Westfield Albany

Well this one of my favorite mall, the other one being Sylvia park. All shops are there from K mart to way more expensive ones and the food court is also decent. Wide choices of clothing and shoes shops which will satisfy the need of make that visa card works. A great place also if it is a raining day to enjoy movies as there is a cinema, foods and a bit of spending.

I’m not really a mall fan, but Albany Mall is my go to for all things shopping. Light and bright in décor, good food court and a range of cafés and bars on the strip outside facing the lake. Big New World, Kmart and Farmers anchoring all the usual suspects as far as retailers go. You won’t find The Warehouse, it’s across the road along with Rebel Sports, Briscoes etc. Parking can be a nightmare at Christmas, but otherwise it’s ok. Pick your times wisely and it’s almost an enjoyable experience.

Yes, this is just another Westfield mall with the same shops, food court as the rest of Westfields malls. Except this one is the biggest in the country for now. I always laugh a little when thinking of that word «biggest «when talking about New Zealand malls, and especially when overseas where a lot of countries make our malls look like «dots on the horizon «due to their malls being monsters in comparison. Anyway they do have lots of car parking here, at least I have never had any problems finding a space when I come. But of course come Christmas car parks can be hard to find!!! As per usual they got all the usual stores as in other malls, with the highlight for me being JB HI-​FI. For me no mall is complete without one of their stores, which is probably why I frequent Lynn mall too regularly for it has a JB store and it’s my local. Cafes within the mall are plentiful, the coffee club being one of the better ones as it has a balcony. The others are stuck mostly down the middle of the mall. There is also an events cinema, restaurants, food court, plenty toilets, a decent play area for the kids and it is also not too far a walk from the Albany bus station. And finally to top it all off, for me the mall is not boring and has a good feel about it… not like some malls I walk into and just want to walk out of. Overall, a good place to experience shopping!!!

It’s another Westfield although I’d have to say that this mall is probably my favourite right after Silvia Park. This mall is well laid out and easy to access from the motorway heading north. The selection of stores is vast and plenty of coffee houses for you to choose from too. That always helps especially if you love coffee like I do! However don’t expect to see anything here that you haven’t already seen. I will point out that they have great bars and restaurants that over look the Albany Lakes. These are primo in summer time! Enjoy.

Pretty decenly laid out Westfield mall. You can find the usual ammenities here such as the big screen cinemas, food court (with the standard food court offerings), indoor playgrounds on both levels, the parking lot ‘while you shop’ carwash & various cafes littered throughout the complex. Also a few restaurants just past the foodcourt on the outside.
Three stars for the very limited under cover car parking. A mall this size needs more covered spaces for the erratic Auckland weather.

I must admit I had not been impressed with shopping malls around Auckland so far: Downtown, Onehunga, Silvia Park and even St Luke’s were alright but with limited choice of shops and facilities.
I only spent a short time in Albany mall but it was beautiful with its high ceilings, had a decent food court and lots of retails from jewellery to clothes, high tech, pharmacies… If I were to shop for a present and I did not know what to get I would go to this mall, one is bound to find something!
So for that, and for the fact that it is much better than other malls around Auckland, I give 5 stars, woop woop!

One of the things about being an urbanist/​town planner is that you inevitably become a mall snob. I look at Albany Mall and I see a large, slabby grey box surrounded by a vast moat of car parking. Seriously, look at on Google Maps — Albany is just a vast car park!!! I see main streets elsewhere in Auckland dying — all because of places like this where you can get meat and CDs in the same building — argh!
Snobbiness aside, I must admit that Albany Mall is probably the best of its type in Auckland. It’s got everything you could want — supermarkets, cinemas, fashion of all kinds, a good food court, a book store and most importantly a large JB Hi-​Fi store (that helps redeem it in my book). It’s undeniably convenient, it’s quite nice inside, and yes it does have actual people-​spaces and bars/​cafes on the side that faces the lakes.
So I suppose it’s okay. Just less slabby grey sides and less dreary car parking next time please Westfield. I realise it’s about the interior, but would it kill you to design the outsides for people too?

And to think there used to be a time when this mall didn’t exist… Westfield Albany really is a one stop mega force of shopping potential! I’d safely say it could cater to whatever needs you may have as I can’t think of something I wouldn’t be able to find here.
I think the best thing about it is the gorgeous outside area with the array of cafes, bars and restaurants. This tops it off making it not only appeal to shopaholic women but also those men who just want to get a quality feed and sink a beer after the shopping is done. Having the cinema inside is also another amazing factor. You can eat, shop and see a movie all in one go — it’s so easy!
This is definitely my first port of call if I needed to buy something. Only when I can’t find it in Albany will I venture elsewhere.

This place really has everything you need for a good Saturday all under one roof. From food shopping at New World, all of the good chain fashion stores to a huge Event cinema, this Westfield has it.
My favourite thing about the place is its vast food court. The dining options are varied and all look delicious, from Yorkshire Roasts (recommended) to kebabs, Maccas and a really tasty Japanese place that I’m definitely going to try next (I was sold just by the look for their tempura prawns) and there are some really lovely bars and restaurants outside if you’re looking for more than a quick bite.
My only bugbear is that, although the mall houses all of the high street stores you could possibly want, some of the shops themselves are really small. Places like Dotti and Glassons are tiny and have nowhere near as good a selection as their counterpart stores in the Newmarket Westfield. Obviously this isn’t the fault of Westfield, and it doesn’t really make it any less of a great shopping destination, it’s just me being fussy I think!

I was surprised to hear that there was an initial fear that the Albany Westfield Mall might face financial worries, not due to investment issues or a lack of tenants, but due to a lack of shoppers. I say, if you build it, they will come. Malls have replaced the old village High Street, and sometimes it is for the better and other times it is the complete opposite.
At Albany it is for the better; and even though I prefer a High Street above any mall, any day, I really detest a strip mall. I come to the mall to enjoy a good walk, do a little people watching and even the odd shopping. I like the layout, love the external restaurants and appreciate its setting.
What I don’t like is the food court. I do like the parking and really like the underground car wash. Now I can’t wait for the extensions… Bring it on!

Probably the best of the Westfield malls in Auckland. Albany mall is modern, with nice décor and a big selection of shops and places to eat. The Whitcoulls by the food court has a very good Fiction section but I preferred it when it was Borders. There’s a nice little Gloria Jeans inside which does good coffee. There’s several restaurants and cafes outside which are nice in the summer such as Mosaik. There’s an almost European vibe here and you forget you are in a shopping mall. Another shop that deserves a mention is Strada on the upper floor. They sell very cool t shirts and trendy shirts for men. The last time I was there I got a retro one with an illustration of the A Team; Doctor Who etc. Some of the malls out West are a tad depressing so we often take the trouble to drive to this one on the shore.