I'm a New York City resident who passed the New Jersey Bar Exam. I've taken the Bar 4 times-twice in New York and twice in the Garden State. The first two times, I took it in my home state and I was curb stomped each time. The third time, I took it in Jersey (no offense to the people in Jersey- I'm not implying that New Jersey is inferior to New York. I love you guys). When I took it for the third time, I failed by 7 points. I passed on the fourth attempt. In order to complete the initiation process and become an unofficial resident of Jersey, I had to visit the largest mall in the state. I heard that Bergen County has this asinine law called the Blue Law. It prohibits businesses in the county from opening on Sundays. Seriously? Is this 18th Century Amish Pennsylvania? There's no other county IN THE NATION that has such a law. I think it's a good idea for people to go to church on Sundays. However, they may want to shop after the service is over. I have a feeling that the Blue Law is a euphemism for a "Keep the Negroes out" law. Because of this dumbass law, I subtracted a point from my rating. Other than my disdain for the Blue Law, I was very impressed with the mall. It is HUGE. It is the second largest mall I've ever been to after the Palisades. It's twice the size of Roosevelt Field. The parking lot is the size of three football fields. It is very easy to get lost in the mall. When I was done shopping, I spent 20 minutes looking for the exit to the New Jersey Transit bus stop. The mall has a myriad of stores- an Apple Store, Origins (which sells skin cream), Forever 21 (I wouldn't be caught dead in there), the requisite Macy's, Neiman Marcus (a more upscale Macy's), Champ Sports, the usual stores that sell baseball caps and sneakers, a small Toys R Us, a sports memorbilia store, Spencer's, and a booth that sells hoverboards (there are many others that I can't remember). On the other side of the parking lot is a Best Buy. There are also quite a few specialty stores. One store sells Korean products (the babes who work there are so hot). There's even a small pet store. There's a large merry-go-round on the second floor. There's also a movie theater. The food court features many of the usual restaurants- McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, Taco Hell, generic Chinese restaurant, Johnny Rockets, the controversial Chick-Fil-A, and a store that sells sushi (there are many others that I can't remember off the top of my head). On the second floor is a store that sells Crepes, which is a delicious French pastry. The mall is very clean and beautiful. I wish that there were more affordable stores in the mall (Old Navy, Target, etc). Nevertheless, you can't have everything. I will be back. read more

See all

I really love this mall because of the variety of stores. The mall has a selection of high end stores and medium-priced stores. All people of different ages can come to the mall and still enjoy themselves because there are stores for kids and stores for adults. I went to the mall today and there was a Milk and Cookies stand there. Their cookies were really fresh, tasty, and unique. I would say that their cookies are definitely in my top 5 of cookies. I don't know it the stand is there at the mall permanently, but if you are in the mall and see it I would definitely recommend checking it out! read more

Westfield Garden State Plaza - The Cookie Monster cookie from Milk and Cookies has a blue colored sugar cookie on outside, chocolate chip cookie inside - Shopping Centers Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

See all

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. read more

Why can't California Westfields be like this one? Not only is the space freaking large but they have some decent stores. Let's not forget about the no sales tax on clothing! Garden State is probably one of the cleanest malls I've ever been to and they offer a nice selection of restaurants scattered around the mall as well as in their food court. Don't forget this mall, along with all other retail shops, are closed on Sundays. The only thing that sucks is the toll we have to pay to come here. Ick. read more

I must say, this is some nice mall. Pretty much all the shops I shop in can be found in this mall, especially now with Uniqlo open. It's also a huge mall, and I've never managed to see the whole thing in one day. Busy as well, so you know it's the real deal. My only complaint is how this mall (like many other places in New Jersey) don't open on Sundays. As a non-religious person, it would really suck having to live here and have no nearby places to go on a Sunday. The other complaint is the weird parking lot setup they have...slanted parking spots, really? I will always make this mall a stop in my trips to NYC, as well as Woodbury located just north of here. read more

This is a hard mall to judge with stars. It can be 3 or 4 maybe even 5. I have been coming to this mall for my entire life since it is so close to my house. It has grown to be one of the largest malls in america which is fantastic. They have every store you could ask for! spending a lot of money here is extremyl easy and you'll find a lot of great things. They have plenty of places to eat as well including a chili's and on the boarder right outside the mall. There is a Best Buy right outside too which is great. THis mall honestly has everything you can need. The only downfall is parking. Between people going to Best Buy, the AMC movie theater and the mall parking is insane sometimes. Especially during holidays! try to avoid at all costs lol. I worked at this mall for over 5 years and unless you know what roads to take, it can take a long time to get around this place in a car. My best advice is park as far away as possible and just walk! dont be lazy; you will get in quicker and get out quicker. Great mall overall though and worth checking out if you wanna do some serious shopping! read more

