Irvine Spectrum Shopping Center

Mall or amusement park? The Irvine Spectrum Shopping Center is both, epitomizing the signature glamor and exuberance of Orange County. Built in 1995 by the Irvine Company, this open-air mall was the result of a "suburban master-planned community" design, although luckily the Spectrum avoids any implied lackluster monotony. Instead, this hallmark of OC boasts over one hundred and fifty stores and restaurants, all of which follow winding palm-lit, tiled paseos and gorgeous Spanish-style courtyards. The Spectrum brings shopping into the realm of entertainment with its Improv Comedy Club, 21-screen theater (at its inception the biggest theater in the western United States), and Imax, not to mention the classic family appeal of an antique carousel and Ferris wheel. Frequent events like a seasonal ice rink, concerts, and live appearances by fashion designers make this landmark as much a community center as a retail mecca. Restaurants include the Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Nordstrom's E-bar, and the Oasis fast-food court. Though the architecture is upscale, the Spectrum provides a range of shopping options, everything from Nordstrom to Target, from H&M to Anthropologie to the Apple Store, and when the Spectrum comes alive at night it's the perfect place to shop or, well, just to stroll in the warm SoCal air. And don't worry about finding the place—when the sun goes down, you can spot the Center's giant searchlights and spectacular white obelisk from the I-5 and I-405 freeways.

- Emily Quinlan