Very cool mall in Tempe. This was the first time I had ever been to an open-air mall - for real! I felt like it was one of those malls that there was always a surprise, like certain stores. All the restaurants, except for the sit-down bar and grill places were all in one section, which made things convenient for me and my friend when it came to choosing something to eat (we chose Smashburger). The Marketplace did have the usual mall stores including those that have disappeared in malls from back home. It was a great walk around the whole Marketplace, and plus there was a small light show going on. From what I heard, concerts are a cool thing to see here...would have loved to see one.
And it was nice to see people having a great time enjoying themselves. I'm from St. Louis - where just about everyone is afraid to go to the malls these days (reasons like crime and such)! So this was a totally different world for me, and I'm glad I had the chance to come here. I can see this open-air thing happening in great weather places in the South and Southwest, but definitely would not work anyplace else (like again, St. Louis even though it was at one time tried there).