Atrium Mall

Only cheesecake is open. Medical offices soon.

I love this mall because there are no stores here.
This place is like a relic of the past. It’s also fabulous for photo shoots, especially if you show up at night. Do some fashion work, try some different costumes, poses and running shots in this strangely post-​apocalyptic yet futuristic environment, and then finish it off with a meal at Cheesecake Factory.
I love this mall. I hate shopping, and this place is so beautiful and abandoned, it’s great just to hang out here. Best of all, there’s no fee to park in the garage and you can walk to the bookstore next door if you need something to read while chilling out here.

I can’t give this mall just one star, but it’s closing, so really it should get 0 stars. Just figured I’d get my review in before it’s gone.
So sad to see everything shutting down. I will probably go back for Cheesecake Factory, but that will be all that is left.

What the hell happened here?! This used to be an awesome mall. It had so much potential because of the pretty setting and a good selection of mostly higher end stores. Clearly. it’s closing and on the way out, so I feel bad giving the mall one star. However my frustration is the constant reassurance from customers and store employees that the J. Crew here will be relocating. Then the move gets pushed back, and pushed back more. Sigh.
Almost all the stores have relocated– mostly to the Chestnut Hill Mall down the road. I’m obsessed with J. Crew, otherwise I wouldn’t think of visiting what’s left of this barren wasteland.
Please, PLEASE move J. Crew out of here stat!

Writing a review of the Atrium Mall in present day is a bit like describing your once great grandparent who is now suffering from dementia. Its best days are long and gone and the end is near.
The Atrium opened in 1989 and was a fantastic mall in the 1990’s. As someone who grew up in the area I have very fond memories of spending substantial time in this once great and bustling mall.
The Atrium started to slowly fade in the 2000’s and was all but killed once the recession hit around 2008. Since then its owners (The Simon Group) have attempted to sell it since 2009. (No luck yet.) Walking the Atrium Mall in present day is simply depressing and eerie.
Shops are quickly fleeing. (The Gap just closed, JCrew is moving across the street to the Chestnut Hill Mall.) There are maybe a dozen stores, if that, still open and operating. My guess is that this mall will close entirely by the end of 2012 (and definitely 2013 at the latest). I still frequent this mall a few times a month to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. It appears the dying retail business has done nothing to affect the busy Cheesecake Factory.
My hope is that whatever retail stores remain (and perhaps Cheesecake too) will relocate to the now-​being-​built Chestnut Hill Square that used to feature the Omni Foods supermarket (and will be the home of the new Wegman’s). On a related note the old Macy’s is being redone and will become the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center. Suffice to say that in 2 years time Chestnut Hill is getting an awesome retail facelift.
I’ll be curious to see what becomes of this location. Perhaps it can be used to house offices, etc. We shall see. In the meantime the Chestnut Hill Mall will benefit from the inevitable end of the Atrium Mall and I’ll have my fond memories of this mall to remember.

The Atrium has gone soooo down hill it’s unbelievable! The only thing keeping this place alive is the limited amount of restaurants that have survived over the years. I feel bad, but the only time I feel the need to come here is when I want to eat at Le’s. I guess the free garage parking is always a plus though?

I go here any time I need an outfit for a night out, or last minute holiday party. Perfect example, for a holiday party for my boyfriend’s family this weekend, I was able to go to Ann Taylor Loft, the Gap, J. Crew and Anthropologie to find a last minute outfit. I ended up finding the perfect red sweater and beautiful lace shirt to wear underneath at Ann Taylor Loft and was able to take advantage of holiday sales at the other stores as well. I was in and out in an hour and was completely satisfied with my purchases. The parking garage always has spots, and the mall also boasts restaurants like Bertucci’s and Cheesecake Factory should you get hungry after your shopping. Very convenient, if a tad expensive at times.

I love this mall.
Its always empty, which gives it a zen quality which is pretty hard to find in malls.
They have a J. Crew and a second time around. If you are on a budget, I recommend popping in Second Time Around because you will find a lot of J Crew there.
I had to knock a star off because the parking garage is horrible. Its just one of those garages that gives everyone the heebyjeebies. The spots are too small, I can barely wedge my civic in one. And they have these HUGE pillars with 1,000s of paint marks on them from cars that have swiped or hit them by accident.
I would valet, but its $ 7 bucks plus tip and usually FULL, even during the week.

This mall has lost all it’s sparkle a long time ago. The only store worth driving to from the South Shore is Tiffany’s & Co.
Most of all the stores in the mall I’ve noticed had blackened windows and were closed. It’s way over placed and you can go to Natick Collection for that.
Even better you can head to «Legacy Place!» It’s really fun there. except for having to walk outside in the cold. that’s the place to be.
This place is way overrated. Cheesecake Factory & Tiffany’s is the only good places here. I hate the garage here, too. Half the parking spots are chained off… Ahm…why? I don’t get it.

