If you're like me, you're reading reviews not to make a decision whether to visit, but only to check in on poor old Chris-Town, like you would an elderly relative. Sure enough, most of the commenters grew up with Chris-Town and are at least a little saddened by this withered husk, this pathetic, atrociously-named sad sack of a former mall that is Phoenix Spectrum. Oh, I remember the good times, too. Chris-Town was probably the first mall I ever went to, back when malls were a relatively new idea, I suppose. (Come to think of it, I probably saw some of my first movies at the old UA theater out front, before it became a better place to watch gangbangers make out with their underage girlfriends.) I remember going to Dillard's with my grandmother, hiding in the circular clothing racks, running my hand along rows of impossibly silky blouses. I remember Santa Claus, and the sand castles, and the excellent pastrami at the Miracle Mile deli. I remember how it used to smell when the doors would whoosh open and you'd walk in out of the heat -- like a combination of clean tile floors and cool breeze and birthday cake. Miracle Mile beat its retreat long ago, of course. The once-mighty Dillard's became Dillard's Outlet, a gigantic, disheveled storage shed for hundreds of piles of failed clothing, which was picked over by masses of morbidly obese, ThirstBuster-clutching vultures, and then eventually went the way of the sand castles. And the smell? It's closer to gym socks, fryer grease and despair. And desperate is exactly how I would categorize most Chris-Town shoppers these days. The clientele, along with the facade, has aged disgracefully. This new, sweaty mob of bargain hunters barges ahead blindly, wielding their strollers like cow catchers, each accompanied by an entourage of saggy-diapered, Kool Aid-mouthed gremlins. Which is hardly a surprise: with Wal-Mart, CostCo and, more recently, Super Target as its chief ballast, it stands to reason that Chris-Town's main loyalty would be among those looking to spend as little as possible on the greatest possible quantity, and there is plenty of that to be found in the poverty-line neighborhoods nearby. It's senseless to compare, as some have done, Chris-Town with Scottsdale Fashion Square, or even Metrocenter. Those are still malls. Chris-Town is just the bones of a giant -- a concisely depressing reminder that one can never go home again.

negative

This is my favorite part of this airport. I love when I have to fly through Charlotte so I can stop in there. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drink, snack - It's all good!

positive

We have been here several times now, and.our experiences have all been fantastic! The service was better than average, and our food has been consistently and surprisingly good! I expected bar food, since it has a sports bar ambience -- and.they DO have plenty of bar food. But for what this place is, and the cost, the food was very tasty and they have some great salads in generous proportions. We live closeby, and have necome regulars.

positive

Sarah is amazing! She has never made a mistake on my hair and am 100% satisfied every time she does it. Sarah has done my hair for homecoming, put extensions in, colors my hair and trims it as well. The salon is a quiet and quaint atmosphere and super friendly! Sarah never fails to make you feel welcomed and I reassure you your hair will always turn out exactly how you planned! I highly recommend this stylist and encourage you to try her out and you will love her!!
positive