Broadway Plaza

I used one of the new garages to park in while I got lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. I needed to use their wifi for some work while I had lunch so I was there for about an hour and a half. When I got back to my car, I had a parking ticket for «Parked on Private Property.» I tried to appeal it thought the City of Walnut Creek with a receipt showing I was a paying customer at one of the businesses and they denied my appeal. So much for «free» parking for customers. Be careful on using this garage for too long I guess…

Awesome place to shop! Every store you could want! All outdoors and plenty of restaurants and cafes! Construction currently going on and adding new stores. Park car and enjoy your day walking through plaza.

I have shopped at Broadway Plaza shopping center for probably 25 years, and for a long time it was the top of my favorite places to go list. No more. It has been a gravel pit for two years, with no parking, no easy access, and apparently very little end in sight. Other places beckon.

The parking situation here is a nightmare. It took me 45 minutes to circle one block and then find a parking spot in the terrible garage. I will be driving all the way to Corte Madera or even Union Square next time

Home to Walnut Creek’s finest dining and bougie stores, I would say Broadway Plaza should pride itself in being one of the best kept outdoor malls in the East Bay.
Its current situation with the remodeling of parking structures makes the area temporarily difficult to navigate around — and is displeasing to the eye. BUT I remember what it was like before they started construction, and I have hope for what it will be like after they complete it.
Believe it or not, this area is one of my favorite hang out spots. They have stores that cater to a variety of household incomes and so many different kinds of food and mom & pop shops.
This a great place to take out of towners or to just have a relaxing weekend with friends.

The new parking garages are a nightmare to navigate in anything larger than a subcompact. The interior ramps are too narrow and coupled with the right angle turns at the entrances, it’s a mess. Whoever designed them was more interested in increasing the number of car spaces and not on being able to get
to them.
I am avoiding that shopping center.

Broadway Plaza is a fabulous shopping center and will only get better once the renovation project is complete. Lots of great stores and restaurants in a beautiful atmosphere. However, the new parking structure is an absolute disaster. The turning corners going up and down to each level are way too sharp and the traffic flow was not well thought out. During busy shopping times such as the holildays and days when there are big sales this place is going to be a mess.

The place is beautiful but the problem is parking. There’s limited space and I tried to avoid meter parking. I hope they finish the construction soon & curious to see what retailers will be in Walnut Creek.

Outdoor Mall with valet parking! They have all of the essential shoppes including Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, and Banana Republic. Want to build your custom Tesla, you can do it here as they even a Tesla store. Don’t worry about food as there is many great restaurants around.

It’s ashame Tesla and other people with money need all this space to park when people with handicaps can’t find a place to park

Broadway Plaza has always been the place to go for higher end shopping. It has a beautiful outdoor feel to it and every since they have added the surrounding stores and area it has really classed it up. They are still doing construction in certain areas around Macy’s so I’m sure that it will look even better soon. Just relaxing around the fountain on a sunny day is so nice.

I want to go back!
Such a beautiful place to walk around with family. Great stores. Love the open mall concept. You get to shop while the sun is shining brightly.
Very family oriented and I feel very safe leaving my pre teen to come meet with his friends.

Broadway Plaza is one of the nicer malls of East Bay. It’s an outdoor mall located in downtown Walnut Creek. While the mall doesn’t have many stores that I’m particularly interested in (I’m not much of a shopper to begin with), I can appreciate its quaint atmosphere and classic European-​inspired charm. The mall is clean, feels safe, and is aesthetically pleasing. Just walking around on the sidewalks and taking in the sights and sounds is enjoyable enough.
Since this mall is out in the suburbs, the place is teeming with families. Grandparents, moms, dads, teens, tweens, and babies aplenty. Speaking of which, the concierge here offers free wheelchair and stroller rentals. They also have clean restrooms and offer free water and coffee. Tip: Out-​of-​town visitors can stop by concierge and pick up a free coupon booklet. Just bring an out-​of-​town ID for verification.
The shopping center has over 80 stores. The anchors are Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Neiman Marcus is relatively new, having opened in 2012 with a beautiful store. Retail includes brands like Banana Republic, Burberry, Clarks, Coach, Crate & Barrel, Ecco, J. Crew, Kate Spade, Lacoste, Lucky Jeans, and Sephora. Restaurants include Boudin Bakery, California Pizza Kitchen, and P.F. Chang’s. In addition, the shopping center is surrounded by plenty of great stores and restaurants such as Paper Source (Botelho Dr.) and the popular Corners Tavern (Broadway Plaza), which opened not too long ago.
Compared to other malls in the Bay Area, parking is easier to find at Broadway Plaza. There’s a big, free parking garage. It has a live, updating sign above the entrance which tells you if a certain parking level is full. If the level isn’t full, it tells you the number of parking spaces available. Convenient!

I really like Broadway Plaza — it’s a quaint outdoor shopping plaza with a small town feel.
It’s too bad that they’re shutting down Broadway Alley for the next two years while they demo and build up bigger shops: (
A lot of those merchants were my favorites, and are now going out of business (R.I.P. Yogurt Park
)
Supposedly the developer is giving the city $ 5 million, so I hope the money is put to good use in the «Dub C!»
For now, enjoy shopping in the construction-​free zone until January 2014.
There are still a lot of stores and restaurants that aren’t on Broadway Alley (between Macy’s and Nordstrom) that have great wares and goods. Shop local :)
And at least Santa has one more go ’round here for the kids this holiday season!

