San Diego Shopping: Westfield North County

What's Westfield North County?: Another Westfield shopping mall, North County (Fair) serves the North County bedroom communities. This large, two-level indoor mall has your usual allotment of department stores and shops. Before Westfield took it over, it was known as North County Fair, and most people still refer to it as that.

What makes it so special?: Not much. This large, two-level indoor mall has your usual allotment of department stores and shops, including JC Penney, Nordstrom and Sears. New stores include J.Jill, Ann Taylor Loft, Fashion Chateau and Coldwater Creek. As an indoor mall, it has a generic, unexciting quality. Not bad, but not all that impressive.

What's the mall's flavor?: Middle-America suburbia - your typical circa-1980s indoor monolith. Given that it serves inland North San Diego County, which can get quite toasty, an indoor mall isn't such a bad thing. But you could be in AnyTown USA.

What's the clientele?: Families, soccer moms, teens. Your typical middle-class suburban shopper. Reflective of the surrounding bedroom communities: Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Rancho Bernardo.

Food factor: For such a large mall, North County's food court is pretty small, and its strictly food court choices here. Red Robin and Macaroni Grill are your limited sit-down restaurant choices here.

Singature stores: Nordstrom, JC Penney, Sears and Macy's anchor the mall. The rest of the mall is populated by your standard fare: J.Jill, Ann Taylor Loft, Fashion Chateau and Coldwater Creek are the latest additions.

Parking prognosis: The surface lot surrounding the mall is huge and plentiful. You'll find most of the spaces near JC Penney. Freeway access is good and close by.