Rookwood Commons & Pavilion

Rookwood is one of my favourite places to shop in Cincinnati. There is a good selection of stores to choose from — Old Navy, DSW, Whole Foods, Pier 1, Joseph Beth, etc. Also plenty of eating choices — Five Guys and PF Chang being my favourite. Definitely a good spot to shop!

There was not a single parking spot in this location today. I refuse to come back until the parking is taken care of. It is dangerous to drive here.

There are a lot of stores located here, which is great, but I have seen a better selection at these stores in other locations.

The Pub is a pretty awesome looking place outside and in. Friendly waitress and bartender. The food came out hot and promptly. The chicken rolls were good, but a little greasy. Would like to have seen more as it was a small portion. The spinach flatbread was tasty and it would be a good size for a light tasty snack to share amongst others. Good food that is moderately priced. Good atmosphere. The music was good and wasn’t too loud, but didn’t really reflect the time period of the establishment.

Rookwood is one of my favorite outdoor shopping centers in the area. It has a great variety of shops that offer everything from clothes, shoes, accessories, homegoods, and food.
My only dislike is the parking. It can definitely be a challenge at times.

This place has almost everything I would need. First of all, note that it is two shopping centers in one! In terms of footwear, most people can get anything they need from DSW, the Walking Store, or Nordstrom Rack. HomeGoods, Crate and Barrel, Pier 1, and Bed Bath and Beyond have anything I need for my kitchen and home. Clothing stores are plentiful as well, including Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy (yeah, all three?!), Nordstrom Rack, and TJMaxx. There are plenty of chain restaurants to choose from including Buffalo Wild Wings, PF Chang’s, J Alexanders, and Starbucks. And who can forget Whole Foods? Parking and navigating the parking lot can be a challenge, but it’s nice to get errands done in one trip.

My go to regional shopping center which has a variety of shops. I frequent the Hallmark store the most picking up birthday cards. Its easy to get in and out of the back newer location, the older location in the front can be challenging at times finding a parking space. GAP, Eddie Bauer, Whole Foods, DSW, Bed, Bath & Beyond (love their 20% coupons) and the Walking Store and now the region’s only REI store.
Plus a variety of dining — The Pub, Rusty Bucket, The Wine Guy, First Watch (but stay away on Sunday’s — the line for FW is wrapped around the building) and quick fast food locations (Qdoba, Five Guys, Whole Foods, Yagoot).
There’s a store and a restaurant for everyone at Rookwood.

Rookwood is an outdoor shopping center that is divided into two sections as indicated by its name: the Commons & Pavilion. Between the two, there are a variety of stores and restaurants that you’d expect to see in this type of shopping area. Whole Foods is the center’s market, and there are a variety of apparel, shoe, and accessory stores like Old Navy, TJ Maxx, DSW, Claire’s and the like. You can grab cards and gifts at Hallmark or Factory Card Outlet, and homegoods at Bed, Bath & Beyond or Pier 1 Imports.
There are a lot of options for places to eat that range from quick bites like Qdoba or Potbelly to sit-​down places like Buca di Beppo and J. Alexander’s. While most of the restaurants are chains, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a lot of them were places with gluten free menus, a fact which I have filed away for later visits.
There is a lot of variety, so his may be a good one stop shop, depending on what you need, so that you can park the one time and walk around. My two favorite stops here are Joseph Beth Booksellers and Nordstrom Rack. With the demise of Borders, there seems to be a lot fewer bookstores located in mall/​large shopping center areas, so it’s really appealing that Rookwood has Joseph Beth.
If you’re in the area, this is a nice stop.

When I think of Rookwood, I am reminded of all the harrowing near-​death experiences I’ve had in the parking lots. We live within walking distance, and even as a pedestrian on the sidewalk, you’re sometimes taking your life in your own hands. I’m not sure what causes the «Rookwood driving syndrome,» but it could probably make for a good dissertation.
Lots of good stores here. Paradoxically, the «Commons» has the more upscale stores like REI, Banana Republic, Joseph Beth’s and Pier 1, while the «Pavilion» has discount stores like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Steinmart.
Plenty of chain restaurants, too. So once you claim that parking space, you don’t have to leave it for hours, I suppose.

