Vending by Sony - Santa Rosa Mall

Sony calls them robotic stores instead of vending machines, but I think whoever thought that term up should be fired. It just brings attention to the fact that Sony is using the novelty of vending machines to avoid paying employees. What happens if a shopper accidentally pushes the wrong buttons? How do you return anything? Who do you ask questions to? What if the mp3 player you just bought is defective?

635 Healdsburg Ave
Santa Rosa, California, 95401

No Photos Allowed - Santa Rosa Plaza

I was panhandled at the Santa Rosa Plaza this weekend. Living close to the Haight, I'm used to being panhandled, but I was taken completely by surprise when it happened in such a suburban setting. This was no street urchin. The girl who asked me for money looked like a typical suburban teenager, with converse shoes, Levis, a hoodie & salon highlights. She looked clean and well-fed. I though she was asking for change for a dollar, so when she said "I just need to buy a hamburger," I was completely taken aback. What's that about? Have parents stopped teaching their children that it's rude to ask strangers for money?

This mall seems to attract a disproportionate amount of teenagers. Is it the only place for kids to go in Santa Rosa? The stores could certainly be a draw to this audience. The stores are pretty typical mid-level retail with a high emphasis on teenwear: Forever 21, Hot Topic, Torrid, Gap, Express, and a few blah staples: Bath & Bodyworks, Victoria's Secret and Lane Bryant. The anchor stores are a bit grotty: an old, unrefurbished Sears, a low-end Macy's and an OK Mervyns.

Mall security is fairly vigilant. I was told not to take any pictures for "copyright reasons." What's behind that weird rule? How does taking pictures of mall stores violate copyright? It's not like sneaking photos at a fashion show in Milan to copy in a back street sweatshop.

1071 Santa Rosa Plaza
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Harry’s Second Hand Warehouse -- Santa Rosa

OK- so this isn’t in San Francisco. However, it’s close enough to deserve a mention.

This is not the place for shoppers who need tidy merchandising. It’s a mess. Shopping at Harry’s Second Hand Warehouse is more like hunting for treasure than shopping, just the kind of shopping I like. It looks like the contents of multiple Grannies’ houses all jammed together. Old TVs share space with Russell Wright style dinnerware. Hundreds of dining room chairs share space with collections of Readers Digest condensed books. Vintage appliances share shelf space with odd bits of crockery. I’m told new stuff is added all the time. It’s definitely worth the drive.

820 Ripley
Santa Rosa, CA
707.526.7713