Meet Me at the Mall — Live in Everett

Back in September, my husband and I went to Kennewick for the Three Rivers Tattoo Convention so part of my arm could be in one of the contests. While we were there, we stopped by the Columbia Center mall for lunch and new shoes, and it felt like we’d arrived via time travel. There were so many people there! It really reminded me of all the time I spent at the mall back home when I was a kid, which I’d walk to from the bowling alley where my mom worked at the time. If I chose to tag along for her shift, the bowling alley and the mall were my only choices, so I spent tons of time in both.

Everett Mall doesn’t draw quite the crowds that Columbia Center pulls in, but lately I’ve found myself there a lot. When we needed new appliances, we shopped all over but bought from Best Buy. When I was looking for aquarium gravel? One pet store’s at the mall, the other’s across the street. Most of my clothes that aren’t based on internet memes come from Old Navy. But the main reason for my uptick in visits is the movie theater.

*Play a game while you wait for that friend who’s always late.*

I joined MoviePass last fall, and for $89.95 a year, I can see a movie every day. There are a few restrictions, of course. 3D and RPX aren’t eligible at all and many theaters like the big AMC at Alderwood have opted out entirely. But Regal Everett knows MoviePass well and their staff in my experience make quick work of complicated transactions. What makes it complicated? I still use a Regal Crown Club card on my MoviePass purchases, so I’ve racked up tons of points for free tickets, and using those, I can upgrade 2D to 3D or get a second ticket, or both. No matter the combination, they always hand everything back to me faster than I explained what I wanted beforehand.

Of course, I haven’t seen a movie every day since I got the card. My record so far is seven back in October. But I’m much more likely to go than ever before now that I’m paying a small flat fee. It’s always been pretty easy to talk myself into staying home when so many streaming options are available and I’m still a Netflix DVD renter. But going out for movies is still a better experience since I don’t also have a laptop and phone out, so getting to see this many so cheaply is great. And you know what else is great? That food court.

There isn’t a bad option there, but I’m partial to Babylon Mediterranean Food. Their gyros are big enough that you should grab a fork so you can eat half of the filling off the pita before attempting to pick it up.

*This doesn’t come with a side, but you won’t need one.*

The Greek fries with chicken are also amazing, but I was glad I was alone in a nearly-empty theater after I had it because the garlic was powerfully delicious.

*Entrée-size fries for garlic lovers only.*

It’s occurred to me for a while now that the food court is a great place to go as a group since everybody doesn’t have to agree on one place. It wasn’t until I walked out this week that I realized you can also indulge in combinations that aren’t available anywhere else. Specifically, I wished I’d gotten a bubble tea to go with these awesome tacos from La Herencia Express.

*Anyone else use the extra tortillas to make double the tacos? Just me?*

If you need to walk off that lunch, the inside perimeter of the mall is .55 miles. I know this because I signed up for mall walking when I first moved here because the Interurban trail is nice for long walks, but doesn’t have any nearby restrooms. If you sign up for the Friends-in-Fitness program and bring your badge, you can enter the mall well before it opens and do a few laps. Early walking hours are 6:30-10am Monday-Saturday and 10-11am Sunday. Give it a shot if you’re trying to get into walking for exercise but want to be indoors and hate treadmills. Let’s be real, everyone hates treadmills.