much pool.. and stalk so many boys before it starts getting old. F'serious.
This mall helped me get through most of my phases.. because unlike a lot of Jersey malls (see Short Hills), it doesn't seem to cater to one particular style or age group (even today). Which is ya know, good and bad. For me, I don't think I'm one particular style anymore so I flutter from store to store in a heavenly state enjoying all my favorites in one place. At the same time it just brings tons and tons of people in each year, which is killer during the holidays. But that's also because they have some of THE best sales in Jersey mall-age.. besides Jersey Gardens and Willowbrook of course. On top of that.. they have a frigging carousel.. how can you bring the hate when there are magical ponies in the middle of the mall?
There restaurants are plentiful. I'm not gonna lie, I've scored a lot of free food here being Flirty McFlirt Dish. Well.. that was back in my high school days.. but my friends and I used to get free apps or desserts every time. One host used to give me flowers for my hair. lol I never really worried about partaking in tons of food though because walking around this expansive malls is definitely a workout.
And I always found/find parking. Should I tell you where there are always spots? Yeah, I love ya Yelpers.. but mall parking secrets are few and far between. muhahaha
Oh.. and as a result of one of my trips to GSP when I was 14.. I may or may not have been pictured in BB/Bop for being the oldest fan in line to see a certain wee pop singer. Oh man. I could add this to my awkward celeb run in list considering when I met this little one his assistant (easily 3-4X his age) was opening candy and putting it into his mouth and I may or may not have said something inappropriate.. butttttt.. I'm saving it for my book. ;)
I fear this mall.
It's a hassel to get in and a Homeric journey to get out. I'd go here only if I had no other choice. Last time, a group got in a fight right in front of me. 3 v 1.
review 4/1/2008
I.M.Y.
The ever-growing mall. I swear it expands three stores daily. I remember when this mall was a 1/3 of the size it is now.
There is a store for every one in here. The variety is incredible.
One downfall, everyone shops here. There isn't a time that this place isn't packed. And they need more parking. If you are going to expand a mall, you should expand your parking.
Now, this my dears, is a mall. GSP deserves 5 stars simply because it is so fucking huge - we're talking every single income level of department store here, folks from JC Penney's to Neiman Marcus. This joint has everything you could want to spend money on. It is easily one of the finest shrines to consumerism in our dear country. It's also one of the most diverse places I've ever been in with every single kind of teenager walking around looking bored. It's just a totally astounding place. Super impressive. I always seek refuge (w/ Orange Julius in hand, of course) at the H & M which is all the way at the other end of the mall by the Lord & Taylor and is never as crowded as the other sections of the mall.
Edit 2008:
The Orange Julius has been replaced by a KFC Express. The Borders got butchered by some shit called Grand Lux Cafe (some distant cousin to Cheesecake Factory) and the bus stop, previously directly in front of the mall has now been moved to Mall Siberia, Lot 45. And that horrible pet store is STILL there.
However, Urban Outfitters & American Apparel are on the way. There's an Apple store, an AMC movie theatre and amidst the 8 billion cell phone kiosks, there's an eyebrow threading station. So still: a magical wonderland in Paramus.
I rented a zipcar and drove out to this mall because everyone talks about how great it is.
If you're....
--patient (it takes about half a day to get there cuz of all the traffic, then another 45+minutes to find parking a thousand miles away from the mall)
--fiesty (then you have to fight for the parking)
--and have endurance (it's so damn crowded it takes 10 minutes to get to the store next door because there're so many people!!)
this mall is for you. Plan to waste an entire day just for shopping.
I gave it two stars for there's a Trader Joe's up the street that actually has stock.
I like GSP because it has Nordstrom and a HUGE selection of stores. However, every complaint someone has made is totally valid. The people tend to be scummy and the parking is totally ridiculous, even on a Monday morning. But...if you are willing to overlook all of that, making a trip to GSP is worth it. If you want a more shoppable H&M, I'd stay in the city, or go 5 minutes up to the road to Paramus Park (another mall) because the one at GSP tends to get really disorganized really quickly.
UPDATE: I drove around for FORTY FIVE MINUTES last Saturday looking for a place to park. Cool gas prices. Cool.
This mall was huge 15 years ago, it got bigger 8 years ago, and now in 2006/2007 it's growing even larger with the expansion.
