With a New England architecture featuring mill lighting, antique style benches, brick façade, and cupolas are the distinct features of the Tanger Outlet Center in Westbrook.
The outlet center is an outside village-style shopping area with over 50 stores located off Interstate 95 exit 65 at Flat Rock Place.
The interstate averages 75,000 cars a day and fills a need previously unmet in the area for outlet shopping.
Costing $30 million to build, the center with three different buildings, connected to each other through pedestrian sidewalks, is located in a beach resort area along the Connecticut shoreline.
While it has never had stores filling up all of its available retail space, the outlet center now has almost every space filled.
When the outlet first opened, it featured a food court with four vendors and a centralized cashiers and soda machines.
The food court offered a good variety of food, however, it has since closed and been taken over by the Old Navy Outlet.
Ironically, cement tables and benches outside the former food court in an area located near the intersection of three of the outlet buildings still exists.
The recent addition of Fiore’s Pizzeria has allowed shoppers to enjoy pizza and pasta at the outlet center while B.W.’s Coffee Station, a sandwich and coffee shop featuring architecture of an old train station, also offers shoppers the ability to purchase art from local artists of local areas such as Old Saybrook and Westbrook.
Ironically, the outlet center almost had its own train station several years ago but negotiations failed forcing those using the Shoreline East train service to park near Norris Avenue down the long access road and across the street from the outlets.
While the outlet center was previously owned by Charter Oak, it is now owned with Tanger.
Under the new management, many snack and beverage vending machines have been placed mainly at the outlet’s outer corners featuring a wide variety of beverages and snacks.
Stores in the outlet vary and features a variety of clothing stores such as Big Dog Sportswear, Casual Male Big and Tall Outlet, Eddie Bauer Outlet, J. Crew, Levi’s, Old Navy, Rebook.
There are a number of shoe stores in the center as well including Factory brand Shoes, Hush Puppies, Rockport, Timberland, and Fila.
Stores with accessories and jewelry include Claire’s, Hush Puppies, and Samsonite.
There are also a number of specialty stores including Borders Outlet, Design Ideas, Front Page Sports, Music for a Song, Paper Factory, and Perfect Gift.
Perhaps this outlet center has one of the longest access four-lane roads I have ever seen featuring antique lighting.
There are four bridges built over wetlands as drivers’ transverse a road between Route 153 and the perimeter road around the outlet.
Parking is available at the ends of all the buildings allowing easier accessibility to stores near the outer ends.
A model boat with large American flag poles greet visitors entering from the parking lot in one area and a model train cars greet visitors entering the parking lot in another area.
Descriptive signage about the models are available as well as a plaque commemorating those who have served in the armed services.
Hours for the center from September 4 to December 31 are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
January 1 to March 12 have the hours of Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Hours for the center from March 13 to May 27 are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9.p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The center has the most hours in the summertime when the outlet fills up with tourists especially on rainy days when laying out on the beach is out of the question.
Between May 28 and September 3, the center is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Those who are members of the AAA can pick up a savings booklet at the mall’s management office next to Paper Factory.
Tanger Gift Cards can be purchased at the management office or at the Tanger website in amounts from $10 to $500 redeemable at Tanger Outlet Stores nationwide.
The center guarantees that the lowest prices are offered at its shops.
Those purchasing merchandise from any Tanger Outlet Center and seeing it advertised for less anywhere else within 30 days can bring in a copy of the advertisement to the management office during regular business hours.
The manager will refund the difference in cash.
These discounts allow shoppers to save between 15 and 20 percent at participating stores.
Restrooms are located next to the management office and next to Old Navy down a narrow hallway featuring murals of Tanger Outlets throughout the country.
Pay phones are available at the Westbrook Cinema and next to the management office.
ATM’s are located next to the management office, outside Fiore’s Pizzeria, and outside the Westbrook Cinema.
Stroller and wheelchair rentals are available at the management office.
Marquee Cinemas 12 is located outside the factory outlet buildings and is the area’s only movie theatre serving the Connecticut River Valley-Shore area.
The theater has expanded concession items, handicap accessible, stadium seating, and digital sound.
While it is several years old now and the carpet is starting to fade, it still is a nice movie theater facility and there is plenty of parking around the theater.
Times for movies fit the needs of most with late morning and early afternoon matinees and late-night movies starting between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Prices are reasonable and the theater charges $8.25 for adults, $5.75 for children, $5.75 for seniors, matinees before 6 p.m. $5.75, and early bird shows, the first show before 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, only costs $5.
Its nearest competition is the Madison Art Cinema, a 2-screen theater in downtown Madison mainly premiering arts movies.
Interestingly enough, the success of this mega-cinema lead to the closure of the Old Saybrook Cinemas 6 and the Old Saybrook 2-screen theater, each within walking distance of each other on Main Street in historic downtown Old Saybrook.
More information about the outlet is available at www.tangeroutlet.com or by calling 1-800-4-TANGER.
