The District at Tustin Legacy

I’m doing pros/​cons first then review!
Pros:
Nice theater
Target
Costco
Like the degin of the mall
Cons:
Worst entrances
Worst/​nightmare to park
No good stores
Center not worth going to
All good stores are gone
The crosswalk to the mini center/​mall
Worst
Need more traffic lights
Summery:
I wish I can give this a 0 out of 5 but since I have to rate it is 1. Why?
This mall has great ideas and great portenial like he other sister malls like Irvine Spectrum and the market place (whitch owns by Irvine Co.)all 3 of mall is one by.
Coming in on the Costco side near the gas station. Need more lanes. Plus they should move gas station else where.
The main cross walk by the mini mall. Need Traffic lights. And also parking getting in and out is a NIGHTMARE. I have no idea who made this parking idea is terrible. If I was a exicutive re construct the parking lot first.
This mall you don’t need to go. Go to the other mall in Irvine spectrum and or in Irvine/​Tustin marketplace
This place is a Big pass.
Please avoid this Mall!
No matter what time of day you go it is a Nightmare!

Great one-​stop shop for all of your needs. Whole foods, Target, Costco, Lowes, and many other big chains on the outskirts but the real treasures are in the interior promenade. Facing the main entrance of the AMC theatre, you can find small shops, paint and drink at Pinot’s Palette, grab a green juice at Bowl of Heaven, and get moving at Caffe Yoga. Something for everyone in this tucked away spot!

Wow! The absolute worst parking and pedestrian access. The design for this entire shopping area is horrendous. The entrance and exits area are poorly designed. I would avoid coming here just because of the parking and traffic congestion. How can this ever be remedied?

Absolutely one of the worst designed facilities in the US. The parking is atrocious, getting in and out of the parking lot can take you 10 to 15 minutes and the mix of stores does nothing to keep you longer than 15 minutes

Who planned the layout of this place? What a waste of such a large piece of land. There is nothing good to say when coming here. The only reason why I come is for the major stores such Costco or Whole Foods. It’s not worth parking to go shop at the few selections of empty clothing stores. Businesses do not last because there is no business here. I would seriously consider doing a reconstruction. Build a pedestrian bridge or something. God help us.

Always a good time for us! Great restaurants, shopping, and theater. The restaurant choices are plentiful. Everything from fast casual to finer dining. We have eaten at a number of restaurants in the District and so far we have had all good experiences.
Not only that but the District is just a small part of a large shopping area, complete with a Target and Costco. This is pretty much a one stop shopping area. Disclaimer, this is one of the busier Costcos and Costco Gas Stations in the area so plan accordingly.
I have yet to visit the Union Market but my brother tells me it is great. It’s an open market style.
Lastly the parking is plentiful. We have never had a problem finding a spot, even with the valet parking.

Ok another no thanks vote from me to mimic the other dozens of reviews.
1 star for surviving the gauntlet of a f**ked-up parking lot /​egress that the planners never considered when they deigned this shoppers mecca. I almost got hit 2 times. LOL this reminds me of the ill planned shopping that is everywhere in China. At least in China most folks drive electric scooters
(but they drive them like maniacs!) yet they sill minimize the impact on the ozone, however the f**ked-up traffic is just as bad in the overcrowded lots.
I once thought China and Irvine /​S. Tustin had a lot in common. Crappy drivers
Mega traffic, But the bathrooms here are better.

I totally disagree with others about the smoking at the District. WTF when did we get so pussified that a smoker passing by outside is the end of the world? Really I think the thousands of carbon emitting cars (yes you drive one too) are a far worse terror. Believe it or not most smokers are sensitive to your whining. LOL this is Mid South OC Bro, full of Asian smokers.
I’ll not return

I tend to come here quick often since it is very close to my place and I can pretty much get all my errands, grocery shopping etc in one trip. It has its own private lot so there is ample amount of parking space available however everything is little spread out so one needs to drive from one place to other place especially if you have grocery bags. In my eyes it is a mini Irvine Spectrum — except at the Spectrum there is a parking structure and there is parking all around so one can enter from either side of the Spectrum depending on where one need to go. I feel like the layout for the parking could be little better in that sense here.
It has a wide variety of restaurants as well — the ones I go to the most would be RA Sushi [great happy hour], Panera Bread, Thai Bambo Bistro [my go-​to Thai place], Whole Foods and JT Schmid’s. There is also an AMC movie theater located here — I personally like coming here for the movies because it is not too crowded like the Irvine Spectrum and it is very close by to my place. During weekends however it does get pretty packed, and not all the movies that are playing at Spectrum are playing here. There is a Bowlmor Lane located on the second floor by DSW. It has few brand stores for shopping as well but I have been here mainly for food or movies. Nonetheless, I am sure I will be back here many more times.