I love this place! I love coming in to work everyday. Good people, excellent place to get your steps in. So bring the neighbors, friends and family to Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus N.J. Come in and have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thank You and have a Happy and Safe Holiday. read more

Westfield Garden State Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

See all

I don't care if these con artists who run the George Washington Bridge (or whatever toll road/bridge they run) scam $15 out of me to go to Jersey. I WANT TO GO TO MY MALL. I will completely ditch all of New York City shopping if I can go to Garden State Plaza all the time and I am serious about that. I'm in love with this mall. IN LOVE. It has all the stores you can ever think of, whether high-end or low-end, all in one big mall. Yes, that combines those "one location-only" shops that include Aritzia, Lord & Taylor, Madewell and all those other stores you have to make the trip to SoHo or Midtown exclusively. Best of all, if you feel like splurging on that $300 Phillip Lim dress you've been eyeing on, there's no sales tax at all (NYC has a $110 restriction)! Same goes for luxury goods, expect sales tax is slightly lower. You will not walk out of here empty-handed. I'm someone who usually gets bored at a mall after an hour and walk out empty-handed and disappointed but I walked out of this mall like I was on a shopping spree! The sales are great and they have a lot of stores you cannot find in New York (or travel to Long Island, otherwise)! I think I enjoy the department store ambiances more because they actually feel like what a real department store should be - not like the recent revamping of Macy's on 34th and Lord & Taylor with their ghost-like settings. I can't wait to come back here again. I would've made circles around this mall if I wasn't on such limited timing and if it wasn't so goddamn huge! read more

This mall is great and keep getting better! Very impressed with the store, movies and dining selection and I keep wanting to come back over any other mall in New Jersey or New York. Thank you Garden State Plaza for being such a great mall and for being in Paramus! I love coming here! read more

This mall is huge and I only saw one directory. It is extremely hard to navigate. You need to use the app but even with that it was confusing because the mall goes off in so many different directions. There was a dearth of seating but when there was seating it was all together so you could walk a long time before finding a place to sit. Also I couldn't find any recycling bins for my soda bottle, only trash cans. No complaints about the stores. Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are nice anchor stores and there are a lot of upscale stores. read more

Love the mall but the parking lot management is terrible! Called security twice, as we hadn't move more than one level down in over an hour. After speaking to security twice, they explained that the parking lots were backed up due to traffic on routes 4 and 17. Will think twice before visiting during the holiday break! read more

Westfield Garden State Plaza - Parking lot situation - Shopping Centers Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Positives: the mall is huge and pretty much has every store you could possibly need or want and a huge AMC movie theater. But because of that, this mall is jammed packed!!! Insanely packed. Packed to the brim and then some. Around Christmas, this mall causes the worst traffic on all the major highways in Bergen County. I one time sat in an hour of traffic trying to just get out of the mall. The worst is every Saturday, it's just so busy that best of luck finding a parking spot! I just went today on Friday after lunch time and the parking situation was STILL bad. Also, now most of the parking is "Valet Parking" so get ready to shell out some money. Will the traffic be better if they're open Sunday too? Doubtful. It'd be jammed packed and crazy on Sunday AND Saturday then. I avoid this mall at all cost and rather go to Paramus Park, which is a lot quieter. read more

Huge mall, I'm pretty sure they have every store you need or want in the area! Bonus as no sales tax on clothing !!! Love it! I wish I had more time to spend but it's as good as it gets. Only negative is that it's HUGE! read more

See all

Parking is normally bad at a mall... but this one closes lanes so you are forced to go in any direction you don't actually want to go... then you have to drive past all the stupidity you were trying to avoid I the first place.. make a wrong turn... cop gives ickets... just turned around and left... won't return read more

Since they are repairing mall to add additional stores and parking lots. The traffic around the mall is atrocious. If you don't get here by 11am, be prepared for a long walk from the outskirts just to get a spot to park. The mall is overcrowded on weekends and lots a lot of thugs and robberies in the parking lots. Where are the mall security? I won't be coming until these issues are fixed. read more

