DAY TRIP Americana at Brand

A project by Rick Caruso, who was the mastermind behind the Grove in Los Angeles, The Americana at Brand opened Friday after two years and $400 million in construction. It is significantly larger than most malls, taking up 15.5 acres of land, which encompasses four city blocks in its Glendale home.

GETTING THERE

Take the I-405 north for about 12 miles. Exit onto the I-605 north and follow for about 10 miles. Then exit onto the I-5 North/Santa Ana Freeway toward Los Angeles. Exit onto CA-134 East toward Pasadena. Exit Central Avenue toward Brand Boulevard and merge onto Sanchez Drive. Turn right at Brand Boulevard and left at West California Avenue.

HOURS

The Americana at Brand is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m Sunday. The Excelsior Sales Center is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The residences leasing office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

ADMISSION

There are some fixed costs to attend the center. Parking is off Brand Boulevard and Central Avenue. Self-Parking is free for the first hour and is $3 for the second hour, but free with validation. Three-hour parking is $5 and four-hour parking is $7, but is free with theater validation. A stay of five hours or more costs $9.

Valet parking is $8 for one or two hours, and an additional $2 for every half hour longer with a $20 maximum price.

RETAIL

There are 75 shops at The Americana at Brand. While some of the shops are ones seen throughout Southern California, many are upscale or new stores to the area that add a new dimension to the shopping experience. The area also includes cafes, restaurants and a movie theater.

DINING

The Americana at Brand offers cafes and specialty eateries of many flavors for patrons to enjoy. While there are popular brands such as Jamba Juice, Pinkberry, and The Cheesecake Factory, other lesser-known restaurants also populate the food attractions. Frida Mexican Cafe, Katsuya, Jewel City Diner and CrepeMaker offer more eclectic tastes for visitors to try.

ENTERTAINMENT

Americana at Brand offers three forms of entertainment: events, a theater and kids club. Occasionally the area will host events, but it has none listed at this. For those who want to take in a film, the Americana at Brand offers Pacific 18 Theaters.

The Kids Club offers weekly activities for kids and their parents to enjoy. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday children are invited to engage in activities, dance, do arts and crafts, and other entertainment on The Green at Americana at Brand.

— Daniel Tedford