Village of Merrick Park with Kids

The other day I was at the park chatting with a mom I hadn't met before. She asked which area of town I lived in, and I replied that I lived in Coconut Grove, which I loved, but that sometimes I missed the easy and plentiful shopping opportunities that were available in other parts of town. "But you have Merrick Park, right?" she asked. Village of Merrick Park...oh yeah! That mall that is really convenient for me, except for the fact that I can't afford to buy anything they sell there. That Merrick Park!

I do tend to forget how close we live to Village of Merrick Park, because when I head out on shopping errands, I usually have the objective of, um, actually purchasing something, and Merrick Park mostly offers very exclusive, pricey stores. Click here to see a list of stores.

That said, Merrick Park is my favorite "shopping mall" to visit with the kids. It is really close to where I live, and the atmosphere is great considering it is a shopping center. It is outdoors, with lots of green space, fountains, gardens, and seating areas to take a break and enjoy a rest. The upper level walkways are safely enclosed with pretty wrought iron gating, and my little one loves to gaze out at what is going on down below. She especially loves to watch the kids running around on the lawn or in the dancing fountain (more on that later.) Also, it never seems very crowded at this mall, especially during the week, and the other shoppers always seem so happy...the kids are happy...just really different from your average crowded, chaotic "mall" experience. Here is my list of what I like to do with the kids at the Village of Merrick Park:

Pottery Barn Kids: I don't know, is this the only Pottery Barn Kids in town? I think it might be. I love to go with my 2 year old so she can play with their toy kitchen display while I shop. While their regularly priced items may be a little steep, I often really good sale prices on some items, particularly clothing.

Borders: This is a relatively new addition to Village of Merrick Park, and is a very welcome one for this mom. Nothing special about this particular Borders, but I really like visiting book stores with the kids, and this one is no different.

The Dancing Fountains: The management of Merrick Park will probably kill me for this one, but....in the heat of summer, I occasionally head to Merrick Park with the kids, a change of clothes, and towels, and sip a glass of wine while they run through the dancing fountains. I'm not a huge fan of the Italian restaurant right next to the fountains (I much prefer the other one, Villagio), but you know what they say about location, location, location. Another option is to relax on the grass right by the fountains.

Nordstrom's Fish Tank: We all love the Nordstrom fish tanks, right? This one is located in the shoe department, entrance on the second level.

Anthropologie: This is a fun store to visit with OLDER KIDS. This store is full of interesting little knick knacks that teens and tweens will enjoy looking at, but is a minefield for toddlers and younger children.

Janie & Jack, Benetton: I always love swinging through both of these small stores, looking for sale items for the girls.

Saturday Afternoon Live Music in the Garden: From 2 - 6 on Saturdays, there is live music in the garden that can be heard on all the outdoor walkways. It's just...nice. Soothing, which I need sometimes when I'm out and about with a two-year-old and a nine-year-old, ya know? They have live music on Friday evenings too...click here for the current schedule and times.

Villagio: I mentioned this earlier...this is a friendly, affordable Italian restaurant with a large indoor and outdoor dining area. They have another location at Dadeland Mall, and both are great to visit with kids, if only because they are really nice to kids here, and that's worth a lot to us parents, right?

So that's my wrapup of visiting the Village of Merrick Park with the kids. A couple of closing notes: they do charge for parking in the garage, so be sure to get your ticket validated. I know Nordstrom validates, and other stores validate on and off, but I'm not sure which ones at this point--you'll have to ask. Also, they have an "events" schedule listed on their website--the events are usually more adult, but it's worth checking here every once in a while to see what they've got going on, especially if you live close.