The Shops at Mission Viejo — Local services in Mission Viejo

This used to be the Mission Viejo Mall, but hey, doesn't The Shops at Mission Viejo sound more upscale? It remains the mall to us locals, though some of the prices makes me want to call it the Shops at Mission Viejo just to feel like I'm getting my money's worth. $12 a pound for grapefruit slices at the candy store? Eek!

Having fussed, I'll say something nice. I got my fiancée's emerald earrings at the mall for a pretty good price, and I looked around some before I bought them. Do check out the jewelry stores. You just might find a pretty good price.

Amongst other stores there is a Sees Candy shop if you're in the mood for something sweet. They have a pretty good food court, last time there I had a cheese steak sandwich that was pretty good.

All the usual suspects are there, Nordstrom and those kinds of places. One of the big disappointments to me, and it was a big one, was the Apple store. Omnicron had got here, and they were the only store in the mall that closed, and closed at a time I very much needed them. We bought a new iPhone 13 Pro Max and a new tablet especially for our vacation and had a problem with the tablet. There were 4 employees in front of the store dealing with the public, and I counted 7 employees in the store milling around. A cranky employee who was clearly tired of dealing with people like me informed me, when asked, that he had no idea when the store would open again. I personally didn't understand why, if you are using limiting exposure to people as your reason for closing, you would expose 4 employees to all those people asking questions. I felt bad for the employees. They were catching a lot of flak. After spending over two grand on Apple products for vacation and then being turned away from the Apple when I needed them left me kinda irritated. Fortunately the Irvine store wasn't panic stricken, but a 3 hour wait in line was outside our time frame. Fortunately we had our S21 Ultras and our trusty S7 tablets. Much better cameras on the Ultras as it turned out. Check out my moon pics for comparison. We wanted to see how we liked Apple. For us, iPhones remain in the domain of "influencers", people that want to look cool and YouTube video makers. For great cameras, reliability and productivity, we'll stay with Samsung. We just preordered our S22 Ultras. Hey, we have a great price on a 13 Pro Max if you're interested.

Malls still have their place in our hearts, but with increasing inflation, 14 fuel price hikes here in CA in 15 days, traffic congestion and the craziness that seems to be afflicting us in general (Anyone else feel that way? It's a topic of conversation around here) buying online has become a more and more viable alternative. Delivery is fast and right to my door. I've gotten everything I've ordered, and nothing broken. The problem is in the very ease and reliability of ordering online. Like Costco, I go with the best of intentions to spend X amount of money and spend Y amount every single time. It takes some thought and discipline to shop in the modern world.

I, for one, am concerned by events around us. Conflicting and contradictory information about Covid. I'm not sure how three weeks ago Omnicron was devastating us and today California downgraded it from pandemic to endemic status. Pundits are telling us how great we're doing because of the stock market but I see prices that matter to me rising almost daily. Confusion and disruption surround us, even threat of war with Russia. I see people stocking up on water and toilet paper again. What does that have to do with the mall? Nothing, I guess. I just want to tell you not to give up hope. To stay strong and choose common sense over panic. If you are feeling alone or overwhelmed turn to a friend, or one of the many services available to us. Maybe is sounds cheesy and trite, but we're Americans and I have faith in us to come through anything if we work together.

I wish the best for all of you every day. Stay...

The Shops at Mission Viejo is a well kept mall that isn't laser focused on clothing. There's and Etsy store, multiple cooking stores, candy stores, food and snack options, shoes, technology, makeup, and of course a plethora or clothing stores. There's something for everyone here.

Everything is kept very clean here and the crowd is always friendly. There is parking in the parking lot and a large parking structure. Both parking areas are free and close to the entrances. This is a good mall to take your kids. There are dollar car/rocket rides on the bottom floor, and a play area on the second floor. The Westminster Mall in Westminster all has games for kids.

The crowding here isn't too bad. You'll always find people lingering in the Apple and Microsoft stores, no matter the time of day, but it's not nearly as crowded as South Coast Plaza for instance. There's Auntie Anne's and Wetzel's Pretzels if you feel like a snack.

There are many escalators, a few elevators, and all the amenities you expect of a mall: public restrooms, ATMs, phone repairs, an overabundance of massage chairs, and a wishing fountain. It is missing some small details like more vending machines (I believe there's only the one by the restrooms in the food court), but that doesn't stop me from returning here...

Good place to browse and walk around. Feel very safe there. Not so busy anymore as it used to be sadly, yet every store front is open. But good if you want to window shop and stroll around on a hot or cold day, this is a great place to do so. There is a store there called Dominika that sales fossils, Crystals and jewelry. I am a collector of mineral and have gotten some beautiful specimens at a very affordable price. Check out the pictures. There are a whole host of shops from Macy’s to small businesses. My son likes the Lego store, my daughter the toddler clothing stores, and my wife the jewelry and clothing stores like Macys or Nordstrom. Heck, you can even buy a car here too from Tesla. And the best part is there is plenty of parking. So check out the many restaurants from Paradise Bakery healthy option’s to burgers or Chinese food. Or go upscale to the Cheesecake Factory or PF Changs. So drop in and get a bite to eat and browse the many stores.

As of 2026, the mall is expanding and adding a new addition with more shops and restaurants. No not a food court, but actual separate restaurants. They are expanding outward by the existing...