This mall is more on the upscale perspective. They have high class designers such as Gucci and Luis Vuitton etc. it's variety of stores make this place a plus. There's stores for all ages. The mall is overly clean. Employees all across are friendly and helpful. Parking can be a hassle. There is valet parking provided for $10. For handicap vehicles, your valet parking is at no charge. How awesome!! read more

Many view the Garden State Plaza as shopping heaven. With a wide variety of stores of varying price points, it's easy to understand why. Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom anchor the mall which, for a lot of people, are" two great tastes together". The food court has the most options I've seen in a Jersey mall; for you food court foodies, there are more offerings than Menlo, but less than Roosevelt Field. There's also a Grand Lux (Cheesecake Fattery, I mean Factory's, little sister) here, the only one in NJ, the newly installed Capitale Grille, Pap-Razzi, and Joe's as well as Johnny Rocket's and California Pizza Kitchen. A hungry shopper's paradise! Unfortunately, with heaven, you gotta have hell and the parking lot and situation are the entire 9 concentric circles of Hell. Be prepared to drive up and down a myriad of rows; stalk shoppers leaving the mall; and then wait to see if the person IS actually getting out! Your frustration will be due to the fact that this mall and all of Bergen county is closed on Sunday (http://www.yelp.com/biz/bergen-county-hackensack#hrid:CLq9UGU_7I_SIRo6pVhkyw) so everyone will be there on a Friday or Saturday. I'd love to know how many accidents (cars to cars and cars to pedestrians) occur in this mall between Friday evening to Saturday, closing time. read more

Westfield Garden State Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Haven't been to this mall in ages and traveled here for an event. The mall is large has tons of stores. Nothing special about this mall but people love to be here and walk around. read more

I have to say, I did really like this mall. It is a little hard to navigate! The mall is huge, and has almost every store you need! The layout can get confusing, but it's not as bad as per se, Jersey Gardens, where it's like a maze. The mall has clothing accessories for everyone, and I found mnay stores, that I liked. that I was thinking of purchasing, but normally I just go to malls to browse, jusst to see what they're like. Some stores are more pricier than others. The mall isn't super clean, The mall is mostly with dented floors, but it didn't really matter. The mall directory is helpful, and will help you find your way to any store you need. I highly suggest this mall for a fun shopping experience! read more

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. read more

I love this mall! It's for everybody; kids, teens, families, middle-class, rich. Apple fans or Microsoft fans, LUSH, Victoria's Secret AND a PINK store, an AMC theater, Capital Grille...I can go on and on. The place will suck up all your money, so leave your credit cards at home if you're not trying to go broke. Tons of parking, however, if you are like me and not really a walker and want to be close to the store you're going into, then you may have sit for a minute. However, I'm a Nordstrom's and Lord & Taylor shopper, so I usually park on that side, if you want to score some extra time, they offer Valet service (just an option). read more

This mall is jam packed crazy! Around the holidays it's super busy, and when it's off season it's just busy. There's absolutely no parking and everyone feels as if they are entitled. There are plenty of stores to choose from at this mall with 2 full floors, and they are continuing to add more. The anchors are Macy's, Nordstrom, Neimen Markus, and Lord and Taylor. Their food court (The Bistro) is nothing to hype about. They've changed eateries to the point where nothing is flattering anymore. AMC is the only entertainment at this mall. read more

This is a dirt mall. Half of the stores didn't let you inside, the others had limits on customers. The water fountains did not work, and the bathrooms were half closed. read more

