Garden State Plaza Mall is the New Jersey's first regional retail mall. Originally an open-air mall in the 1950s, this shopping mall has been updated many times and now 4 stories high and over two million square feet. There are seven anchor stores and attrations: Macy's, Nordstroms, JC Penneys, Neiman Marcus, Borders, AMC 16-screen theater, and Lord & Taylor, and almost 300 regular stores. The shopping mall is less than ten miles form Manhattan and it's theme is a garden setting with elegance.
An Ikea furniture store is across the road on Route 4, as well as a Sports Authority, Bed Bath and Beyond, and a Christmas Tree Shops.
Entertainment includes a 16-screen AMC movie theater at the Garden State Plaza Mall.
Dining:
Garden State Plaza Mall has dining choices with 15 restaurants like Baskin Robbins ice cream, Blimpies, Bourbon Street Grill, California Pizza Kitchen, Chilis, DJ, Godiva, Haagen Daz, Joe's Bar, Johnny Rockets, KFC, Legal Sea Food, McDonalds, Nathans Hotdogs, Panda Express, Ruby Tuesday, Taco Bell, Wendys, and Sarku Sushi.
Hours:
Garden State Plaza Mall is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 in the morning till 9:30 in the evening. Holiday hours, from December 5-23rd, they're open till 11 pm, and they open early those days, too (7 am the week of Christmas, 8 am the week before, 9 am the weeks before that).
The Garden State Plaza Mall is always completely closed on Sundays, even during holiday hours, except for some of the restaurants and the new theater (they have special Sunday entrances.)
Shopping mall directions:
To get to Garden State Plaza Mall take the Garden State Parkway to exit 160 or exit 163, or take Route 4 west. NY bus #163, 171 and 175 go to the mall, plus NJ routes 770, 758, 756, 709.