We love Birkdale as a family and I also appreciate it on my own and w/my girlfriends. Good variety of stores, though some try a bit hard to be high end and really, they aren't and shouldn't charge what they do. Sadly, some longtime tenants have closed shop (Peyton's Closet is one) and there are two locations that seem to be a white elphant. The tapas restaurant, kids hair salon and Eez Fusion have many fans. Eez tends to get crowded early and the host staff isn't very friendly or welcoming...not good when at 5:15pm they are already on a wait and you have to stand in-front of the hostess station for 30+minutes.
There are lots of free and seasonal activities; the fountain for kids during the summer, horse drawn carriage rides/Santa/snow/bear jamboree for the holidays, culinary courses at Williams-Sonoma and stories at Barnes & Noble. Birkdale is best in the morning, it's relaxing, unhurried. The movie theater is looking (and feeling) dated and they really are overcharging for admission and concessions. No matinee pricing. I'm from LA and expect these prices there...at a better theater.