The Crystal Lake Plaza is a medium-sized strip mall that is jammed with-packed with a wide variety…read moreof businesses. And when I say wide variety, I'm talking completely across the spectrum. I stop here every so often to visit Shine Bright Nutrition, a cure nutrition place tucked into the corner where you can get energy teas and protein shakes. As far as food goes, the Egg Factory is a pretty popular breakfast place, Crazy by Rasel is a drive through convenience shop at the very end of the plaza, and there's even an Indian grocery shop you can stop by. There's a pawn shop on the opposite end from the drive thru, a phone carrier store, an insurance company, a new store that I believe mostly sells legos and/or toys, and a boutique that I'm definitely going to check out at some point. There's even more than this but just to rattle off a few offerings. One downside is the plaza is definitely not taken care of. The individual businesses keep their units clean and nice, but from the outside the plaza as a whole looks dirty and a bit run down. The parking lot can also be a little chaotic and unorganized at times.

Great location directly off the Polk Parkway at the exit for Florida Avenue, there is an easy…read moreentrance from the service road. Interestingly, the service road is bidirectional so you'll be making a left when you depart in order to get back to the highway entrance. The shopping mall has an outer C shape and then an inner one. The mall contains a Ross, Ulta Beauty, Marshalls, Stein Mart, Party City, Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree. We were here for dinner at Il Forno, who have a dedicated area roped off for curbside ordering and pickup. There is also Texas Roadhouse, Keke's Breakfast Cafe and some fast food. The shopping center appears to be well lit and while there are some taller trees, they do not excessively block visibility of the parking areas. The speed bumps tend to keep the traffic going slower. Of course, always be aware of your surroundings and look for people approaching you. [Review 13351 overall, 669 of 2020.]

Palm Center is most easily passed by and ignored. There are tons of strip mall/ centers in Lakeland…read morelike mostly any city, so this one doesn't particularly stick out upon first glance. But recently I've found myself visiting Palm Center a lot more often. It's actually got quite a lot going for it. At this strip you can get in a workout (Plant Fitness), eat some sushi or sandwiches (New Moon Sushi & Subway), get car essentials (NAPA), office & house essentials (Staples & Big Lots), get your haircut (Lakeland Barber), go to church (Access Church), or get your alcohol restock (ABC Liquors). You can also get a nice pre or post workout, church or shopping juice or smoothie from Juice Box, go shopping at the Christian Bookstore, get your taxes taken care of at H&R Block, or hit up the consignment store. Oh, and there's a Cici's Pizza if you don't want sushi or a sub. I still haven't named all of the businesses in this complex, but you can see my point right? The only unfortunate thing is that despite the range of Palm Center, it's really not well maintained. A lot of it seems to be nearly falling apart and dirty especially on the outside. Thus, why the strip is also so easily passed by. It's not nice on the outside, so many know that equates to being looked over a lot. But don't! Because Palm Center has much to offer!

Somehow I've lived in Central FL for 8-9 years now, visiting Tampa several times a month and never…read morehad even heard of the Grove. It's a fantastic shopping spot! They have such a wide variety of businesses here- TJ Maxx, Dicks, Old Navy, World Market, PetSmart, Best Buy, Ross, Five Below, Dollar Tree, Ulta, Planet Fitness and across the street the brand new massive Target. Along with this, there are tons of dining options now that Krate is open within the Grove. Krate is a little fenced in area that has about 3 rows of small businesses, mostly food and literally every variety you could want. Outside of this, there is Macondo which is a coffee shop, there's ice cream and Indian food, pizza, and more. For being such a large shopping area, I do wish the pedestrian walking paths were a little bit more interconnected. There are sidewalks in some places but other areas it's a little scary to walk to and from because there's so much traffic in and out of here.

