The Oaks Mall — Attraction in Gainesville

A very cozy mall with a fun atmosphere. Unfortunately, the selection of stores isn't what it was in its heyday, but if you like women's clothing, you've got that here everywhere you look. The food court is solid, with all its classic staples like Chick-fil-A, a Chinese and Japanese restaurant, a Charlie's Cheesesteaks for the men of culture, Pretzel Twister, and a Starbucks nearby.

Shopping and pedestrian traffic has picked up considerably since the lockdowns, and yet it's not hard at all to find a parking spot. It has a bustling atmosphere most days, but without being too crowded to walk through with ease. It's lost a few of its anchor retail stores, but it's not as though it lacks for such a thing, and most other stores don't seem to have suffered from it. Unfortunately, the lockdowns did kill Ruby Tuesday and Red Robin. That was a huge hit.

The notable attractions for the mall, in no particular order, include:

Chick-fil-A Spencer's Forever 21 Infinity VR Games (VR arcade) Starbucks Spirit (during Halloween) Fun Target (Airsoft shooting range) GameStop Build-A-Bear Workshop JCPenney Custom Teez Charlie's Cheesesteaks Pretzel Twister Hot Topic The Bodhi Tree (crystal and tarot shop) Limited BoxLunch (anime novelty store) Crystal Visions (crystal shop) Go! Games & Toys Belk Resa Toys

And a bunch of other clothing and jewelry stores that are indistinguishable to me because I'm a man.

The Oaks Mall may have felt the slump that malls are feeling in general, but things seem to be picking up. They've got a few new really unique stores, traffic has picked up but hasn't made it too crowded, and it's still got a cozy feel to it. It could be better, but it's improving rapidly, and there are still some spaces available for new stores to open up. I would recommend a visit for anything from a day off with friends, a shopping day, a place to get good food, or a break...

This mall is dying. Fast. And just like the West Oaks Mall below it, it's full of empty stores boarded up, advertising other stores; a sad death for the 40-year old area favorite. It brought all the stores around it into Newberry, and now it's gonna implode on itself. Blame poor management, recent trends (a poor location), and over-reliance on orange and blue colors.

For a mall that's supposed to represent "one of the most prestigious colleges in Florida" , it's an utter disappointment and a shell of itself. Kids who graduated with 4.5 GPAs and penny-pinch aren't going to shop at malls, and the Oaks never adapted, or even attempted to cater. The mall reminds me a lot of the former Miracle City Mall and Merritt Square, which were my childhood favorites, and I've been going to the Oaks for a good long while; right now, it's a 1-story complex with giant aisles and an extremely cramped food court. Like Miracle City, it's mostly high ceilings, dated skylight/drop ceiling aesthetics and a LOT of walking, and like Merritt Square, the layout is more confusing than an IKEA instruction sheet.

Through time, the mall has received many renovations, in the process many poor decisions were made, including turning a AMC 4-plex into the smallest food court one's ever laid eyes on, and it's taken its' toll. With the closure of 2 of the major department stores and 21 vacant spaces, it's looking like the set of a Western film as of late, complete with tumbleweeds and dust.

Is there anything positive about the mall? Outside of your favorite stores, Dillards, maybe.... no. Tons of stores pushing terrible college merchandise and trying to coax college students into buying schlock. The escalator wells in Macy's were pretty cool, as is the gator statue....

If you need walking or running shoes, Fit2Run is surprisingly professional. They have a digital interface that maps your foot position, footprint, and stance. The customer service rep was well versed in foot, leg, bone and muscle anatomy to help pick the best shoe for my needs. Highly recommended.

Edited: I took my grandson, who has feet problems, a month or so later. The digital interface was broken and none of the other machines worked. The customer service rep said that the equipment had been broken for days and that corporate did not seem to care. I specifically went to have my grandsons feet and stance evaluated.

Evidently not all reps are knowledgeable about foot and leg anatomy. Ours was not. Even though he was not engaged with any other customers, he kept disappearing and we had to constantly keep looking for him to try on different sizes and shoes. This experience was a one. I averaged the five and one star to give this place three stars.

If you want your feet and stance evaluated for the shoe that works best for you, my recommendation would be to call ahead first to make sure their...