You can't beat this mall... Bergen Cty law that shopping centers close Sundays, make note if you're not from the area.
Now as everyone knows I'm from Jersey. And we all know what else comes from Jersey: malls. And this, my prettys, is the king of all New Jersey malls. Name a store and its probably here. Gap? its here. Sanrio? its here. Uhhh.....Apple Store? gee wiz, its also here.
Since i know my way around I know a shortcut which bypasses all the traffic on Route 17. so I come up in the back of the mall, no traffic whatsoever. But if you are a novice when it comes to driving on Route 17, plan ahead because the traffic will make you pull your hair out, on saturdays most especially.
what i don't like about this place is all the people. holy moly does it get crowded. but not only that, but everyone looks like they're straight out of a casting call from "The Sopranos" with the high Jersey hair and the tight jeans, sashaying in their furry boots, wearing the paris hilton/nicole richie big ass sunglasses indoors and the damn accents. I'm from Jersey and I get offended. but again i digress...
Bring lots of money because this is not a cheap place to shop. And bring a good pair of walking shoes because unless you fork up for the valet parking, you'll have to park about 1/4 of a mile away. And dont forget that they are closed on Sundays.
I remember when this was kind of an icky mall-Gimbels, Bambergers-it was MAJOR when Nordstrom showed up. I had not been to the GPS in almost a decade and was shocked at how upscale it is. (as for sinking rumors I haven't heard about that)
I visited here on a Wednesday afternoon and it was pleasant enough-although I am sure it is a TOTAL nightmare on the weekends. The corridors are strangely narrow and it is very easy to get turned around.
Ginormous mall. Crowded and noisy, with a large choice of stores and restaurants including a food court. There's also a movie theater with stadium seating and digital projectors.
Be prepared to spend most of the day there, and bring sensible shoes for walking. Get there earlier because traffic and parking can be a problem and avoid peak hours which are weekend evenings.
Closed on Sunday, except for the movie theater and restaurants.
This mall is as busy as anything and you always have to park MILES away but I LOVE IT anyway. They have every store you could possibly imagine. If they don't I'm sure you could find it somewhere along rte. 17 because it is a shopper's haven!
Plus they also have a California Pizza Kitchen which tastes so good after a long day shopping.
I love this mall because it is BIG. unlike other malls in the U.S., obviously doesnt compare to the Mall Of America, but it does justice. Various stores, awesome eye candy for the ladies and gents, and yea. The only problem is parking, do u know how many accidents i have witnessed cuz of douche bags that decide to do 3432453 mph in the parking lot. Good job guys, GOOD JOB.
btw, dont eat at the food court. why?
ROACHES. yes, ROACHES.
The store it self is huge and nice, A lot of high end stores can be a bit tiring going through all the stores... Make sure you have a plan of attack other wise you will be walking around and will be tired really fast... Other than that the parking can be a head ache if you come on the weekend...
Whenever I tell people, I'm from New Jersey, they ask what town. When I answer Paramus, they reply, "Oh, I know Paramus. That's where the Garden State Plaza is."
GSP is huge. It has: Nordstrom's, Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, J.C. Penney, H&M, Banana Republic, Gap, J. Crew, Steve Madden, Sephora, Ruehl, Borders, a new multi-theatre movie complex, and more and more and more and more.
For food it has a California Pizza Kitchen (my favorite there), Napa Valley Grille, Cafe Luxe, Legal Seafoods, Ruby Tuesdays, Papa Razzi as well as a Starbucks, Gloria Jean's and a food court.
My biggest complaint is the crowd. Its often mobbed, and during the holiday season, its madness. I avoid it at all costs. I think in 2003 or 2004 they closed the mall when it reached capacity - that was on the news and there were helicopters circling it.
For parking, I'd recommend parking farther away and walking a bit. As you drive closer to the mall, you sit in more gridlock traffic. Its not worth it.
A fine shopping center. It has all the stores you need and has a nice layout. They could get more restaurants... but what they have is alright. On lunchtime weekdays and weekends it's Mission Impossible to find parking... plus they're expanding and renovating so it makes it Mission Impossibler (yeah, that's probably not a word)... but otherwise it's a great place to shop. It has both normal stores and high end stores which are generally all HUGE in size.
