The Commons at Calabasas — Attraction in Calabasas

In a nutshell, Calabasas Commons is one of the best outdoor shopping centers I’ve ever visited. This is gonna be a long review so buckle up:

Driving in, I was pleased with the ease of parking. Though I came in on a Sunday, so I’m not sure how it is on other days like a Friday, Saturday, or holiday. The place was clean with mostly high end shops like Lululemon, Rolex, and some jewelry shop with two armed guards standing by the doors. There was also a nice pond area with turtles to look at. A couple statues to take pics with. The music they play from outdoor speakers was my kind of music: nice and jazzy. My first place to visit at the Commons was…

Barnes and Noble: This was on the more larger scale of stores with a wide variety of books, movies, comics, what have you. The cafe had a lot of tables for customers and a lot of chairs both on the ground floor and upstairs. This B&N exuded grandiose vibes and everything appeared well-organized. After grabbing a couple of books from B&N, I popped into…

La La Land cafe: Never heard of this place. Never been to it either. But, walking in, I was assured of how popular it seemed. There was a line to the door and a lot of guests waiting for their lattes/drinks. The decor was trendy with a large chandelier and two comfy white couches. Not the most clean place though as the trash can was overflowing with a few bits littered on the ground. The line moves pretty quick though, and getting my iced latte even quicker. It was really good. I enjoyed my latte. The cup was weird though. Like drinking out of a sippy cup almost. And the yellow design of everything was a little much. After my latte, though, I purchased a ticket to

Regency Theaters: This was by far the most surprising aspect of my visit here. As an AMC stan, I’m wary of visiting other theater chains. This one though, blew me away. Walking in, I was stunned by the elaborate decor. It was like Caesar’s Palace for movies. The staff were super dressed up and greeted me as I walked in. It was super slow with barely anyone in, though, so don’t expect the same on a busy night. Now, looks can be deceiving. You can have elegant elements to your theater but still be subpar in the things that count: seat comfortability, audio, and movie picture qualities. Thankfully, this Regency, though no IMAX or Dolby, delivered. With six auditoriums, all the seats were big and comfy recliners with a small swing table for your foot. Audio and picture quality was on par. But the best part? 10 minute trailers!! In a world where every theater runs nearly half an hour of commercials and trailers, this theater broke from the mold and shaved down that time by a third. Was it a fluke or the norm? I don’t know. A second visit will determine that but as a first timer, it was so nice to sit through only ten minutes of trailers and then on with the movie. After watching at Regency, I ended my night at…

King Fish: Nothing much to report here. My meal was good. Service was as well mannered as any restaurant. And the food was good. It was a nice end to my half-day venture at Calabasas Commons.

In summary, I will definitely visit the Commons again. I didn’t have high expectations but I did have a very enjoyable time. As for any critiques I guess it would be that nearly all the shoppers here are “Richie Rich”. Take from that what you will. But they’re the type that probably own at least two Teslas and can buy out a Lululemon shop if they wanted to. But as a poor kid, it was nice to rub shoulders with bourgeoise. A lot of young folks here too. They don’t cause much of a ruckus as most kids do, but it’s something to note. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay here and I can’t wait to...

Since my son was very little we have been going to the Calabasas commons. He is now three years old and it's a nice place to go to get out of the house for an afternoon that is not a full day commitment like a zoo or when you're tired of going to the park every day.

While there are plenty of stores and I'm sure everyone's experience is different… We have a routine. We start by going to Barnes and Noble where we first visit the kids room. Then he'll look at the toys section… And we and by getting a treat in the café.

Next, we visit the little pond where they have tons of turtles! Literally I've counted over 100 turtles! There are also big beautiful fish, and a bunch of water fountains which is my sons favorite thing! We spent some time looking at the turtles, and then it's up to the Calabasas Library that is right up the path! We visit the kids room there and check out some books. There are you going to water fountains at the library!

That's a typical visit for us! Sometimes instead of Barnes & Noble we'll go to Menchi's. I enjoyed the five at the Calabasas commons. They always play vintage Frank Sinatra style music which is pretty cool. This isn't Disneyland, but it's a place that has been bringing me back for years, so I think that alone is deserving of five stars. Enjoy!

If you want to make more of a day of it, start by checking out the Leonis adobe...

My favorite place to hang out. Especially love the ambiance, turtles, fish, and the vast stores and places to eat or check out. They play music through the sound system, output from rocks all around with always good music selections. There's a huge Barnes and Nobles we love exploring with an attached Starbucks inside if you want to satisfy your palate. There's lots of other food places on the area, and even right across the street in the smaller shopping center. As well as Color Me Mine and some Banks. There's ample parking and people are always coming and going. So you're sure to find a decent spot. If not, the whole parking lot feels pretty closely situated and it's a nice view so I've never been bothered by a 1.5 minute walk here. If the furthest parking spot even takes that long. I've never been pushed that far on the edge. People usually walk their dogs and if they're hypoallergenic I'll ask to pet some. Met by friendly pet owner's who are happy to oblige or explain their dogs situation. I've seen some HUGE dogs there many times. Always on their leash and looking very happy to be out, never intimidating or vicious. My visits are always great and I have no complaints! Always...