Westgate City Center

 

28

144

Janet P.

San Leandro, CA

Omigod I can only give this place two stars because the Waterdance feature is pretty awesome. Otherwise, after spending the previous four days in Sedona the billboards alone were a complete shock to my system. What Blade Runner freak dreamt this crazy place up??? Ugh. Great for teeny boppers and kids - oh, and the pseudo hip-hops who don't mind cops outside the Hell's Half Acre bar...

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12

22

Kimberly S.

Glendale, AZ

I had high hopes for this place, but unfortunately it appears as though the high end stores have decided to fore go their zip code on this one.  On the plus side, it does have a two huge arenas in its corner, so at least you have something to do while waiting for your event to start.  I would have liked to have seen more Kierland type stores in here.  It's a bummer since this place had so much potential.

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Elite '08

500

497

wanugee N.

Pleasant Hill, CA

No offense to locals, because Glendale "Glitters" with "Chocolate" downtown, but this mall hastily developed around the silver Jiffy Popcorn pan  that is University of Phoenix Stadium (misnomer, it is for the professional football team, the Arizona Cardinals, named after the omnipresent UofP distance learning and professional college, ala National University) and the Jobing.com (local based employment dot com) Arena (home to the NHL Coyotes) is really just a North Snobsdale (aka Scottsdale, Snotsdale, She'sGotTail) Kierland Commons Wannabee Mall!

It is 4 stories high, shaped like a football and stadium, with huge billboards facing into the 2 water fountains, its only redeeming value.

It is populated with typical Scottsdale type restaurants....Big on decor, small on taste, with chain restaurants peddling Chef/Designer highly stacked fusion flavors masking average casual food for a larger tab per serving.

Even the hords of young, large bossomed hostesses, bartenders and waitresses in black t-shirts are the attractions that were first ubiquitous in Scottsdale, then downtown Phoenix around the Diamondback Stadium, has now moved to the west side of the Valley! Margarittaville, Johnny Rockets, Fox Sports Grill, Kabuki Japanese...all formula chains for the average masses who think they are getting something special, but aren't.

Meanwhile, the Superbowl early this year, the reason why this complex was completed (and for the new football Stadium) has come and gone, the housing boom has collapsed, and the westside house prices have dropped 30 - 40%. Consequently, within a couple of blocks, the luxury condos are being auctioned off, the Westgate Offices atop the stores are empty, and so are the new office buildings.
The anchor Hotel the Renassaince, also a Westin of Kierland  poser, is nicely lit but largely empty. There is a conference center attached, so it might get some occupancy other than Football season weekends, but the Homewood Suites nearby has got to be a summer bargain hotel.

This is classic Valley gaudiness at its worst. And it is set conveniently off the Loop 101 at Glendale Road near the Agua Fria riverbed, but otherwise it is a vast open field of former farm land. Still, it is the only decent mall within miles, so it is a beacon for the young and bored westsiders looking for something besides their quiet bedroom communities of strip malls and convenience stores.

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Elite '08

67

113

Sarabear B.

Phoenix, AZ

They are advertising this place as the "Times Square of the West." Clearly, they have not been to New York.  There is nothing that Westgate Center has in common with Times Square.

The parking lot is huge, but badly arranged.  Even the handicapped spots were a long walk for one of my friends

The plaza is anchored by sports/concert venues.  When there are no sports events or concerts to bring in the traffic, there is a large movie theater.  They have also taken a lot of care to make several large public areas with fountains and other attractive focal points.  It is pretty, but an ineffective use of space that fails miserably in its attempt to provide services to concert goers and sports fans.  There were not even enough places available for several coworkers and i to enjoy having lunch there.

The rest of the plaza is supposed to be bustling with entertainment and activity to support the events at the main venues.  It is not.   I thought it was because a lot of places had not opened, but i think the problem is deeper than that. There are several chain restaurants with bars.  Try going to one of those restaurants before your concert for dinner.  They look at you like you have lost your mind.  The problem is, there are so few places, and they are all packed and understaffed.   The ones i tried acted as if they were insulted that i didn't want to wait til after my concert had started to sit down. This wouldn't be bothersome if they were using their entire seating space and had a full staff of waiters, but it looked like there were sections of the places that were not being used at all.  Perhaps they are waiting for the Superbowl to open those remaining 8 tables.

.

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3

128

Kiwi N' Anton H.

San Jose, CA

I went to this place in early October 2007.  Only a few stores and restaurants were open, otherwise everything else was still under construction.

The movie theater was really nice.  Not alot of people, big theater, clean.  

We'll see how this place will be in a few years.

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Elite '08

238

518

Stevey P.

Phoenix, AZ

This place has been getting so much play lately I'm starting to get a little jealous.  With the professional volleyball tour now located there and Jordin Sparks shows there every other day - it's really turning into a hub for the Westside.

I went over there to meet a friend (from Surprise) to hangout as this was decided to be a good meeting point.  Westgate sports that whole faux-town square thing that is all the rage in American suburbia.  You'll find a grassy town square (with baby trees offering little to no shade) that kids and families actually hang out in.  You'll find actual middle class shops in contrast to Kierland Commons.   This place isn't exactly my cup of tea, but people at the center seemed to be enjoying it as it was quite busy.

It's a loud bold monstrosity in what seems (at least now) to be the middle of nowhere - like an oasis in the middle of one GIANT parking lot.   The huge AMC movieplex and Renaissance Marriott hotel are the centerpieces here and chain restaurants abound here like Yard House, Gordon Biersch and soon to be built Gardunos.  

It's like a smaller version of Kierland with retail on the first floor and office on the upper floors, but more isolated, with not as many stores and with huge Times Square-like billboard ads EVERYWHERE.  It looks really TACKY.  I think if you even stand around long enough you'll find a billboard on your back.

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