This place is brand new and has everything! Great hotels, lots of shopping and restaurants, a car…read morewash, Starbucks and close proximity to Tampa! I spent the weekend in a hotel here and decided to explore the various shops and restaurants. What a treat! Even the Target which is brand new has that "never been shopped in" feel! You think you are at a grand opening and you are the only guests. The place was empty but it was a Friday early afternoon. By the evening the place was crazy busy. Parking is amazing and every place we went into is fully accessible. So much fun! I can't wait to come back!!

Pickers Paradise is definitely my kind of Eden. I stopped in during a recent trip through Central…read moreFlorida, and from the moment I saw the metal exterior covered in vintage road signs, I knew I was in for both a walk down memory lane and a serious treasure hunt. This massive antique mall spans over 18,000 square feet and features around 140 vendor booths filled with gently used items, antiques, and vintage finds. The space is spread across multiple rooms, with vendors offering everything from toys and furniture to home goods, collectibles, tools, and art. No matter what you're into, there's something here to catch your eye. I especially loved the mix of old and new--everything from the contemporary Temptations cookware I love to the vintage Pyrex I adore. One booth even had an incredible wall of Loungefly bags. Being in Central Florida, there's also a great selection of Disney-themed items sprinkled throughout. Be sure to follow the arrows on the floor so you don't miss the hidden upstairs area--it's easy to overlook and totally worth checking out. You could easily spend hours browsing here. If you need a break, there's a Touch of Philly cheesesteak food truck on-site, plus a snack counter inside offering chips and popcorn. The friendly staff really enhances the experience with their helpful service and welcoming vibe. Prices vary by vendor--some items were higher than I expected, while others were absolute steals. Keep an eye out for sales, as they're scattered throughout the booths. All in all, Pickers Paradise is a fun and rewarding stop for anyone looking to rediscover a little nostalgia or score a unique find.

Saw the billboard on the highway and I was like yaasssss!…read more It was neverending goodies! When you think you've reached the end. You didn't! I could spend hours in here and and still find something I didn't see earlier. They have a great selection from vintage toys, home decor, Pokemon cards to homemade jams. The prices were fair unlike other antique stores I've been to before. Staff was not only hilarious but most helpful. If you like hunting for vintage items then this is your place. If you're near the Orlando area...I highly recommend making a drive here!

The shop has a lot of large pieces of furniture. There's not that much to look through. It did have…read moresome nice pieces of furniture priced a little high for my liking. A lot of the items in the back were very rustic but if you are someone who is handy when it comes to those things you may find some gems for you.

My fiancée and I found this beautiful mid century modern entertainment center. Oshay was so sweet…read more He offered to deliver it for us since we were close and let us borrow equipment to get it home. Great store and owners!

Lloyds of Lakeland is a large, eclectic shop with an impressive amount of collectibles, including a…read morestrong vinyl selection spread across two main areas of the store. The section near the front door has some interesting finds, though pricing can be a bit high relative to condition. Even so, I did manage to pick up a few items I had been looking for at reasonable prices. The deeper section inside the store is where I had the best luck, with a much better mix of selection and value. There is a lot to go through, and I ended up making a second trip back just to finish digging through everything I wanted to explore. I came away with several great vinyl finds on both visits. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and very personable, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Free parking right by the front entrance is another added benefit, especially since street parking in the area is metered during weekday business hours. I also noticed they have a large selection of comic books, which may be of interest if you enjoy collecting those as well. If you enjoy digging for records and don't mind spending time searching, Lloyds of Lakeland is definitely worth a stop.

This place has A LOT to offer. There are many vendors at this location. There is a variety of items…read moreto consider. Records, comic, glassware, furniture, signage, jewelry, toys, etc. Most items are fairly priced AND there is a second floor! Set aside plenty of time to enjoy this collection.

Nova is the little sister to Crush. It has the same items that Crush carries just on the other end…read moreof the mall. Same selection of shoes and accessories just a smaller location. They have been serving the city of Lakeland for over 9 years. Check them out and see what you can find. My Mom loves their shoes and I love their jewlery and purses they offer. The employees are very friendly and are willing to help. Happy Shopping!