This mall is considered the Crown Jewel of Malls in NJ and in the US. Gigantic mega mall in the heart of northeast NJ. Contains every imaginable name brand and more - also located on the most premiere stretch of retail real estate in the US : Route 17. If you can not find what you are looking for in Westfield then you will most surely find it on Route 17. The mall is 2 levels and is basically designed like a figure 8 ( keep this in mind so that you will not get lost ). Has a massive movie theater, California pizza kitchen, Grand Lux Cafe, Apple, Louis Vitton, Tesla Dealership ( yes inside the mall ) ... you name it, this mall has it. They have buses that frequent the mall as well so it is very easy to get to from NY and NJ. Cons : - Extremely busy, despite size, hardly any parking on weekends ( plan on waiting even though they have smart parking lots showing open spots ) - Lots of congestion inside and outside the mall ( you know when you are near the mall when the map shows you 1 mile away and the traffic build up comes to a halt). - Not a place for those who are claustrophobic or fear large crowds ( tons of foot traffic ) Interesting Notes / Tips : - When an international company wants to open up a flagship store in the United States, they usually choose Garden State Plaza as its flagship entry location due its location / shopping power / demographics. Uniqlo is a great example of this. Shopping Tip : - Best way to get easy parking at Westfield is not to wander around the parking lots. Just wait in your car near any one of the main mall entrances ( people constantly are coming in and out ) and you are sure to get parking within 5 minutes. If you truly love shopping you can make your day one of the best shopping experiences ever by using this itinerary : Start with westfield mall when it opens up in the early morning. Once done with Westfield mall then drive up Route 17 North towards a few other mega shopping delights : - 20 minutes away is Nanuet Mall ( completely redesigned with a fantastic outdoor shopping district ) - 10 minutes away from Nanuet mall is the massive Palisades mall, which has 4 floors and a ferris wheel ( even larger then Westfield ) : one of the largest malls in the US. - 30 minutes away from Palisades mall is Woodbury commons : one of the largest outdoor outlet malls in the country ( in between is scenic harriman state park / 7 lake drive / veterans memorial drive / west point / Palisades parkway ) read more

What a HUGE shopping mall and one of my absolute favorites! I came here twice on Black Friday and the place was packed both times. It has almost 300 stores comprising of 2 floors. As predicted, they carry everyone's favorite stores, such as, Hollister, Express, A/X, Guess, AE, etc. In addition, they have a small food court, which is a tad disappointing considering how big the mall is. Also, there is a Jamba Juice inside for those who need a fruit energy boost while shopping. Like I said, it's one of my favorite malls, I've never had a problem with my shopping experiences here. read more

Westfield Garden State Plaza - Black Friday - Shopping Centers Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

The addition of the new parking lot is Key! But, sometimes getting that that lot can be painfully slow. There's many store to fancy your fashion appetite. But I wish the food court offered a better selection. Chipotle is a good start. Shake Shack is by the merry-go round. I think the paparrzi is closed but I've never dined there. I did try the sushi place by the Micrsoft store. It was ok. I hope the mall keep bringing new dining options dispersed around the mall to spread the flow of foot traffic. read more

good shopping place. only downside is that kids can't go around by themselves. my little boy loves to hangout with friends but atleast he has me ha. read more

I love this mall so much. Very clean, HUGE food court (a plus), and a mix of high-end and your usual suspects. My best friend and I went on Wednesday to find her a dress for an occasion, and we spent three hours there without meaning to! There's a good amount of food kiosks here and there so you can easily get a pick-me-up when you get hangry. There's plenty of parking by the building and also a HUGE lot with what looked like a shuttle service when I drove by. This mall has so much to offer than the nearby Shops at Riverside, which is always so empty and doesn't have many stores to really shop at. read more

Best mall Bergen County in my opinion. The mall is very big and it seems to always be changing with updates and new stores, which is a good thing. They have a pretty solid department store selection if that's what you're into. There is an AMC movie theater, different restaurants to choose from, and the food court is decorated with a very modern aesthetic. And there's valet parking if you're lazy to look for a parking spot. read more

bathrooms are ABSOLUTELY disgusting on a wednesday afternoon, and I mean DISGUSTING.

Jersey does malls right! Once you visit one, you'll endlessly not feel amused by the malls here in Chicago or wherever you're from. ;) With that said, it's a nice big mall that makes a solid impression upon entering it. It has a great variety of stores and food options. Everyone was very friendly and despite being an extremely busy mall, it was very clean. Overall, it has a lot of energy and options! read more

I live pretty close by so you would think this would be my go to place to shop. The parking is pretty crazy and the mall is packed most of the time. Part of the craziness with parking is the push for valet parking. A large portion of the lots are reserved for valet parking. A lot of the stores have become more upscale over the years. Not really the same shopping experience I remember growing up. read more

Beautiful mall ! Love how there is many stores , I did get lost a few times and I wish there were more directories , I kept trying to look for one and Iv noticed I didn't find any touch screen maps. I also spilled a drink and I called security and they arrived no later than 30seconds, I honestly thought I was going to wait for a while until they arrived. I also noticed people smoking marijuana in the garage , I kinda had to rush my child inside because people were doing skid marks and driving insanely crazy in the garage by the foodcourt so I had to hurry and get out the way before we get hit which was alittle uncomfortable. But other then that, it was a nice mall to shop! read more