It’s two, TWO, TWO shopping centers in one. The newer side has a lot of trendy shops, and everything a strip mall needs. The parking is plentiful on the Whole Foods Side. Parking SUCKS on the TJ Maxx side. and no, you can’t walk between the two sides. So, pick your poison, because seriously, it’s got everything you need, just don’t come here during the holidays, seriously, its straight up cage fighting for parking.

This is where I do most of my shopping. It’s convenient, close by home and you can easily find parking.
There are many shops and restaurants to choose from.

Let’s be serious…
Rookwood Commons is a cute little outdoor shopping center in Hyde Park. It’s two-​sided with a lot of big open space, restaurants, and stores. Sounds awesome, until you realize there really isn’t a big variety of stores here. Everything is pretty generic, though I guess maybe that is what people there want. The Whole Foods is nice but other than that I don’t have an urge to go here specifically for any of its stores. The restaurants are chains as are the string of discount stores from TJ Maxx to Stein Mart to DSW. Better yet, the parking and layout are absolutely awful. Not at all fun to deal.

Rookwood is my go-​to place to shop for a variety of reasons: I can walk there when the weather is nice, the layout is interesting, it has an open feel, and it is well-​maintained. Parking can sometimes be a pain but I’m not sure a shopping center exists with easy parking. I love that there are both chains and locally owned businesses there. The shopping and dining options are able to accommodate most budgets and tastes.
If you don’t feel like dealing with the traffic and snobbery of Kenwood, go to Rookwood!

Rookwood Commons is a nice outdoor mall. Lots of shops, though many of them are upscale. The cluster of restaurants at this location is nice and convenient for get togethers or a variety of eating options, whichever you prefer.
Main complaint I have with Rookwood is the parking. The parking is not the best laid out, and there never seems to be enough of it. Make sure you plan ahead if you need to be there at a specific time, you may be searching for a bit to find a spot.

I will begrudgingly give Rookwood 3 stars rather than two, if only because it has Joseph Beth Booksellers, an oasis in a sea of chains. It does have a well-​rounded selection of stores (from White House Black Market, Anthropology and the sort to Old Navy and TJ Maxx). And I like Whole Foods. For the average mall shopper, this is all great, as long as the weather isn’t too bad.
My problem with Rookwood is perhaps somewhat just an issue of preference: It is mired in generic stores and restaurants. I’m sure that is what other people are looking for, just not me.
However, the worst part about Rookwood is the layout. It makes no sense and is horrible for traffic. My husband and I went on a Friday evening to pick up a few books and grab a to-​go dinner and the place was packed. It took me 10 minutes to get to either side of the mall and another several minutes to find parking between the plug-​up of cars and the stupidly placed stop-​signs. I guess when it’s warm out it would be fine to have to take the long walk from the Commons side to the Pavilion side, but why on earth is there no way to walk through the middle of the long strip of stores? I love walking, but there is nothing pleasant about the way between the two sides.
In sum, you will find pretty much any chain store at Rookwood, as well as a sizable selection of mediocre chain restaurants. You should avoid the apocalypse that is a weekend night if you do not want to be aggravated by a long wait and an annoyingly long journey through the lot to find parking.

I like the selection of stores and restaurants at Rookwood, and it’s the most convenient shopping center/​mall to my house. I end up there frequently because of the location, but I hate the layout of this place! Why is it that every city but Cincinnati has mastered the contemporary style of streetscape layouts for newly built shopping centers?
I really like the outdoor concept, with separate entrances for each store and sidewalks connecting them. But two half-​circles with huge parking lots in between? It ends up being less convenient than a mall, where you can at least park once and walk around inside. When I shop at Rookwood, I typically have to move my car once or twice, especially if I am hitting up shops on opposite sides of the center.
I really wish they had designed this like Eason in Columbus, the Greene in Dayton, or even the Streets of West Chester, which is smaller but at least more user-​friendly. Putting a weirdly laid out center like this in the middle of a bustling semi-​urban neighborhood was a squandered opportunity.

Rookwood is like a little Mecca mirage off the highway.
I say this as I swear I can never get to it the same way twice. And thats really the only reason it loses a star as the traffic to get in and out is so confusing and congested, and I should not have to zig zag dumpsters on the back side of a building to exit (true story).
But, enough of that, once you get inside, there’s really not a bad spot in the place, unless it’s winter, and a major event, and… ok but seriously. This is truly a park-​in-​the-​middle and go back to the car when you need to kinda place. It is a little tad more higher end, but its about 50 – 50 high to normal end. Five Guys and Buca’s are my favorite, and those to a really the low end to the high end. But there’s something for everyone as far as food goes.
There is also all sorts of shops from clothing, to cameras and electronics, to housewares and furniture, to pets, shoes, groceries, and dessert. It’s a great place to go with a few to a crew of your friends and take a stroll in the evening, or shop and enjoy dinner, or a late night drink.

