It would be impossible to cover Dallas's dozens of major shopping malls here -- and more difficult still to hit them all on your visit to Dallas. A few of the best follow, both for the number and quality of stores and their general ambience.
NorthPark Center, Northwest Highway/Loop 12 at I-75 (tel. 214/363-7441), is the most traditional mall and, to my mind, the most elegant. NorthPark has 160 shops and major anchor stores (including Neiman Marcus, Tiffany's, and Nordstrom), as well as natural lighting and, best of all, a rotating display of owner Ray Nasher's fabulous sculpture collection of modern masters throughout the mall (the majority of his collection can be seen at Nasher Sculpture Center). NorthPark recently underwent a makeover that doubled its size, making it the largest mall in the Metroplex, but respected the good taste of the original 1960s structure. Not a mall, but not far from NorthPark, is one of my favorite shopping stops in Dallas: the sprawling flagship store Half Price Books Records & Magazines at 5915 E. Northwest Hwy., just east of Central Expressway (tel. 214/363-8374). The massive selection of books -- including art and architecture books, coffee-table books, books on tape, and language books -- blows away almost any new bookstore, and everything at half-price or less. It's a place to load up.
The Galleria, LBJ Freeway and Dallas Parkway North (tel. 972/702-7100; www.dallasgalleria.com), is a huge mall with a light-filled atrium (said to mimic the original Galleria in Milan, Italy). It attracts some of Dallas's most sophisticated shoppers to Macy's, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Versace, Cartier, and Hugo Boss. You'll also find an ice-skating rink, a Westin Hotel, and a host of restaurants -- but many people seem to come just to stroll.
Highland Park Village, Mockingbird Lane at Preston Road (tel. 214/559-2740), is as close as you'll get to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive in Dallas. This ultrachic corner of high-end shopping in the midst of Dallas's most exclusive neighborhood was built in the 1930s -- it was reportedly the first shopping mall in the U.S. -- and sports an eclectic mix of today's most fashionable boutiques (such as Calvin Klein, Prada, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, and Hermès). Shops aren't enclosed like a traditional suburban American mall; rather, they face inward for a more enjoyable (or shall we say, European) shopping experience.
