The Grove is one of the most amazing, elegant, upscale shopping centers I have ever been to. It's technically a mall but it's a mall Los Angeles style, unlike malls that I have ever been to anywhere else in the world. It's beautifully manicured, there is lush greenery and lovely palm trees. The floors are marble-like and there are some neat architectural details. Walking around here, you can feel the rich design and feel the wealth and prestige. The stores themselves are also wonderful. Everything is represented here - all the big name, big expensive designers. Most of this is out of my budget, but it's still fun to look at Prada Bags and drool over Gucci shoes. You can check out the big department stores here too, there is a wonderful Nieman Marcus.

There are also some stores that are a bit more in the affordable range. There is a J. Crew, a Banana Republic and other stores of this nature. There aren't really "cheap" stores, i.e. no Forever 21 or stores like that though, but these J. Crew type places can seem like budget options after a look at the price tags in Gucci. There's also an absolutely fantastic food selection here - way better than any typical mall food court. There are some nice restaurants including Maggianos which, although it is a chain restaurant, has delicious and somewhat upscale Italian food. You get large portions and the price is good but it still feels like it has a nice atmosphere.

There are restaurants and stores in this mall that offer valet parking, but if you prefer to park the car yourself there is free parking in the large parking garage adjacent to the mall.

The Grove is one of those master planned, Disneyland-esque shopping centers that are popping up all over the country. This one is in the style of some kind of village or town center. It has a fountain that sprays in tune with music as well as a trolley that runs through the center of the shopping center. The center tries to cater to every one's tastes, with stores ranging from Pottery Barn to Tommy Bahama to Anthropologie. Although the shopping center is entirely artificial and isn't actually any kind of a town center, it is still fun to walk around there. If you want an escape from the pristine manufactured environment, visit the Original Los Angeles Farmer's Market, which is right next door.

The Grove is horrible. If you don’t want to visit a vulgar bastardization of a Hollywood landmark, don’t go here. The Grove is repulsive, and as a Hollywood native, I would have to say that it absolutely insults me deeply. The Grove is a shopping mall gone wrong. The Grove has been called an adult Disneyland, and as I am not so fond of Disneyland, I would have to agree. There is a trolley that takes you through the maybe 300-foot stretch. The Grove also boasts a fountain synchronized to music such as the Backstreet Boys and recent Michael Jackson. Whoever thought up the Grove must not have loved L.A. The Grove along with Hollywood and Highland are an embarrassment to Los Angeles architecture (if you can even call them that); I would prefer to call them anti-architecture.

The Grove is located at Fairfax and Third next to one of my favorite Hollywood landmarks, the Farmers’ Market. The great thing about the Farmers’ Market was that it was mostly frequented by old retired people who would play bridge in the sun and grab a drink at the outdoor bar. Now that the Grove has taken over, it is far too busy for the true FM crowd. I actually saw an SUV almost hit an old lady attempting to cross the street from Kmart over to the Farmers’ Market. The Farmers’ Market used to have that old ranch feeling that Hollywood was famous for back in the day. My father used to take my brother and sister and me around L.A. and tell us stories about all the different "important places," and the Farmers’ Market had that appeal. It had the feeling of a drive-in movie theater or a country fair, which is quite rare for the middle of West Hollywood. Now that it’s next to the Grove, it has lost a lot of that feeling.

I can’t stand the Grove; it has ruined everything. I have much more respect for the Beverly Center. The Beverly Center has authentic history. It hasn’t borrowed from a timeless icon shamelessly. The Beverly Center revels in its real, unashamed materialism. The Grove offends its patrons by pretending to provide you with an experience. The Grove is a big fat liar. The Grove is sad. The Grove is like a TV version of a great poem. Please don’t go there, but if you have to, please spend your money elsewhere.