Observation Essay Westfield Gateway Mall

On the outside of Westfield Gateway Mall lines after lines of cars are parked in the gigantic parking lots. It's not that noisy but every once in awhile you hear the beeping of a car alarm. Creative building designs accent the doors inviting you to come in and enjoy. Different textures on the building pop out at you, creating different lines. You go from smooth to bumpy as run your hand against the side of the building. At night the lights shines against the entrance making it easy for all to see.

The mall is a community within Lincoln. There are many different aspects and views that create the community. People, places, and things add character and develops the community the mall really is. Many different objectives that people have give different reasons or thing to do at the building. People don’t just go to shop. I opened my eyes and ears to find out what attracts people to the building we call Westfield Gateway Mall.

The sliding glass doors swish open as I step near them. As I walk in to the inside, the volume of sound changes. I can hear people chattering and kids screaming. The pitter patter of feet on the tiled floor echo through the mall. I can smell the food court's hamburgers, chicken, and pizza, as well. The smell lures me in, guiding my nose towards the beautiful smell. When you walk by the Chinese place, Panda Express, passes out free samples of teriakyi chicken. It taste sweet and tender, causing your mouth to salivate uncontrollably. The free samples satisfy my taste buds making me want more. I let them taunt me into buying food. Walking around, the different smells seize my nose, bringing different character to each restaurant. I give into the temptation and buy a chili dog.

Sitting at a table on the hard, yet not unbearable chair, I eat my chili dog. The table has a shiny surface with a pinkish swirl. While eating the soft warm chili dog on the hard slick glossy table, I look up to see hundreds of tables. Some small with little chairs just the right size for kids and others tall with high chairs letting you look over the entire food court. Little kids run around them entertaining themselves with imagination and laughter as they play tag. Also a birthday party is going on for a little child. There is different color balloons in a line on a long table. At the table next to me, three ladies chat away while the husband of one faces away from the chatter talking on the phone.

There’s a worker cleaning the tables as people come and go. Also he changes the trash and mops up any spilled messes. Some times he stops to flirt with the ladies and carry on a conversation as they try to enjoy their meal. Some give him their time and are very polite and courteous and others try to get away from him as fast as possible. Since I feared him coming my way to engage in conversation, I decided to move location and hightail it out of there.

Walking to my next location I can’t help but enjoy the beauty of the ceiling. Layers of structural design make it look as if there was a second floor, but there isn’t. There is silver railings and misleading balconies. In some parts there is glass where the ceiling lets the sun shine in. The sun brightens the mall and makes it so there is really no need for lights during the day because the sun is enough. It brings a happy warm feeling to the atmosphere. Color adds to the layers of the ceiling, adding to the illusion of its height.

I take a seat in one of the many lounge areas the mall has. Sitting next to me is an elderly woman taking a rest and sitting down to enjoy the atmosphere. Much like I’m watching her, she is also people watching. In fact I could feel her watch me as I jot stuff down wondering what it is that I am writing about. An older gentleman comes and sits next to her to tie his shoes. They have a brief moment where they joke about their old age and then he rises and continues on his journey.

In other lounges I could see students studying or doing homework. Some drink coffee from the Blue Moon Coffee Company in the food court. They sit there scribbling words and have there noses buried into their books. I also see a guy sit and watch a column with a video screen that wraps around it. It shows different advertisements of products in the mall, for example the face wash product Proactiv.


These lounges are like town squares. They bring the community together. The lounges are a meeting place where you learn about others and what's happened in the world today. Maybe even find a date or a new friend.

Watching other people walk by I couldn’t help to notice that some of them were like zombies. They would wonder around like they were unaware of things around them. There was a complete focus in there eyes that said they were on a mission. Maybe a sale or they were off to get to work, but they did not deviate from the path they were on. Also I notice that almost every one had a cell phone to their ear. All carrying on a conversation as they walked to their destination.

Across from where I sat was the carousel. When it would start up a slight breeze would hit me lightly lifting my hair. You can hear the sound of the carousel going around and around, playing the typical amusement park music, making you feel like you’re at the fair. The carousel sparkles with little lights that are pleasing to the eye. The beauty of it is just striking. The horses go up and down as it goes around and around. Each horse has different detailed designs making each one stand out from the others. Every time a parent walks by, their kids beg for permission to go on a ride. When they don't get there way they drag their feet and pout as mom or dad is struggling to keep calm while pulling their child through the mall. A little girl holding a giraffe asks for a ride with here eyes gleaming with anticipation. Other children anxiously wait for there turn to ride. They form a line trying their best to contain their excitement and stand still. When they finally get on, they smile from ear to ear.

Teens are walking around, looking for a girl to hit on or a hot boy to cross their path. None holding shopping bags because they are just there to walk around. There eyes wondering around scanning the crowd. The elderly zoom past as they’re on a mission to speed walk to keep healthy. Westfield also has a program to keep healthy for these zooming speed walkers.

Many different types of activities happen at Gateway. It's filled with different kinds of people with different purposes to be at the mall. It is a community within the community of Lincoln. This building gives to Lincoln a place to go for all ages. People are attracted to the beauty and the atmosphere it creates. No money is needed to go there unless you actually want to buy something as you shop. It’s not just a shopping mall, but a meeting or social gathering place, study hall, a place to relax, entertainment, place to satisfy your hunger and a place to get healthy. The mall is all of this and more.