I’m so guilty. I spent at least 20 of the 30 days in June buying Banana Republic tanks and Old Navy flip flops from Rookwood. There is something so wonderful in Rookwood that I couldn’t leave. Well, no, actually, it was really the only place I could go after volleyball practice until my mom got off of work to pick me up. But hey, we can just pretend that this place is magical, right?
I love Rookwood in the summer. You strut down the well-​kept sidewalks, walking past the cliches of Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy, and you feel like a fashionista… until you walk over to the commons and to TJ Maxx and become a Maxxnista;)
Rookwood recently added a Nordstrom Rack, which I’m going to squeal and scream about how fabulous it is. The Gap and Victoria’s Secret are also much bigger than any one you’ll find in a shopping mall. And they added a Five Guys. Mmm, peanutssssssssssss!
Rookwood also has an amazing lineup of restaurants. Out with the guys? Buffalo Wild Wings! Pizza? Donatos! Italian? Buca di Beppo! Chinese? P.F. Chang’s! Steak? J. Alexander’s! Mexican? Don Pablo’s! Coffee? Starbucks!
OK, so they’re all chain restaurants. That doesn’t take away from the fact that there’s variety! The traffic here is even more horrendous than Kenwood’s thanks to the excessive traffic lights and its proximity to I-​275. Overall, it’s my second favorite place to shop in Cincinnati and my favorite during the summer.

A great shopping area not only for the Norwood neighborhood but the entire city of Cincinnati, Rookwood Commons & Pavilion (or more widely known as just Rookwood) has a little bit of everything for everyone. Just a few minutes drive from downtown, you can reach Rookwood by either jumping off I-​71 (exit 6) or coming around back by either Edwards or Madison Roads. Getting into the parking area can be a bit of a pain as Madison and Edwards can become quite congested, but once you’re in, it is easy to navigate and there is always plenty of parking.
Rookwood has a good combination of stores that cater to higher-​end shoppers and regular Joe Schmo’s like me. You can pretty much find anything you might happen to be searching for. Rookwood offers a wide variety of purchasing opportunities. From clothing to jewelry, home furnishings to footwear, toy stores to electronics, card shops to gift shops, health & beauty to a large number of specialty stores, with a book store and even a grocery. You can pretty much find anything you need at Rookwood.
Now I haven’t been in every single store in Rookwood, but I have walked by each one as I’ve gone window shopping with the wife. We have always been able to find affordable prices for what we’ve been looking for. Certain stores do target a more upper-​class clientele and if you walk into one of those and the staff doesn’t necessarily view you within that category, they make it very clear that they are merely tolerating you without being overly rude about it. The «Regular Joe» stores are where you’re going to find a more friendly staff, but that shouldn’t be much of a secret.
Some of the stores I have been to that I enjoyed include American Eagle, Bed Bath & Beyond (which loses me Man Points, I know), Gamestop, Baby Gap, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret (love when my wife goes in there), Whole Foods Market, and Joseph Beth Bookstores. The dining options are also great. It ranges from really great to pretty good. There are no restaurants that I would consider bad. Places I’ve enjoyed the most include Max & Erma’s, Potbelly’s, First Watch, Buca di Pepo’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Okay places would include J Alexander’s and P.F. Chang’s.
Rookwood is a great place for shopping and dining. You can pretty much find anything that you want or need. A nice place to go shopping with your wife and going out to eat with your friends.
Mahalo, and enjoy.

With over 70 shops and restaurants, I really like this upscale shopping complex. My favorite shops here are Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Steinmart, Pier One and DSW Shoe Warehouse. Some of the more unique stores include Z Gallerie (home décor), Entertainment Solutions and Dog About Town.
Although the surrounding area is congested, I don’t have as much trouble maneuvering through the parking area in this complex as others. There are plenty of restaurants, here, too. My favorites are The Rusty Bucket and The Pub. I haven’t tried Buca di Beppo, yet, but I have heard good things about it!