Where is the nearest Mall? Newbie Question
 

I am guessing the closest Mall is in Ocala? I am familiar with Orlando some so know about that area. But where do you go to shop, in general, if you want a larger selection? Thanks...

Depends on how big and fancy of a mall you're looking for.........but you're probably right about the closest one being in Ocala. The 'high rent' ones are going to be in Orlando.

Bill :)

Good big mall in Winter Park about 40 miles from TV.

There is also a mall in Leesberg. On 200th street in Ocala is the Paddock Mall plus lots of other named stores.

Hwy 200 just East of I-75 exit 350.

Or take 441/27 North into Ocala and 17th St West to Hwy 200 and Hwy 200 SW about a mile and it is on the left.


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In Ocala, there are also some nice stores just West of I75 on 200 like a huge Dillards.

The nice thing is that we have a range of good options, all depending on how deluxe a shopping trip you want. I was used to large indoor malls before moving here (both of my daughters, and even my son, loved to shop - even if just to 'window-shop' - so we were mall regulars), so I still need frequent doses of a mall environment. As mentioned in the posts above, the closest two indoor malls, depending on where in TV you live, are in Ocala and Leesburg; plus there's a nice outdoor shopping area around the Dillards in Ocala. The mall in Ocoee (which does have a nice Dillards) and the mall in Winter Garden have much more in number and variety of stores than do the local malls; as does the Seminole TowneCenter mall in Sanford. But if you want a 'full out' shopping trip, it is well worth the trip to Orlando to go to the Florida Mall and Mall at Millenia; which are less then 15 minutes apart. It is only about a 1 1/4 hour drive from TV to get to these malls, and it's worth the trip if you want the larger department stores, like Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, etc. (Oops, just remembered that you said that you already know about Orlando; but others may like to have this info). Tampa also has some great malls; but that is farther to drive.

We just a few months ago moved further south in TV than we used to live, and so we only recently checked out the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg. We hadn't gone there before because we'd heard so many people in TV downplay it. However, even though Lake Square doesn't have many of the larger stores, it was much better than we expected, has a nice store for CDs, etc., Books-a-Million w/Joe Muggs coffee shop, a food court, and overall is quite a bit larger than it looks from the street; and since there is a movie theater there, it would be a nice outing to go there to walk, shop, and then take in a movie on a rainy, or on one of our cold winter, days.

No snow to brush off your car when you're done...
 

Another plus -- when you are finished with your holiday shopping, and you are laden down with bags, you won't have to brush the snow off or scrape the ice off of your windshield when you shop in the TV area! :)

Other than the Paddock Mall in Ocala or the one on 441 in Leesburg is a very nice one in Crystal River. Nice drive over there without traffic and has the major stores including Sears, Penny's etc.