This is a very nice mall in fact I prefer short Hills but this will do when I am in a hurry there is a Lorden Taylor and a Neiman Marcus and a lot of high-end shops that I do like to shop in Of course parking can sometimes be an issue When you park at Neiman Marcus you will be charged $10 for valet and additional five dollars for tip but I do it anyway that's why never had a problem finding parking There are a lot of cool stores in there sadly BEbe is gone.. but there is an Abercrombie for kids for my son and my husband has banana republic. I'm very sad to see that Bebe Close the stores forever I like that one place that sells pressed Juicery. This mall is always crowded. But definitely a good mall a lot of great choices to choose from Only been there about three or four times in the past year but I've liked it read more

I love this mall. I come here all the time (some would say a bit too much, but they don't know what they're taking about!). The mall is big and carries all the stores you need including high-end, a movie theatre, pet store, etc. The food court has various options to choose from to satisfy your hunger after a day of shopping. The downfall is finding parking and the traffic getting to and out of it can be a nightmare at times, especially around the holidays. Lastly, they are closed on Sunday's. read more

this place has every store that your heart could desire. everything from low to high end and everything in between. Parking seems to fill up quickly so get there early. Bathrooms are really clean for such a heavily trafficked mall. Very family friendly with play areas for kids and lounge areas for people to sit. A bunch of other big box retailers like Best Buy within walking distance as well. read more

This mall is a great place to shop - lots of stores to choose from including departments stores (Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, JC Penny, Lord & Taylor) to the usual Anthropologie, Zara, Urban Outfitters, and the Apple Store to the higher end stores like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Versace, Maje, TAG Heuer, and Salvatore Ferragamo. And then there's the not so typical Muji, Peloton, Flying Tiger, Tesla Motors, and Design Within Reach. The list of stores are just endless - you name it, and it's there! But as a result of this variety of retail shops and services, the traffic in the parking lot and in the surrounding area is horrible - especially on Saturdays (the mall is closed on Sundays due to the Blue Law, but the theater and some of the restaurants are open on Sundays - make sure to call or check beforehand!). And as you get closer to Christmas, you can bet that you'll circle around for parking for about an hour. There are also a good amount of places to eat at within the mall. There's a food court that was recently renovated (and is now called "the Bistro") but there are also restaurants attached to the mall like Shake Shack, Grand Lux Cafe, Legal Sea Foods, Zinburger Wine and Burger Bar, and the Capital Grille. There are also other large stores around the area (which also adds to the traffic) like Best Buy, BJ's Wholesale, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, Christmas Tree Shops, and IKEA. So basically, there are tons of places here that you can spend your money on. I would highly recommend going to this mall, but make sure you have the patience to deal with the traffic on Route 17 and even more patience to deal with the traffic in the parking lot! The parking has slightly improved since they've added the parking decks, but it still wasn't enough to lessen the traffic. read more

Never been to this mall before. Was nearby and hungry so went their. It is really a big one. Name a brand and you will find it here. Ann Taylor, Gucci, Armani, Zara, H&M, Express, Forever21. Ann Taylor- they have small bites for their customers. The day I went, they had brownie, cupcakes and soda. Parking is in abundance and you can also reserve the parking spot online. Amazing place to spend your weekend. read more

GSP has every store you can possibly imagine... AND THEN SOME. The parking sucks. No matter what time of day or day of the week it is IT'S A FREE HEADACHE FINDING A PARKING SPOT. BUTTTTT that doesn't stop me from coming and shopping til' I drop (honestly, I usually get lost most of the time anyway) the mall is huge... you can literally spend all day in the mall from open to close, sleep over, spend the next day there and not hit every store. Best store of course is the PET STORE BY THE MOVIES read more

This place is huge and useful sometimes, but it's lost its charm. They keep taking away all the stores/food that made it enjoyable. Only places that stick around are the high end stores that are WAY too expensive to shop at. They even took away the carousel. When they have an interesting new store/restaurant advertised to open soon, it often takes almost a year or longer to do so... Only to close shortly after. I'm sick of it. Don't get too attached to any stores here, because you never know when they'll dissappear without warning. I grew up going to this mall, but I'm sad to say it's become a big dissapointment. It just seems to get worse as the years go on. read more