Sketchy, boring, a ghost town–these are often the responses I get when I mention the South Bay “Ghettoria.” But this crowning jewel of North Redondo doesn’t deserve the hate. When I walk beneath the intricate glass skylights, I can’t help but be impressed by the natural light spilling over the aesthetically pleasing atrium and winding tile walkways. Full of games, great stores for the teenage budget, sweet treats and cushy, reclining movie seats, there’s a lot to appreciate about the Galleria.
Redondo students should be on the lookout for a new favorite mall, as Del Amo Fashion Center just enacted a restrictive chaperone policy that keeps minors out of the mall on weekend nights. This new policy is a response to recent incidents in August and December, both involving brawls of about 1,000 teens that required assistance from six different police agencies to break up the crowds (five people were arrested in the December case) and closed the mall for several hours on each occasion. Minors must now be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on Friday and Saturday nights after 3 p.m., or they will be denied entry. This seems like it would be a major blow to one of the mall’s prime audiences, teenagers on date nights, but luckily, Redondo teens have another fantastic–and brawl-less–mall to consider.
The Galleria was originally constructed as an open air shopping center in 1959, but was redesigned to be an indoor mall in 1985. The development has a long history of being a community center and generating tax revenue for the local economy–it was even visited by president John F. Kennedy. Today, the main department stores anchoring business at the mall are Macy’s, Kohl’s and Q, with AMC Theatres also being a major bon to business. For us high-schoolers, it is surprisingly easy to reach, even without a car, as the Beach Cities Transit bus runs directly from school to the mall.
The movie theater is hands-down the best feature of the mall. It far surpasses the AMC Theatres at Del Amo, with comfortable, reclining seats standard in all 16 theaters, and Dolby Cinema and dine-in options also available. The AMC at Galleria is always my first choice when a new movie releases; I’d much prefer to watch the nearly three hour long “Dune: Part 2” relaxing in luxury rather than leaving with a numb bum.
In terms of shopping, the Galleria is my go-to gift spot. While it might not have all of the high-end luxury retailers that Del Amo does, it does have popular stores such as Sephora, Hot Topic, Vans and Zumiez. I am a big fan of the Zumiez at the Galleria, as the staff are friendly and extremely helpful. Sports fans will also be satisfied by the selection of custom jersey stores present. And with many stores offering regular deals, it is easy to find apparel in teenagers’ price range. A very indecisive gift buyer myself, taking my time to stroll through the less stressful Galleria, full of stores I already enjoy, is much more my speed than the fast-paced and chaotic rush of Del Amo.
Another highlight of the Galleria is its various entertainment oriented venues. Right next to the movie theater is an arcade (think Stranger Things era), so bring your quarters to compete head-to-head against your friends in both vintage and modern video games. The Galleria also prides itself on its “experiential venues,” which include escape rooms and virtual reality games–while I haven’t personally tried either, they come highly recommended from friends. For those wanting a bit of nostalgic fun, you can even rent little motorcycles and putter around the ground floor of the mall, or take a ride on the mini train.
The food court is one element in which Del Amo certainly outperforms the Galleria, as no fast food chains call the latter’s food court home. That said, there
is a wide variety of options present, serving everything from arepas to Mongolian BBQ. For all the sweet tooths, however, the Galleria has a smorgasbord of dessert options, including Cinnabon, Wetzel’s Pretzels and the Sweet Factory, where our middle-school-selves ate ourselves into a candy-induced sugar coma. In terms of drinks, try the Galleria’s newest store, Flavo Juice Bar, which opened February 22 and has delicious, refreshing and healthy smoothies and juices.
To beat the “ghost town” allegations, the Galleria does have plans for a large-scale renovation to revitalize the mall and attract back many customers that took their business elsewhere. Although delayed by COVID, the mall will expand and rebrand as the South Bay Social District, with extensive retailers, new restaurants, residential apartments, a hotel and even a skate park, according to an article published in The Beach Reporter in January 2023. Since then, however, progress has stalled, as developers seek funding to bring about these massive changes.
Redondo students do have a chance to influence this process. With the chaperone policy preventing weekend access to Del Amo without an adult present, we can choose to shop at the Galleria, using our dollars to show the investors that the community does value the rejuvenation of this property. Invite your friends, watch a movie and then explore all that the Galleria has to offer; I strongly urge you to give it a second chance.
