Fashion Island

As a longtime Newport-Mesa resident, I read with interest about the $100-million makeover of Fashion Island ("Fashion Island undergoes bustling wave of change," Dec. 27). The article slant was very positive, but here is the flipside. The powers that be have obviously decided the "family-friendly" approach has to go — the merry-go-round, the train and the beloved bubble fountain, for example. The new group that is being courted is the affluent dog owner. In the last six months or so, my friends and I have personally witnessed dogs lifting their legs on the sides of stores; a large shaggy dog in a store rubbing its shedding coat against the velvet slacks we were looking at; a dog having a big problem inside a store and the owner refusing to clean it up. And, of course, there is no such thing now as walking around the grassy mini-park by Macy's to enjoy the ocean view, because that has become a doggy bathroom.

NEWPORT BEACH - It's been a busy couple of years for Fashion Island, which added 40 new stores and restaurants as part of a $100-million cash infusion. As the wave of change for the Irvine Co.-owned coastal shopping center trickles off - this month marked the Island Cinemas' reopening as officials announced Whole Foods Market's arrival in the fall - weekend foot-traffic is up 20% over last year, said Dan Sheridan, president of the Irvine Co.'s retail properties. "The idea behind the reinvestment was building upon a location that cannot be replicated," Sheridan said, referring to the center's proximity to the coast, parks, open spaces and affluent neighborhoods.

NEWPORT BEACH - Last-minute shoppers at Fashion Island won't be hearing a familiar sound of Christmas. That's because the Salvation Army workers and their red kettles, stationed outside of Bloomingdale's and Macy's, have agreed to a request not to ring their bells. "You have to respect store owners, people," said Salvation Army Major Antonio Orta, who oversees the three bell ringers - their actual job titles - on the property owned by the Newport Beach-based Irvine Co. "We have to comply because we solicit on their premises.

NEWPORT BEACH - In a season where neighbors compete for the biggest and brightest holiday displays, the message for youngsters Tuesday night was that a little bit of light can go a long way. Hundreds of participants gathered in Fashion Island's Atrium Garden Court for the 4:30 p.m. Chanukah Community Party, hosted by the Chabad Jewish Center of Newport Beach, and the lighting of the 6-foot "Surf 'n' Sand" menorah with former Dodger Shawn Green....

The remodeled Island Cinema at Fashion Island will open to the general public Friday with a 12:30 p.m. screening of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. " The Irvine Co.-owned, seven-screen theater complex now features state-of-the-art technology, stadium seating, roomy leather seats and the option of in-theater dining, among other amenities, Irvine Co. officials said in a news release. The facility near Nordstrom on the Island Terrace closed a year ago for an overhaul. The project was part of the second phase of the company's upgrade to Fashion Island, said Irvine Co. spokeswoman Erin Freeman.

Edwards Island Cinemas at Fashion Island will preview the newly renovated seven-screen theater at a charitable event Dec. 14, according to the event website. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" will screen at the event benefiting Oceana, an international ocean conservation advocacy group. While the cinema opens for regular business Dec. 16 — 364 days after it was closed for renovations — tickets to the preview event can be bought through EveningAtTheCinema.org . The Irvine Co. announced the closure of the 21-year-old theater last December as part of its $100-million reinvestment in the shopping plaza, which brought in more than 40 new stores and restaurants, according to Daily Pilot archives . The renovated Island Cinemas will have a spacious lobby, "Italianate" architecture, stadium seating in all auditoriums, larger seats, wider aisles and more legroom, according to the article.

NEWPORT BEACH — Walking down Marine Avenue on Balboa Island on Friday, it was hard to tell that this was the busiest shopping day of the year across the country. The shops were open on the morning after Thanksgiving, and store owners had posted signs to lure folks in with sales of 30% off, or 2-for-1 bargains. But there were no frazzled parents elbowing each other for the year's hottest Christmas presents, or penny-pinching young adults and grandparents scurrying in and out trying to hoard the savings.

FRIDAY Black Friday Sears and some other stores will open at 4 a.m. at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Coast Mesa. Urban Outfitters at Fashion Island will open at 4 a.m. Fashion Island is at 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. PacSun and Aeropostale will open at 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., respectively, at the Irvine Spectrum, 71 Fortune Drive, Irvine. Shabbat Service Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach will hold its Friday Night Shabbat Service at 6 p.m. in the Morgan Chapel.

Location: 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Known for: "Overlooking the ocean, Fashion Island offers distinctive shopping and dining in a coastal resort setting. " That's what it says on its website; that's reason enough to go. Situated on 75 acres on a slope above the Pacific, the center attracts more than 13 million people a year to its mix of indoor and outdoor shopping and dining facilities.