Malls supply holiday gift haven
Campus Times
December 6, 1996
Deck the malls with lots of shoppers. Fa la-la-la-la, la la la la.
December has arrived, which means the holidays are merely weeks away.
The time has come to do Christmas and Chanukah shopping. Although the Chanukah
celebration began last night, it is not too late to purchase gifts for the
festival.
The University of La Verne is in a prime location for those who prefer
to do their shopping at more than one place. ULV is within reasonable distance
to several malls and outlet centers.
Downtown La Verne offers a variety of specialty shops, including antiques,
time pieces and hand-crafted jewelry.
East on Interstate 10 or down Arrow Highway, about 15 minutes, is the
Montclair Plaza. It has over 200 stores including such department stores
as Robinson's May, Nordstrom, J.C. Penney, Sears and Macy's.
To find a perfect gift for a hard-to-shop-for person, one may try a
specialty store such as the Calendar Club. The store is filled with almost
every 1997 calendar imaginable. From animals to sports, fashion models to
nature, a shopper can pick up a calendar perfectly suited for just about
anyone.
Sal Luster, manager of the Calendar Club, said the most popular calendars
this season include those featuring "Home Improvement" actor Jonathan
Taylor Thomas, California scenes and art.
"Dogs and cats are almost equal," said Luster, "but dogs
sell a little more."
To get into the Christmas spirit, shoppers can visit Home, Hearts and
Holidays. This is a store filled with homemade crafts and housewarming gifts.
Presently, it boasts an array of themed Christmas trees which display beautiful
handcrafted ornaments which range in price from 99 cents to $10. Big sellers
this year are glass and crystal angels.
Other popular stores at Montclair Plaza include The Disney Store, Warner
Bros. Studio Store, The Wherehouse, B. Dalton Bookseller and Prints Plus.
Montclair Plaza also provides 11 jewelry stores which have large selections
of holiday gifts.
According to Irina Levinson, assistant manager for J. Burton Jewelers,
diamond pieces including engagement rings and tennis bracelets are popular
around the holidays.
ULV is also within close distance to two other shopping malls. The Brea
Mall is located off the 57 freeway south approximately 25 minutes, and West
Covina Fashion Plaza is off I-10 west.
To embark on a new shopping experience, one might try Ontario Mills,
which is located at the I-10 and I-15 interchange in Ontario. Ontario Mills
is open for extended holiday hours Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 11
p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Dec. 31.
Ontario Mills has more than 200 outlet and specialty stores. Included
are Off 5th/Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Virgin Megastore, Burlington Coat
Factory, Big Dog and a Levi's Outlet. Also within Ontario Mills are 19 shoe
stores.
Bruce Kilgour, manager of the Virgin Megastore, said some of the best
selling CDs of the season are the "Romeo and Juliet" soundtrack,
Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Tha "Doggfather," Bush's Razorblade Suitcase"
and the "Evita" soundtrack, featuring Madonna in the title role.
ULV is also within reasonable proximity to outlet centers. The Lake
Elsinore Outlet, located off I-15, features factory stores with designer
brands at discounted prices. At this outlet center, one can find stores
such as Bugle Boy, Capezio, Esprit, Geoffrey Bean, the Leather Loft, London
Fog, Nike, Nine West and Sony.
Two other outlet centers that are a bit farther away are the Desert
Hill Outlets in Cabazon near Palm Springs, which offer items for 25 to 65
percent off regular prices, and the Lancaster Outlets which are located
in the Antelope Valley, about an hour and a half away.
With the many varieties of shopping centers surrounding La Verne, one
should be able to find gifts perfectly suited for everyone on his or her
holiday list.
'Tis the season to spend money. Fa la-la-la-la, la la la la.