Best Shopping Center

The Promenade Shops at Briargate

The Promenade Shops at Briargate is an upscale “lifestyle center” with 55 tenants ranging from Apple to Victoria’s Secret — national brands that cater to an affluent suburban demographic. Developers Poag & McEwen originated the concept three decades ago, and have applied it to many similarly named shopping centers.

The key: Populate the centers with national specialty stores and offer restaurants, superior architecture and landscaping and other amenities that appeal to the surrounding community.

Consider the center’s demographics — 160,954 people with an average household income of $100,000 live within 10 miles of the center. The center’s website characterizes its location as “an ideal site ¼ mile east of I-25 off Briargate Parkway and Highway 83. More than 100,000 vehicles pass through this area each day.” The center opened in 2003 and has thrived ever since, along with the upscale northeast and northwestern residential neighborhoods that are home to many of its customers. Its managers are sensitive to modern trends, and now describe it as a pet-friendly center, advising customers to “look for the ‘Pets Welcome’ decal in the stores who welcome pets.”

Web: thepromenadeshopsatbriargate.com | Phone: 719-265-6264

2. University Village

Web: uvcshopping.com | Phone: 719-632-5000

3. Chapel Hills Mall

Web: chapelhillsmall.com | Phone: 719-594-0111