Arboretum at Great Hills

It’s a nice outdoor shopping area with some walking trails. I like how it wasn’t too crowded (maybe it was a matter of timing) — it was a Saturday afternoon.

THIS is an outdoor shopping center for walking. It was built so people don’t need cars to get between (high end) shops —and the resturants which do exist. When I moved here. there was a TGIFriday’s and an Asian resturant in the complex. They’re now repleced with an upscale Italian grille and a bakery from,…suprise, suprise College Station.
You get plenty of shade with all of the trees – which have been here since the 1980’s – they are huge. I know the in thing is supposed to be Trader Joe’s (where a Saks 5^th Avenue previously was). But their prices are only so-​so and it’s jus like gas station food packaging, Skip it, okay!
The Barnes and Noble is good if you want to get an idea of what new book is ‘popular’ as far as selling, or if you need something ‘right away. But if you want to buy something at a good price — get it used and online.
After the fiasco which was Highland Mall, the City appears to be more cautious in handing ‘previous developments’. They are refreshing this development so people – and companies will continue actively utilizing it. You no longer have to guess what the main tenants are.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are from coming to the arboretum with my family, and I’m glad to see this place hasn’t changed much. My family would always take me to eat Amy’s ice cream and climb on the cow statues, all of which are still here. It’s a beautiful place; I recently came back and was amazed by how pretty it was during sunset. It’s nice to just walk around, shop a bit, and eat outside by the fountain.

It is nice for a stroll to get out of your hotel room for a bit. It is even nicer if it does not rain on you as you are doing this. Plan ahead: bring a towel (or umbrella)

The Arboretum is good for only three things.
1)Estancia Churrascaria — for all you meat lovers.
2) A nice stroll on a sunny day — to walk off all the weight gained by eating unlimited amounts of lamb chops, filet mignon, and meats galore.
3) Barnes and Noble — for bibliophiles like me who cannot resist the call of the written word.
Food, exercise, and books. All you need among a collection of shops and an attractive atmosphere.

I recently moved to Austin and was on my way to a temp agency when I discovered the Arboretum… I didn’t even know this place existed! lol There are numerous shops and restaurants and just a beautiful place for an outdoor mall or for meeting someone for a bit to eat. Love it! I’ll be back.

Friday, February 1
Around 9 p.m. my family and I went to The Cheesecake Factory located in the Arboretum in celebration of my sister’s birthday. I was excited not only because it was my sister’s birthday (party of 16) but also it was my first time being at The Cheesecake Factory. It is a very nice place but after about 1.5 hours later we were finally seated. The food was pretty good. We left the restaurant around midnight and noticed several cop cars out front. We get to our truck only to find out we’ve been a victim of «ATTEMPTED AUTO THEFT.» The thieves broke the lock to our truck and also jammed and damaged/​broke our ignition switch. Our truck couldn’t even start! My family was stranded! I was in shock because this has never happened to us, not to mention we couldn’t believe this actually happened in a «nice» part of town.
So here is my question:
Where was the mobile security patrol? Hmmm good question! We filed a police report and were told by officer M. Heyward that 4 trucks (in addition to ours) were also broken into… WOW UNBELIEVABLE!
Result:
So here is my little family, stranded with no option other than my husband calling a tow truck company from the town we live, which by the way is about 45 minutes away from Austin. I was in complete shock all weekend until Monday. I called Cheesecake Factory early Monday and spoke with manager Sherston to let them know what happened in their parking lot and felt someone should be liable for their customer’s damaged property. Unfortunately, Sherston was quite insensitive and quickly referred me to Simon Properties. I called Simon Property early Tuesday only to be instructed to call back after 1 p.m.
Conclusion:
When customers visit an establishment, they should have a reasonable sense of security that their belongings will be safe. If something is damaged, there is such thing called insurance… but I find even getting to this point is almost impossible… so far.

I work here, it’s a fine location. Very pleasant tree lined walking areas, decent places within walking distances to grab some lunch. I have covered parking which in Texas is a #1 work benefit.
Sadly I may be moving out west to a much less lux set of working digs off Parmer. If that happens, I’ll miss the arboretum.

The Arboretum’s pretty nice, kinda like a slightly upscale strip mall.
There’s all kinds of stores here, including a large Barnes & Noble, GameStop, Jos. A. Bank and others, plus an Amy’s Ice Cream and a few other eateries in the area.
There’s a little walkway of sorts above all the stores that gives you a nice view of the pond area behind here. Technically that place is called the Arboretum at Great Hills, but we usually just lump the shopping center and the nature area all into the Arboretum.
In general it’s a nice place to hang out, and centrally located in North Austin so that people from closer to downtown or from the suburbs don’t have to drive too far.

