Paddock Mall

That mall was a total joke, Macy’s had 1 item that I needed!
I purchased a tan belt !

My boyfriend is an Ocala native and took me here because I wanted to see his old stomping grounds. There’s not really a lot of appeal to this mall nor is there much variety. You have your typical department stores and if that’s up your alley then this mall should suit you just fine. If you’re someone looking for name brands in stand-​alone shops, you won’t find it here. I was impressed to find Francesca’s here, but it was the only store that I could find anything I liked.
If you’re looking to really splurge and don’t mind a little bit of a drive, it’s worth the trip to Gainesville for The Oaks.

Pros: It’s well kept, clean, and hosts the typical mall stores (Sears, JCPenny, Macys, etc.)
Cons: It is almost lifeless and has barely any traffic to it; lacks some mall stores such as Dillards
Bottom Line: If you need to go to a mall Paddock is one of your only options in Ocala, however, this barren wasteland is mostly occupied by a few packs of tweens and retired peoples.
Being a Florida Gator I have grown pretty accustomed to small towns, however all of my friends from Ocala claim that in terms of size UF is gigantic in comparison. Don’t get me wrong Ocala has A LOT of delicious food from Amrit Palace to La Cuisine. However Paddock mall, despite its size and cleanliness, is just a reminder of how empty Ocala can be.
Walking through the mall you immediately note the eerie silence that permeates the space. The only things missing from the scene were tumbleweed flowing in the wind, creepy music, AND DID I MENTION PEOPLE?!? Honestly where is everybody? You’d think that more people would be at such a decent looking mall. The quiet air is unsettling and I would not be surprised if I suddenly found myself straight out of a horror movie with serial killers and spirits ready to pounce on unsuspecting visitors. The only signs of intelligent life is the hodgepodge of middle schoolers who have way too much time in the summer and senior citizens who seem to have trouble operating their new smart phones.
Overall this mall is as clean, standard, and uninteresting as most malls get. There is a Sears, JCPenny, Gamestop, Payless, Macy’s an assortment of other stores normally associated with the mall. THE FOOD COURT IS ABSOLUTELY TINY and I would definitely seek the numerous other local eateries Ocala has to offer. Unless you NEED to go to the mall, don’t waste your time here; all you will find is disconcerting quiet and a strange impending sense of doom.

I was on a roadtrip to Ocala with my mom (who came to visit me from Puerto Rico). We decided to stop by Paddock Mall to do a little bit of shopping before meeting up with one of her friends that lives in Ocala. It was sad that this is suppose to be the main mall at ocala (!?) and it was empty and slightly boring atmosphere but maybe it was that day. They have limited stores (Payless, Radio shack, AE, Hollister, VS, Charlotte russe) to name a few and some department stores (Macys, JcPenny, Sears). On the plus side, I had NO trouble finding a parking spot near the entrance. I guess i am got accustomed to how awesome Plaza las Americas (PR) and Westfield Malls (Tampa Bay area).

This mall joins the ranks of Fashion Square Mall in Orlando and the West Oaks Mall in Ocoee. It’s depressing when you see a mall this empty and with such limited stores. The food court, if you can call it that, offers very limited dining options. They have a Chick Fil A, Villa’s Pizza, a Chinese place and Charley’s Steak Sandwiches. Paddock has 4 department stores which include Macy’s, JcPenney, Sears and Belk.
What they do have a lot of are massage chairs and those are located throughout the mall. For $ 1.00, you get a 3 minute so called massage and if you continue to sit in the chair after the massage is done, a computer voice tells you to deposit more money or leave. They are also many couches and lounge chairs throughout this empty mall in case you get bored of walking around.

Oh my glob, I went to purchase a bra from Victoria’s Secret. They have four fitting rooms and I don’t know if they all have portals to Narnia or something because it took such a long time… Maybe that’s Victoria’s Secret, her waiting rooms are actually a secret portal to go visit asland and the white witch. What if Victoria is actually the white witch? As I ponder all of these thoughts, the girl in front of me comes out of the changing room. Happy that it’s my turn to find the portal, I look around and cannot find it anywhere. Where is Victoria hiding this secret of hers?

The Ocala Mall
Average mall, average stores, average amount of people… Odd enough, I nearly never go! I hate malls. I don’t find this place appealing at all. You have people in the middle of the mall constantly hawking things at you, «Hey, try this…» «Hey, come put this cream on…» «Do you want some of this…»
No… I just want to go to Claire’s… I think I am actually going to start getting my items on-​line. Actually, I like the mall for some of the stores, but the pricing in the stores cannot compete with the pricing on-​line and I feel really sorry that the stores having to up-​price to make rent and compete.
The mall itself is clean and kept up. It’s not run down… There are a lot of Tweens around and I do see some homeless people in the mall walking around which is kind of distracting for me because I want to help them and offer them some food. My kids like to look at them and ask questions, so I find myself engaging in topics that aren’t «mall-​ready» topics…
If you want something «In and out.» Go on-​line find what you want… Go in to that store from the outside of it and then get out. That’s my advice… I wouldn’t want to walk the mall. That’s not my «thang…» but then, I am not a tween anymore… Not a young chicken anymore.
Simmons Family
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Back in the day, Paddock Mall was «the» place to shop in Ocala and for a long time it was the only game in town.
But to paraphrase the late Ted Geisel, aka Doctor Seuss: I do not like this Mall, I do not like it one bit; I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-​I-​am.
Since Dillard’s moved out and up the road three miles to Market Street, Paddock has lost some of its luster. Mind you, it’s not run down. It’s a Norton Property and they tend to keep things clean and spiffy.
But the stores we tend to shop in, aren’t here.
No Dillard’s, Old Navy, Ulta, Panera’s Soups and Sandwiches, DSW, JOS Bank, Mimi’s French Bakery, or Barnes and Noble, etc.
Sorry!

Pretty basic mall. They still don’t have some basic stores found in average malls. Always clean and never overcrowded.

This is the second closest mall to me and is three times the mall in Leesburg, so for location, it’s great!

The best place for a full set!1 good service!

Another ho-​hum mall. I’m surprised that there’s no huge malls around here. Guess that’s what Super Wal-​Mart is for. This place seems to have less selection than The Oaks Mall, but at the same time at the moment there’s not a whole lot of boarded up spots like in The Oaks (+1 star for appearance), and the stores they do have are a little more interesting shops than The Oaks. Food court looked okay. Not a bad place I guess.

This isnt much of a mall, but it is a good place to waste time,

I agree with Dana H.: this mall is a little depressing to shop in. But only because its quite small and there aren’t that many stores and yes the food court is very tiny. But I’ve also been spoiled by the malls in Miami. What it does have though are the basic department stores including, Macys, JCPenny, Belk and Sears. There is also Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale and Hollister which is fine for the average teen. So although it’s small it has the basics which I figure is fine for most people but I would definitely hit up Oaks Mall in Gainesville for real shopping.

This is a pretty average sized mall. Pretty much it if you’re looking for a mall in Ocala. It has all your usual mall stores… JC Penney, Belk, Victoria’s Secret, Bed Bath & Body Works… you get the picture.
It does seem a little dated though. Most of the stores seem like they are on the verge of going out of business (which might be the truth based on the way the economy is right now…), and it’s just a depressing place to go shopping.
It has a pretty weak food court and no other restaurants dispersed throughout the mall.
All in all… I’m kinda EHH about this place. I only head here when there’s a specific need to go to one of the stores that are only available at the mall!