[Review #805]
2024-004…read more
I started shopping at the Torrance Promenade when I moved to the South Bay in the late 1990s. My former co-worker, Jayne, loved this discount fashion store (don't remember the name & the store is no longer a current tenant) that stocked named brand fashions at discounted prices. Originally built in the early 1970s, the mall was designed for 100+ tenants with Kmart as the sole anchor store, & a section called "Artisan's Way" dedicated to glass blowers, crafters, & silversmiths. Since the entry of Del Amo Fashion Center & South Bay Galleria, the mall was remodeled & anchored by Marshalls & Plums in the 1980s.
I watched more transitions: OSH Outdoor Supply Hardware (discovered the lemon boy tomato here & started a small patio garden), Aki-Home (home furniture & kitchen essentials), Bally Total Fitness (workouts with my manager who was also my exercise partner), Office Depot (personal office essentials), Babies"R"Us (supplied most of my daughter's clothing & entertainment; essentials: bottles, nipple replacements, pacifiers, baby food & pouches; safety: car seat, stroller, booster seat), & David's Bridal (my daughter's one & only flower girl dress), come & go, or just go, since shopping at the Promenade. OSH & Babies"R" Us spaces are still vacant & it's been several years with no tenant on the horizon. The best additions were Trader Joe's in early 2002s when I started to transition from the staple grocery stores, & In & Out about a decade ago for its convenience to grab a bite after shopping. I think I ate onsite twice? I mostly ordered via drive-thru & enjoyed my burgers in the comfort of home. In the 2020s, part of the south side parking was removed to make way for Jollibee, a Filipino fast food restaurant. David's Bridal vacated, & will be succeeded by New Balance.
I think I shopped about 1/3 of all the stores at one point or another with my regular or infrequent go-tos: Trader Joe's, In & Out, Marshalls, Burlington, HomeGoods, Carter's (my son is aging out), Walmart, Party City, just to name a few. Besides In & Out, & Jollibee, there's not too many food options are available: Flame Broiler, Jersey Mike's, Simply Salad, Togo's Sandwiches. The Promenade offers plenty of parking, but gets super congested during the winter holidays, & businesses with lots of food traffic like Trader Joe's, north side by Walmart & Marshalls, & In & Out. Sometimes I'm not buying a huge amount between stores, I prefer to walk the distance than hop in my car by parking in the middle of the 2 furthest (& drop off the bags as I walk south), but it's not designed to be walker-friendly, especially if you're walking from Walmart down to Burlington & need to stop at Party City & Trader Joe's.
If you're seeking an alternative to the larger malls & off-priced retail, Torrance Promenade is conveniently located between the 2 largest in the South Bay & is likely to serve this niche market.