I’m not sure when my shopping habits drastically changed. There was time I shopped just for the pleasure of wandering in and out of stores and spending money. Now shopping is a chore I do when I need something.
The Broadway Plaza might just make me go back to my old shopping habits. There is such a variety of stores. Parking is free in the parking lots and they are crowed. I suspect there is something that will appeal to everyone, well maybe not everyone. Some men might not find what they are looking for, and they don’t seem to be a lot of them walking around. Best of all, it is not an enclosed mall. It is a real downtown, outdoor shopping area.

Likes: Good variety of stores, all pretty large and located outside so you can walk from one to another. Plenty of free parking structures to park in (yay).

Broadway Plaza has something for everyone assuming you have the time to find it in their impressive myriad of stores. The fashions range from classic to preppy and predictable — a mix of luxury items from Burberry and Lacoste and your typical J. Crew, Juicy Couture, Victoria’s Secret, and Banana Republic shops. No surprises or quirkiness here.
I typically pop into the big department stores and a few designer denim boutiques. If you’re looking for a great fitting pair of jeans or a dress for a conservative cocktail party, this plaza rules. Contrary to popular belief, they sell more than just white jeans, gold strappy high heeled sandals, oversized sunglasses, and candy colored kaftans.
I wonder if anyone else has noticed how the quality of customer service can vary depending on what you wear on a given day. For instance, I get lots of attention from salespeople when I’m wearing a cardigan and a purse that hangs in the crook of my arm but pretty much ignored in a T-​shirt and Dr. Martens. I suppose that’s to be expected.
Yay for having a big, free parking lot. If you happen to be hungry and want to avoid such things like corporate chain restaurant burritos and the dreaded California Pizza Kitchen, you’re right by the Walnut Creek branch of La Boulange. French pastries and gourmet salads galore.
I prefer to go during the week. It’s crowded and kind of nuts on weekends, particularly in the summertime or when a big sale is going on. I really don’t like being accidentally elbowed in the ribs by suburban housewives at Nordstroms. However, I will bear with the masses during Christmas time because I’m a sucker for holiday cheer and ritzy window displays.

IF YOU LIKE SHOPPING, YOU’LL LIKE BROADWAY PLAZA
If you’re looking for the actual Walnut Creek (as in H2O), it once flowed where Broadway Plaza stands now. Walnut and San Ramon Creeks were covered over during construction. Imagine the outcry from environmental groups if you tried to build a shopping plaza over a creek now! But 60 years ago this must have been less of an issue because today stands an outdoor shopping plaza that other malls nationwide have tried to recreate. The design of the plaza is very shopper-​friendly.
Going hand-​in-​hand with the scenic, outdoor mall, is the great weather of the Bay Area. Who wouldn’t love walking around the shops and fountains with the sun shining on your shoulders?!
I don’t like shopping. At all. But I do enjoy walking around Broadway Plaza.
The See’s candy store is my favorite. Free sample if youre in line!

In theory Broadway Plaza is a great concept. I love the outdoor fountains, greenery and pedestrian pathways. I always manage to find parking, albeit with some extra hunting required during weekends and holidays. It’s nice to be able to stroll through here and window shop.
Where I find it fall short is in the actual quality of the stores-I’m not talking about brands (Broadway Plaza has some great shoppes). What I find disappointing is the actual inventory, customer service and layout of some of the stores. Although I am huge fan of Banana Republic, Macy’s and J-​Crew stores in general, I find the locations in Broadway Plaza to have a limited amount of sizes, styles and decent friendly service when compared to other locations. I guess it shouldn’t detract from Broadway Plaza in general, however, I find myself spending very little actual money here. It’s a nice place to while away the afternoon and window shop but if you are really after selection and quality you are better off checking out the same brands in San Francisco.
The Unilocal 100 Challenge-​East Bay

I was in Walnut Creek and Danville last week for an «old haunts visit». As part of that, I actually scheduled in an afternoon at the Broadway Plaza shopping center.
For those who know me well, that will cause this reaction:
«Whaaaaat?»
Because they would know I detest shopping malls. In particular indoor malls, but malls in general have never been my thing.
That said, for the twenty years or so that I lived in Danville and Alamo, the nearby Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek was one of my favorite places to go. And as it evolved, it got better and better.
My afternoon there last make made me remember that I still love the stores. As in Macy’s, Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Sur La Table, David M. Brian to name but a few… (I miss the Talbots that closed.)
I still love the Starbuck’s there and sitting outside sipping a tall dark roast and watching the shoppers go by.
I still like some of the restaurants — the Nordi’s café, the California Pizza Kitchen (but pass on the PF Chang’s).
I also like that there is ample parking provided by two different garages, one on each side of the mall. (Ample does not mean unlimited and at holiday shopping peaks it can be nearly impossible to park — be forewarned.)
Given the limited rain of his part of California, this kind of outdoor mall with limited overhead covering makes great sense. (One has to wonder what the Bridgeport people were thinking in Portland.)
What I particularly loved then and continue to love now is the beautiful outdoor setting with the fountain, pots of blooming plants and flowers everywhere and adorable sculptures tucked here and there.
And one of the best things now was not even in place then, back in my day of haunting this mall. That is the trolley that runs from the mall to downtown Walnut Creek (see photo). So you can leave your car in the parking garage and head down to Lark Creek for lunch. Sweet.
I once walked around every square foot of this mall. These days I roll for these kinds of distances. Things change.
And something I very much appreciate about the mall these days is that every square inch is still accessible. to me. Just as every square inch is accessible to the many moms pushing strollers here.
Good access benefits everyone.
Cool.