The Atrium is pretty small and some of the good stores are being replaced by other not so good stores, but it is still my favorite place to shop, and I can always go there knowing that it won’t be crowded. I love that they have most of my favorite stores here. They have the best Anthropologie, with an awesome sale rack. Some other great stores there are Gap, J. Crew, Second Time Around, Restoration Hardware.
Oh, and if parking in their garage is a problem, for people with stick shift cars, as there is a very steep hill at the exit, just park at the Barnes and Noble lot next door (free and almost always empty).

Fine. Boring. Predictable.
Besides being yuppy, which is not the worst sin, it just doesn’t offer anything creative to the neighborhood. While I grant that Chestnut Hill (home of Avalon condos, Newton South High School, and the end of the interesting part of the D line) may not provide the most diverse or fascinating cultural backdrop, I am ACHING for ANY independent store to exist here. ANYTHING. It could be a fetish wear store or a tea emporium, I don’t care. But the Atrium is BORING.
Pottery Barn. Borders. Anthropologie. Cheesecake Factory (sound like Boylston Street yet?). It is Boylston Street — but a bad imitaion, because here it is all encased within a little, easily-​digested box of mall-​dom.
It’s fine. But not fun.

I love the Anthropologie here, it is just plain huge. But the mall as a whole kind of fails. They have great stores and it’s not super crowded but. there is a dead-​dull feeling to the place.
The Second Time Around store is very interesting and sitting around at the Borders for an hour or two is great. Atrium Mall would not be my #1 (or 2 or 3) place to shop for clothes though.

Highlights include the HUGE Borders, HUGE Anthropologie and a pretty large Gap. There is also Second Time Around. I made quite a trek here from the Chestnut Hill T-​Stop and was expecting a bit more in the way of stores. There really are not that many stores here and there’s a lot of vacant space. I am not sure that I would be back unless it’s to check out the an especially good sale at Anthropologie or to find a book at the Borders that is not available at other locations. On the plus side, the higher levels have lots of natural light. The basement is a little depressing, however. I don’t think I could deal with eating at the Bertucci’s or Le’s …so dark.

snooty, over priced, terrible parking situations… I’m afraid to park my beloved VW Sharona in the parking structure (there was a partial collapse of the ceiling in May ’09) the spaces are two narrow and Sharona enjoys her room.
The best thing about this place is Borders… that’s about it. Cheesecake Factory sucks. Bertucci’s is ok. That’s it!

Wow, this place is massive! Or at least I did a lot of walking around it while I was there. But with all the options, how could I not explore every possible area? At least once… maybe twice. I loved that there were a ton of stores all with varying price points and interests. Clothing, and body products, & books, oh my! Needless to say, this place kept me entertained for several hours. I even found a few good sales, yay.
I also enjoyed the hoilday decorations and the brightness the windows allowed into the mall. There were plenty of places to sit & relax, shop to your heart’s content, and enjoy a nice meal. Getting here wasn’t a problem, either. I didn’t feel like driving that day, so I took the T and was there in no time. Great choice & I’m sure I’ll be back for more retail therapy :)

This is where I go when I can’t stomach Cambridgeside. I don’t even mind the fact that the mall is built like a donut, so that you are forced to walk past each and every store on the floor. The upside is that there aren’t any sleazy guys trying to sell me hair extensions or asking if I need a new cell phone, baby, even as I book it past their kiosk.
The Anthropologie here is definitely better than its Newbury Street counterpart, as is the J Crew. And personally, I think this is the best Second Time Around in the city. Definitely a quality mall.

Hello, lover. This mall is very seriously pretty, but doesn’t have as much going on as it used to.
There is a hustling and bustling Cheesecake Factory and a very well-​stocked Anthropologie. The random home goods section with lavendar bath wash in wine bottles and smelly soaps rocks!
You’ll also find Williams Sonoma, Borders, J Crew, Tiffany, Restoration Hardware, and an Abercrombie. Most of the other stores come and go.
I lament the loss of Bebe to the Chestnut Hill mall, and also that I scratched my old car many a time trying to park it between the ginormous columns in the parking garage. But, all in all, not a bad mall.

This mall is pretty, offers free garage parking, features a piano that no one plays, mostly lacks mall rats, and is very pretty.
There’s nothing all that special about the stores in this mall, the best stores give you the worst service, the mediocres treos give you mediocre service, and mall life is as it should be.
What really bumps this place up to four stars, however, is their bathrooms. Seriously.
They have two.. count them: one two. and I don’t mean men’s and women’s I mean two unisex bathrooms, replete with one toilet each. Each room is spacious, well appointed, and frankly a wonderful place to lighten your load.
What’s better, is that for those who simply want to wash their hands before eating, there are two sinks outside for public use. really, it’s a lot an awesome home bathroom setup, only it’s at a mall.
And that’s why this place gets four stars.

there is a lot of stuff in this mall without it being too cluttered.
There is also something for everyone, so my spouse can walk around Border’s while I go up to Anthropologie.

I grew up going to this place and loved it. I am not a huge fab of malls, but this one totally gets my stamp of approval… it is upscale and well done… has a great selection of stores and places to grab a bite.
Not bad, not bad at all… for a mall!