We don't need to tell anyone who's attempted to park at Aventura Mall that the place is busy. It's so busy, in fact, that it's actually America's second most visited shopping mall. The only mall more crowded than it actually has an indoor amusement park, so there's no shame in coming in second.
Travel + Leisure compiled the rankings by focusing on America's 50 biggest shopping malls and obtaining their yearly visitation numbers.
Unsurprisingly, Minnesota's Mall of America came in first with 40 million annual visitors. That mall is of course in a league of its own. With 4.2 million square feet, it's Americas largest. It's even got the Nickelodeon Universe theme park and an aquarium inside.
Our own Aventura came in as the second highest traffic mall, despite being only America's fifth largest by square footage.
"The greater Miami area's largest mall is an integral part of a super-posh coastal enclave that includes the Turnberry Isle resort and championship golf course, Gulfstream Park thoroughbred horse track, and the upscale Golden Beach/Golden Isles residential area," writes T+L. "Cashing in on south Florida's tourism bounty, the mall organizes shopping experiences for visiting conventions and hosts special events like the Chocolate Festival, Great American Bake Sale, Miami's Most Photogenic Baby contest, and a regular farmers' market."
Yet, with 300 plus stores its amazing how often we've been there and can't find a single thing we actually want to buy.
Maybe the parking and indoor foot traffic quagmire would be worth it if we had a rollar coaster to ride in between trying on Polo's at the J. Crew and Bloomies.
Though, with all that traffic it's no surprise that the mall is expanding its luxury wing with plans to bring in a Louis Vuitton store and more.
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