Beautiful park, great place to get some ice cream and watch the sun set. I have spent many hours here with my camera taking in the views. As for the rest of it, it’s box-​store heaven. Which is fine, but it’s just really your run of the mill selection of stores (Barnes and Noble, The Gap, TGI Friday’s, etc). And again fine, it’s just not that exciting.
Great stone cows to play on!

Nice mid-​size outdoor shopping center;
Centrally-​located close to the intersection of MoPac, 183, and 360.
It’s got a good mix of stores, and is from mid– to high– end.
The great thing about this place is that it’s not over-​sized, yet quick and manageable, thus making it a good option over Barton Creek Square Mall, or The Domain.
Note that this has been around way-​longer than The Domain, and has always been a somewhat hip place to go to; I hope that they stay in business as The Domain gains in popularity.

It’s like an outdoor mall with lots of different shops to browse through (ie. barnes, francesca’s etc.). There is a courtyard area to sit and eat or let the kids play in.
Nice place to just mill around and kill some time.

always enjoyed coming out here and spending some peaceful time roaming around the rocks and feeding the ducks. it’s small and near lots of development but really pretty and calm.

My hubby and I took our 15 month old out for ice cream! Going to Amy’s is always a treat, but it was so nice, he decided to sit outside. Down the steps there are some outdoor picnic tables that look at some stone cows. Everything seemed so clean. The grass was neatly trimmed and the mulch was fresh, but not too fresh.
We enjoyed our ice cream and took her to play on the cows. She loved climbing up on them and fast-​walking from cow to cow. She wanted to sit on each one.
We played on the cows for a while and wondered by Con’ Olio’s. Yum!
What a fun place to go for an afternoon outing with the kids.
(I have also taken my kiddo to the pond to feed the ducks and fish. The geese show no fear so be weary. Overall, pretty fun.)

Enjoy the green spaces and the sculpture… Italian marble cows carved by Dallas sculptor Harold F. Clayton. Have seen two other Clayton cattle installations and Austin’s are my favorite.
Very glad that Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars has chosen to locate here!

MOOOO!
Gotta love the stone cows!

This place is like a hidden gem! It’s got rolling hills and is great for a stroll.

I prefer North Austin to South, so naturally, I love the Arboretum. Despite the increasingly large number of homogenized companies who choose to do business here, the rolling hills and lush greenery of the park area near the shopping center make it a true Austin jewel. As a photographer, I often shoot portaits of people near the Arboretum lake.
I currently live downtown, so I don’t make it up North all that often anymore. Although the places within the Arboretum area are not necessarily my all-​time favorites, there are so many places I like in such a close vicinity, it really makes it worth the trip for me.
As for shopping, there are a lot of major players — Saks, TJ Maxx, Pier 1, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, Express, Restoration Hardware, Banana Republic, Gap, Tomma Bahama, Sharper Image, and the list goes on. It’s worth mentioning that the best Barnes & Noble in town is located here.
As far as dining, you will again find mainly big chains — TGI Friday’s, Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, Carraba’s, Outback, Starbucks, etc. But there is also some good local flavor, too — Amy’s Ice Cream, Z Tejas, Eddie V’s, Firebowl, and more.
Whenever I’m aimlessly driving around Austin, I inevitably find myself in the Arboretum. It might not be the most unique part of Austin, but I still really love it there.

the back part of the arboretum deserves 4 stars — its actually pretty with a park and lake — with scenic views of the hills around 360 and of course the stone cows which the school kids and tourists seem to love… there’s even a hotel and a few high rise office spaces here so the land is kind of mixed use without the housing element. the front part where the stores are sucks… pretty much the stores face the parking lot — reflecting allot of heat back out to the atmosphere — and getting to the stores means you’ll probably risk getting run over by someone in a Suburban/​Hummer or Lexus SUV with stickers of there kids names on the back. the shops are okay a mix and match of local stuff (spa, Amy’s, wiki wiki, thunderclouds) and chain stores like gap/​pottery barn/​express/​cheesecake factory.

How many outdoor areas can boast a bunch of stone cows (the site of many prom pictures), an outdoor pond with ducks, tables to eat Amy’s ice cream, a bunch of specialty stores, and a Barnes and Noble?
The Arboretum. Yeah baby! I grew up going to the Arboretum, first for movies at the Arbor Theatre (since moved and replaced by the cheesecake factory,) Later for books at Barnes and Noble. Much later this location served as the spot for several friends surprise engagements, and now I go here on dates.
As the areas close to the Arboretum are getting more and more built up with tons and tons of stores and nature is becoming more and more obliterated in North Austin, this place will continue. Go there for a cup of coffee, a new shirt at the Gap, a pause to toss a coin into an enormous fountain, an expensive dessert at The Cheesecake Factory or a push-​up bra at Victoria’s Secret.
I think the Arboretum has a bit of everything, and a lot of Austin.