The Beverly Center Sets the Trend

A shopping mall that is also a tourist stop, the Beverly Center dominates the upscale fashion market and is considered by most observers to be the trendiest mall in Los Angeles County.

Designed by Welton Becket & Associates, the Beverly Center suggests a modern version of a castle keep--a castle devoted entirely to retailing. The lower levels are reserved for parking. The shops on the upper levels are reached by distinctive glassed-in escalators with views of the hills.

“The Beverly Center is unique in that it has a very strong image, people know what it stands for,” said Gayle Kantro, marketing director. “This is definitely not a cookie-cutter mall.”

Richard Orne, 40, shops at the Beverly Center in spite of its distinctive look. “It’s convenient,” said Orne, who lives in Hollywood. A designer of shopping malls, Orne finds the Beverly Center downright unattractive. “It’s kind of a vanilla box,” said Orne, who much prefers an outdoor mall to one that is “hermetically sealed.”

The center’s emphasis on high-fashion translates into higher prices, but it’s one of the best places to find the latest in chic European wear. As mall publicists put it, the stores are so cool that one of them is even called Ice. Even its two connecting restaurants are hip: the Hard Rock Cafe and California Pizza Kitchen.

Its uptown tone is what draws Bill and Mary Canaletti to the Beverly Center. The couple live in Downey but come to the Westside mall every Christmas Eve. “We spend the whole day here,” said Mary, who explains that the clothes sold at the Beverly Center “are very different” from those available in Downey stores.

During their most recent day-before-Christmas visit, the Canalettis browsed through the jewelry stores and Bill made it a point to check out the toys for grown-ups at Brookstone Co. “We’ve already done all our shopping,” said Bill. “But if we see something special, we buy it for each other,” Mary added.

In addition to visitors such as the Canalettis, the Beverly Center draws customers from some of the most affluent areas in Los Angeles County. It serves almost as a trolley stop for browsers between Beverly Hills and Melrose Avenue. Mall officials like to say the center is between Melrose and Rodeo Drive in both geography and tone.

At a time when the trend among malls is to differentiate, the Beverly Center has retained a strong image as a high-end shopping center. It recently opened a Conran’s furniture outlet to add to its department store anchors, Bullock’s and The Broadway.

Owned and operated by La Cienega Associates and managed by the Taubman Co., the Beverly Center in 1989 ranked seventh in total sales out of the 45 largest malls in Los Angeles County.

BEVERLY CENTER, LOS ANGELES

Year opened: 1982

Retail square footage: 900,000

Anchor stores: the Broadway, Bullock’s

Number of stores: 165

Memorable feature: Outdoor escalators along La Cienega Boulevard