My Favorite Triad Shopping Centers
By Rachel Hoeing
If you love to shop, why limit yourself to the mall or shopping center that is closest to you? There are so many fantastic ones in the Triad. My top picks are all fairly close. I bet it would only take about thirty minutes to get from one to the others. Of course you probably would not go to all three in the same day, but ladies, get these shopping centers on your calendar and visit! You will not be disappointed.
Greensboro
In Greensboro, there is no question – my favorite shopping center is Friendly Center. If you live anywhere in this area and have not yet been to Friendly, you are missing out! My favorite stores here are Crazy 8 (kid’s clothes), The Extra Ingredient (anything and everything to do with the kitchen), Simply Meg’s (high quality women’s boutique), Swoozie’s (adorable gifts – they closed for a while, but are back open), REI (amazing outdoor store), J Crew, Ann Taylor, DSW Shoe Warehouse (I could spend hours in here), and Toys N Co (great stop when you have the kids with you).
For restaurants at Friendly Center, I will never speak to you again if you do not go to PF Changs for dinner while you are at Friendly Center. Seriously.  You must order the Chicken Lettuce Wraps for an appetizer. My choices for main entrees are Chang’s Spicy Chicken, Dan Dan Noodles, and Double Pan Fried Noodles. They have a great kids menu, too. For lunch, I love Bear Rock. Of course there is a Chick-fil-A as well in case you need to eat and run and spend more time shopping.
High Point
Moving on to High Point, I love the Palladium Commons Shopping Center. First of all, I think there are three stops for ice cream here! One is Bruster’s, which is fantastic!  There is also a Ben and Jerry’s, and right across the street is Feeny’s Frozen Yogurt bar!  You can pick your yogurt flavor and add as many toppings as you wish at the bar. Brilliant! There is also a movie theatre in this shopping center, which can top off a day of shopping!
Other food venues at the Palladium shopping center include Moe’s, McAllister’s, Mad About Greek, Cici’s Pizza, Chick-fil-A, J & S Cafeteria, Alex’s Cheesecakes, and Buffalo Wild Wings.
For shopping at the Palladium Center, Poshh Boutique is perfect for fun, flirty, women’s clothes. Hang Ups is a framing store, but so much more! They have really cute accessories and gifts, including Life Is Good, Pandora, and Vera Bradley.
Winston-Salem
My favorite shopping centers in Winston-Salem are Thruway Center and Reynolda Village, but Thruway wins by just a tad! Thruway has an abundance of shopping! My faves include: The Painted Frog (unique clothing and gifts for women), Francesca’s (trendy clothes for women of all ages), New Balance (quality shoes for kids and adults), The Jewel Box, Ann Taylor Loft, Great Outdoor Provision Co, Border’s, Rolly’s (fashionable items for babies and nurseries), Note Worthy (adorable stationary, as well as other personalized items), Hanes Brands Outlet, and Simply Sterling (jewelry plus a whole lot more). You can also find Stein Mart, Aveda, Coldwater Creek, Bevello, Joseph A Banks, Talbots, and more! My kids love stopping in the pet store here as well.
As far as food, you have an abundance – The Carving Board is my favorite place hands down for an adult lunch. You can also find Moe’s, Chick-fil-A, The Juice Shop, Bonefish Grill, Fox and Hound, The Loop Pizza Grill, and Dewey’s Bakery. For some reason I am feeling compelled to tell you that there is a delicious sandwich shop across the street called Jimmy John’s , too!
Burlington
Although this cannot be grouped in the “30 minutes from all the other shopping centers” category, Alamance Crossing Shopping Center is not too far outside of Greensboro and about a 45 minute trip from Winston. This is a great place to stop if you are en route to Raleigh since it is located right off I-40. My favorite stop here is Peaches N Cream children’s clothing. I also love The Children’s Place, Hobby Lobby, Harry & David, Ann Taylor Loft, Talbots, and Yankee Candle Co. There is also a large Barnes and Noble as well as a cinema.
There are PLENTY of good eats here as well including Cold Stone Creamery, Moe’s, Brixx and Mimi’s Cafe. My favorite is the Red Bowl Asian Bistro!
So what did I forget? The Triad is definitely not at a loss for shopping, so add your ideas below!
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