Esplanade Center

I love this area, it’s a hidden gem!!!

I guess the recession hit this shopping center pretty hard, which is shocking since it’s right across the street from the Biltmore. The shops and movie theater are kind of behind everything, so there’s not a lot of exposure and whatnot. Plus, the parking structure is a pain in the ass. I personally wouldn’t shop here because parking is such a pain.
Anyway, I went to see a movie here at the AMC, which looked nice. In walking through the shops, I couldn’t believe how many «For Lease» signs there were. Kind of sad to see. Anyway, I made my way to the movie theater, which is upstairs. There’s a nice escalator to take you up, except it was broken. Ugh! I’m guessing either they shut it down at a certain time to save money or they don’t have enough money to fix it. It wouldn’t have been so bad except it just had rained and it was still 95º outside, so hiking up those metal stairs was not fun.

I spend too much of my waking hours at this mixed office/​retail space and I pay $ 75/​month for garage parking in a city where parking is usually free so naturally I can’t be completely objective about this review. Generally, it’s Outdated, with too many empty suites, and expensive parking.
Take a look at the restaurants that somehow survive or haven’t… Houston’s moved across the street, McCormick & Schmicks remains empty, and so does the space that housed a chain steakhouse that anchored one end.

My wife and I have collectively been to hundreds of happy hours and this is BY FAR the worst ever! Don’t be fooled by low prices — if it is poorly made then its not a bargin. The only beer discounted at happy hour is Pabst Blue Ribbon and 4 different cocktails. Nothing about HH here is good.

The upstairs theater is nice enough. There are a few nice semi-​upscale restaurants here. It’s also got a really good swanky (and somewhat hidden) bar here.
So why only 2 stars? Well, because it smells like this is where all the diarrhea in the world goes to die… especially the parking structure. If you can escape the smell though, this is a nice spot for a date. The problem with that is when you go walk her to her car, you have to try and figure out how to have a good night kiss while your nose is telling your brain that you are swimming in a septic tank.
The new Waterfront mall corridor stinks like this as well. Maybe that’s where the term «filthy rich» comes from. What do these people eat?

If you’re looking to watch a movie, 4 stars.
If you’re looking to eat out, 4 stars.
If you’re looking for a sugary treat, 4 stars.
If you’re looking for a great glass of wine, 4 stars.
Pretty much, if you’re looking to spend money, 4 stars.
This isn’t your nightly hangout spot. It’s not the public domain in which you people watch, although it gets pretty hoppin’ during the weekend nights. From upscale restaurants to unique eateries, this place certainly gives you options. C’mon, it’s the perfectly modern Date & Movie kind of center. But, I like it.
I’m not going to go every weekend, mind you. But once in a while is certainly a-​okay. There’s plenty of parking in the garage, or you can park across at the Biltmore and use the underground passage. It’s a short trek, and everyone knows when the weather is nice, it’s a rare treat to be able to walk more than 15 feet without hyperventilating, or sweating so badly you look like the creepy guy at the gym — you know, the one with the horrid pit stains.
In any case, this is a fun spot to go. It’s a great date spot, I think. Case in point: Man waits with flower at Valet. Sleek black car deposits sleek woman in black attire. Man hands woman flower. She smiles. They walk toward Houston’s. Uhm… I’m pretty certain that’s a date. And it happened at the Esplanade. Right before my very own eyes. I swear.

A dinner, drink, and a movie all within a hundred yards? Not too shabby.
There are a few good dinner options: Houston’s, McCormick and Schmick’s and a Nixon’s. While you can grab a drink or two at any of those places, I recommend the Merc Bar for a change of scene before going to catch a late show.
As for the theaters, there are a lot of them so any even semi-​mainstream film should be there on a given night. Aside from the punk teenagers roaming around (ahem, Me ten years ago) the ambiance is cozy, if nothing else.
After the movie, you can roam across the street over to the Biltmore (which will soon be connected with a bridge of some sort, apparently) and grab a coffee at the old local standby Coffee Plantation.