CHICAGO PREMIUM OUTLETS



We did it. We finally got in the car and drove to the new Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora.

Every day for the last several months, my commute would take me past this mammoth structure where a hundred plus brand names would soon scream out to me in passion as I drove by.

The mall opened just last week and has already been swarmed by people from all over the Chicago area and beyond. I-88 has been littered with cars all seemingly making their way to this gargantuan mall.

Amanda, Elise and I met our friends, Ted & Kathryn there on Monday and walked until we decided that our legs had endured enough for one afternoon.

The highlights of my afternoon were hanging out in the Sony store coveting all the fun electronic gadgets and then of course the stops at Asian Chao (Chinese fast food - orange chicken and bourbon chicken), Aunt Anne's Pretzels, and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where we dove into a giant (green) apple covered in caramel and chocolate chips.

The mall is a typical outlet mall - like all the ones all across America. In fact, the owners of the mall, Chelsea Premium Outlets, own and operate over 60 outlet malls all across the country and even into Japan and Mexico.

After it was all said and done we didn’t end up buying much. Still trying to figure out what is so good about outlet malls too. If anyone figures it out, let me know.

Click here for a list of stores.