University Village

This place is ridiculous. The first time I drove by this place at night when it was all lit up, I thought it was a casino. Someone at work suggested that I should go running here when I live across the street from Ravenna Park. The only place I really go here is the grocery store, and Radio Shack is useful on occasion. It was probably a much cooler place before it got revamped in the 90’s, or better yet, when it was a marsh.

There’s something about open malls that lures me. I like the passing of people in open spaces instead of an enclosed one, and this place is very nicely kept. It’s nice to walk around.

This mall was once referred to as a “lifestyle center” in a book of short stories by a Seattle author. The label is apt.

This outdoor mall has in recent years gone upscale. Bring buckets of cash and a mania for brand names and you’ll feel right at home.

I live close to University Village and go there when I need something from Safeway or Bartell’s. As far as the shopping goes, though, I think it’s pretty crappy. The stores that aren’t things like Office Depot are expensive places like Anthropologie. Don’t get me wrong, I like Williams Sonoma and those kinds of stores, but they don’t really seem appropriate for a shopping center that draws a large student population. Some of the restaurants are all right, including Delfino’s, which has Chicago style pizza.

Just a pedestarian open-air mall/shopping center. Nothing to get all that excited about really. I find the place a bit incongruous with the nearby area. But see what they have to say for themselves:

“University Village is the only open-air lifestyle shopping center in the pacific northwest and offers a unique formula of national stores and local retailers. University Village is a regional destination for home furnishings, popular fashions, unique gift items, and a distinctive selection of restaurants and eateries.”