Worst parking, entrance /​egress, and overall traffic route design ever!
I seriously do not know how this could ever get approved — but, oh, it did.
I dread going here because of the terrible traffic jam and horrible parking situation.
I do love the Wholefoods BUT I just heard a rumor that the Wholefoods is closing down? Since a new one is opening elsewhere? Or is it just a rumor?

+ LOTS of stores to choose from
+ Movies, food, shopping, bowling, get drunk — great options right?
— Everything is spread out.
I’ve been here since it opened and was barely developing. First time going back to it was last night and I’ve got to say, it’s improved a lot. Lots of stores to check out and shop at. Also lots of places to eat at, very nice variety. I’d recommend this place if you’re in a group and looking to spend the night having decent entertainment without the rowdy-​ness.
One downfall about this place is that, everything’s spread out. I mean, I don’t mind it, as I’m fine with walking across lots to explore. But it’s not a great layout. You can spend a nice hour or two really exploring the ins and outs of this place, it’s nice.
I’d come here again if it wasn’t so far away from my place, I like it though. :)

I’ve been coming here for years now, ever since the District opened. I usually come here for the main attractions: Costco, Target, and Whole Foods. The District contains a plethora of shops and restaurants, but sadly a lot of them fail to reach their potential because of the design of this shopping center.
Exactly why the designers chose to build giant parking spaces between each department store is beyond me. Because of the giant gaps between shops, it just becomes a hassle and annoyance to get from one area to another. It’s like going to Disneyland and starting your day off at Tomorrowland, but then instead of smoothly transitioning to the neighboring Fantasyland, you choose to walk all the way to Adventure Land, then Toontown, then Critter Country, and finally walk all the way to Fantasyland again.
The AMC theatre and surrounding boutiques and restaurants in that area are pretty much cut off from the central attraction (Costco) so it’s always empty there, which is a shame. The shopping center in that area is so clean and looks like a fun place to hang out, but because there are barely any people walking, it gives you a sort of eerie vibe. Still, despite this lengthy complaint of the design, I have and will still keep shopping at The District!

New things are opening up here! The District is a huge shopping area, but not a mall. I like it because everything is here: COSTCO. Nah, there are other restaurants and stores conveniently, like Target, Michaels, Petco, Lowes, In N Out, etc.
New restaurants and stores are opening up. They’re supposedly opening Portola Coffee here even though Peet’s is just across the walkway.
The major complaint I have is the parking. I am always confused when I drive around the parking lot. There’s like no set layout for the entire place. There’s like no direct way to get in from Jamboree. You have to get off on Warner or go from Barranca for Target side. This place is so huge that you have to make extra turns just to get places. I think I’m finally getting the hang of it because I’ve been here so often. For first timers, good luck and keep driving.

If you’re looking for a place to eat, this is it. Ultra wide variety. If you want to go shopping besides big places like Costco, Lowes, Target, PetSmart — go elsewhere.
Seriously, for food, this place is amazing. Everything from funky mom and pop places to Chick-​fil-​e. (No McDonalds though) Table service, bars, quick service, they got it. Movie before/​after? Got that too. Need a few groceries? Whole Foods is there.
A few places I like closed, like Office Depot and Best Buy which made this area super convenient, but it’s not a deal breaker.
Here’s the thing though — the parking sucks. It’s just confusing and people walk across main thoroughfares like it’s a pedestrian mall so be careful. Valet Parking is $ 3 or $ 5-​$ 10 depending on how/​when you tip. Clean signage how to get back on major roads is confusing. I only learned by accident and one of the key signs is now blocked by trees (off the District’s property though, but still causes confusion).
Before deciding a place to eat, walk around and check everything out. Especially the Union Market. It’s obviously still being worked on, but a fun atmosphere to take in.

WORST DESIGN LAYOUT!!!
The district at Tustin is a nightmare to get to. The main path for pedestrians goes right in front of the main entrance for vehicles creating a back log of angry consumers. To further complicate things, stores are so spread out, it is difficult to go to some of the restaurants and stores without having to get back in the car and go to another parking lot within the facility. My Unilocal buddy Aaron E was EXTREMELY generous with his 3 star review, but was accurate with his description, «HELL ON EARTH». Because that pretty much describes the emotions one will have when frequenting this place.
The design is so bad, that I have avoided coming here for years after my first few encounters. Anytime someone brings up at work, let’s go to the district for lunch, the idea is quickly shot down. It’s shot down not because it isn’t nearby. It’s very close, it’s just that it takes an extremely painful amount of time to get in and out of this place. And by painful, I’m talking about root canal kind of pain!!!
It is without a doubt the District at Tustin Legacy earns the coveted 1 star award from me. While the stores within the district are NOT a wretched hive of scum and villainy, the layout certainly leaves something to be desired.