Definitely shop here, it's like the hub of all shopping... plus if you want to go to other stores or malls they're very close by. Ikea is practically next door.. as well as Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, etc so on and so forth.
Dear GSP,
I've watched you grow from a baby to a mondo mall.
I miss you.
Anyway whenever I visit home I always seem to be drawn back to this mall. You can never get bored at this place, but stay away on Saturday, everyone from the tri state area shops on Saturdays and the traffic is attrocious. If coming from NYC, bus it, it's got convenient public transportation.
Tons of places to eat and a brand new (expensive) movie theatre.
The largest retail center in one of the richest counties in the United States. It has a recently added AMC theater. A great place to spend on a boring or rainy day. Large selection of food choices in the food court. It gets VERY crowded during the holidays.
The highlight of this mall - Johnny Rockets.
The downsides of this mall are that it'll take you about 2 hours to circle one level if you're window shopping. It's huuuuuge and if you don't have your walkin' shoes on, don't worry, there are plenty of stores where you can buy a pair should your dogs start barking.
Filled with quite a few upscale stores like Neiman Marcus, Louis Vutton, Club Monaco to name a few, I feel like it somewhat classes with some of the more "average" stores. But it's nice to have it in the area as the only other mall that I know that is more for the upscale shopper is Short Hills Mall located about 30-40 minutes away.
I like the fact that because the mall is so big, there are a lot more stores that you may not find at say, Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, which makes going to GSP a worthwhile trip. But a bigger mall means bigger stores, which means - you betcha - MORE PEOPLE. Especially on a Saturday as Bergen county Blue Law prevents them from being open on Sunday.
Really, no matter what day you go, the mall is relatively busy. However, the times that I have had the most luck in finding a relatively close parking spot in the garage/lot is early morning on Saturday or during the day on a weekday. Weeknights CAN get a little busy.
And don't forget, Best Buy, IKEA, DSW, and The Christmas Tree Shoppes are all located around the mall, so you can kill a bunch of birds with one stone. Isn't Jersey great?!
Neiman Marcus + Nordstrom = Heaven on Earth.
This mall is really, really HUGE and can be a bit overwhelming, but if you have a game plan, love to shop AND people watch - this is the place for you.
This place is my local home mall, being that its only a few blocks away from my house. The Garden state plaza has all the usual places (hot topic, nordstroms, macys, neiman marcus, williams sonoma, metropark, lord and taylor, godiva, etc etc) , nice food court and some higher end restaurants like cali pizza kitchen, grand luxe cafe). This mall can get very busy and crowded with all the City people flocking to it to escape sales tax on clothes....and the place has a very hurried and sometimes frantic vibe to it and much of my family and friends actually fear this mall....but if I need something from a mall its still my first choice. Its a good way to kill some time too.
So many stores, my mind was absolutely blown the first time I went there. I didn't know malls could be so big! I was used to Willow brook Mall in Wayne, NJ. which is much, much smaller. This Mall is great if you can deal with the parking and and trying to avoid bouncing off people in the crowded walkways. It's very easy to get lost in this mall it is so massively huge. I'm not good at navigating malls to begin with, but It's worth braving the annoyance for the ginormous selection of stores.
Yes this mall has about every chain store you can imagine. But I agree with all the complaints mentioned. The only time I go here is if I need to and it's before 11:00am. Otherwise it's unbearable. I wouldn't reccomend attempting this mall after Thanksgiving unless you want to give yourself an ulcer. It seems to attract the lowest common denominator despite having a lot of expensive stores. They recently added a 20-screen movie theater to the mall and although it has added to the traffic problem, it was built over the entrance where the mall rats used to hang out and I don't see many of them anymore. So that's one good thing.
Yes, this mall is huge, and annoying to get to. Apparently it is also sinking? Anyway. It's nothing special, yes it has all the usual chains and the movie theater and all that, but it's all the same stuff you find at most malls in long island and jersey. Except this one is much bigger!
A mall that is way too crowded for it's own good. It's too bad, especially since it has fun destinations like the Sanrio store and the Vans store.
Paramus, NJ
Category: Cinema
Paramus, NJ
Category: Shopping Centers
Paramus, NJ
Category: Appliances
Hackensack, NJ
Category: Department Stores
Elizabeth, NJ
Category: Shopping Centers
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
