Jaunted

Calabasas is home to several celebs--Sean Astin, Denise Richards, Heather Locklear and etc.--but it's also home to about 20,000 other rich people who have a median income of $93,860 so don't expect to find an Old Navy here.

The other clue that The Commons is an upscale shopping center is that the official name is The Commons at Calabasas. Rich places are always doing that sort of stuff like The Mall at Short Hills or the Shops at Wailea.

At The Commons, the stores are more of your everyday stores--no Chanel or Gucci here--but the place is pristine with wide walkways and plenty of resting spaces like tables and benches placed between the stores. There's even a small outdoor community stage and a pond with fish and turtles. And apparently, the buildings were designed to look like a Tuscan hill town in Umbria, Italy.

So what can you expect there? Well, you can shop at Lisa Rinna's Belle Gray store, Theodore, Williams-Sonoma, lululemon athletica and m. fredric. You can also skulk around the Barnes and Noble or catch a movie at the center's theater. They have even got a Ralph's supermarket and Rite-Aid! Just remember, the Valley is HOT. Like sweat running down the back of your knees hot. Gross, we know.

While it's not as quite as exciting as celeb-frequented The Grove in Los Angeles proper, we like how you can pull right into a wide-open parking lot without having to take a parking ticket or having to drive down or up four floors of a garage. And interestingly enough, the same man who developed The Grove, Rick Caruso, has done The Commons.

How to Get There:
From Los Angeles, take the 405 North to the 101 North. Ride that freeway all the way to the Parkway Calabasas exit where you get off on Calabasas Road. Head south to the corner of Calabasas Road and Commons Way.

Related Stories:
· Hotels in Calabasas [HotelChatter]
· Commons at Calabasas [Official Site]

[Photo: Glyn Sun]