Nice place to just walk around and window shop, lots of restaurants and bars around this area. Parking was kinda hard for a weekday so I can’t imagine how packed it is during weekends and holidays.
What I didn’t like about this place was how hard it was to find different stores. I had the hardest time locating a specific store and there was no directory around.
One thing that I would want to come back to this place to check out is Union Market. It is currently still under construction but a few stores are slowly finishing up and opening one by one.

WHO DID THIS?
The District at Tustin Legacy’s parking lot makes me want to kick puppies and slap kitties. It is the absolute worst, bar none (I am staring at you Diamond Jamboree). People often complain in Los Angeles about The Grove and surrounding Mid-​City West. To them I say:
WANT TO SEE HELL ON EARTH?
It is difficult to get in and you had a better chance of surviving 3 tours of duty during the Vietnam war than you do getting out easily. There are only 3 streams to get out of the south lot and they all converge at the same 3 way stop sign. Satan did this. He knows people in OC fear stop signs more than fake Vuitton, Democrats and the 909 combined. Add elderly caucasians and Irvine’s Asian and Indian demographics and this is ground zero for the second coming folks. It all goes down at the Tustin/​Irvine border. Four Horsemen, Nuclear Winter… all that.
Whoever designed this parking lot, mark my words: I WILL FIND YOU.
That said, the obscene layout is too bad really because there are some notable spots to check out. In N Out, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Native Foods, Luna Rossa, Bowl of Heaven, Kettlebar and Portola Coffee Lab… and that is off the top. Worse yet, the offerings seem to keep getting better exacerbating an already terminal problem.
The District at Tustin Legacy: fix your self inflicted grid lock. Human progression demands of this.

What a train wreck. There’s plenty of great stuff here — movie theater, Target, Costco, Lucille’s, Whole Foods, Aloha Hawaiian BBQ — but as Gertrude Stein would say, «There’s no there there.»
Rather than creating a walkable outdoor mall (like the Spectrum) the folks who designed the District made a mini-​outdoor mall surrounded by parking lots and then interspersed a few big box stores, eateries, banks, etc. The setup practically compels you to drive from place to place only to find it impossible to find a parking space anywhere near the place you’re trying to reach. Epic fail.

+ Ample parking… if you know where to park
+ Central location to a lot of the Tustin/​Irvine community
+ Good business selection, including Lowes and Costco
— Wish there was more of a walk-​around area. The outdoor walking area is quite small compared to the entire District
— Parking is hard to find on the Whole Foods side
— Traffic terrible in the Whole Foods side
— The main road connecting the area isn’t very intuitive.
I enjoy that The District is relatively close to me and has a wide variety of businesses. These include the movie theater, Costco, and Lowes. The area is very spread out so you definitely need to drive to get from store to store (if they aren’t adjacent to each other). The walk-​around area (near the movie theater, Five Guys, etc) is very small.
Parking is usually tough, which is surprising given the size of the parking lots. On weekends, you will usually have to park pretty far away and walk to the stores you want to visit.

Once you get over the funky design/​layout, you can start appreciating the stores they offer here… It’s become a pretty convenient location to meet-​up and hangout with people — whether you just want to eat, watch a movie, shop, etc.
So because it offers lots of big name stores and also Costco itself attracts a ton of people… yes it can get traffic-​y. I presume that with Union Market slowly growing, the traffic will start growing too…

Parking Sucks, Layout Sucks and…
I echo what everyone else wrote about the sucky traffic and poor design. It’s a pain in the ass to reach different establishments and you have to drive from place to place if you are shopping with many bags. That means you get caught up in the parking lot traffic multiple times.
I also dislike how nerds walk around smoking here. So, this is a family shopping center. Families with little kids. People smoke with disregard to who is around them. It is very selfish behavior and ruins others from enjoying the area. Why do so may people smoke in the shopping area? It’s like the only place in OC. It never fails. Keep your stink crap to yourself. Smoking went out with the 80s. It’s not cool. It’s gross. It’s even illegal within a certain distance from the buildings. This is the OC and the OC is about being healthy, looking good, feeling good, being outdoors, great weather and enjoying life. A few people ruin it for many. Even farts smell better.