It’s Mall for the Best
State-of-the-Art Retail Therapy
by Victor Dorff
For many families, successfully removing two thousand
acres of agricultural land from the production of lima beans would have been
enough of a contribution to humanity. If the Segerstroms had done nothing
else, millions of children at dinner tables everywhere would still have been
forever in their debt. But that was only the beginning for the Orange County
mavericks who took that land in 1967 and turned it into the South Coast
Plaza, the quintessential upscale retail center in Costa Mesa, California.
 The South Coast Plaza bills itself as a luxury shopping
resort destination, with hundreds of exclusive boutiques, top-notch
restaurants, and cultural attractions meant to lure tourists from around the
country and the world. Everything about the place is designed as a
consumer's delight -- from the open spaces built for window-shopping to the
indoor bistros perfect for people-watching.
 Inside the stores, the mood seemed more festive than
businesslike. At the only Rolex store in the country, for example,
white-gloved sales people presented jewel-encrusted watches to eager
customers, who appeared to be enjoying the very act of trying them on and
imagining all the places they could go to show them off. Wall-mounted
display cases exhibited one-of-a-kind timepieces, like the one made of
meteorite fragments.
 Would-be fragrance-ologists at Jo Malone’s were
combining exotic scents to make their own signature perfumes and colognes.
At the Sony store, people who still don’t have a
flat-screen, high-definition television can see what they’re missing, while
repeating silently “What am I waiting for?” over and over. The latest
electronic book-replacement device is also on display, along with cameras,
phones, iPods, iPod-clones, and every conceivable attachment and gadget fit
for today’s technophile. Of course, if you are one of tomorrow’s
technophiles, there is also an Apple Store in the complex.
Through forty years of growth, the South Coast Plaza
has evolved into an urban center in its own right. The Segerstroms have set
out to create a walking environment, similar to what one would find in
cities on the East Coast or in Europe. A series of pedestrian bridges
connects various parts of the complex.
 The Bridge of Gardens, designed by architect Katherine
Gustafson, provides a treat for the eye, with its graceful curves passing
over a busy street to link two of the Plaza’s retail areas. The Unity Bridge
leads to the Westin Hotel, built where the Segerstrom family of ranchers
once had its dairy, and to the adjacent Orange County Performing Arts Center
and the nearby South Coast Repertory theatre.
To put the size and scope of the place into
perspective, the retail area of the South Coast Plaza alone is 2.8 million
square feet, more than half the size of the world's smallest country. With
23 million people passing through each year, the place is nearly as busy as
Hong Kong’s airport. And the $1.5 billion dollars spent annually is more
than the Gross Domestic Product of Belize.
 All this, and it’s “freeway-close” -- and only minutes
away from John Wayne Airport. That means it’s possible to fly in, spend a
full day shopping and eating, then walk to an evening of entertainment.
After a nightcap, you can stroll to a nearby hotel for a good night sleep.
If you still have the strength the next day, you can start all over again
when the stores reopen. Otherwise, perhaps The Spa will rejuvenate you and
get you back out there shopping, eating, walking, or whatever else your
heart desires.
By the way, rumor has it that a theme-park or two are
also in the area, but there really wasn’t enough time to look into that.
Websites:
South Coast Plaza (retail shopping center):
www.southcoastplaza.com
South Coast Repertory Theater:
www.scr.org
Orange County Performing Arts Center:
www.ocpac.org
For more on the wide range of luxury hotels,
restaurants, and attractions up and down the coast of Orange County:
www.theoceanfrontca.com
In response to the flagging economy, on December 20,
2006, the President of the United States told Americans, “I encourage you
all to go shopping more,” and Victor Dorff has been doing his part ever
since.
Photos by Lisa Sonne | 