Westfield UTC Mall Guide: Stores, AMC Theater, Parking & Trolley

Westfield UTC (University Towne Centre) is the big open-air shopping center in University City, just east of La Jolla at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive. Its anchors are Macy’s and Nordstrom, and it also has the AMC UTC 14 movie theater, an indoor ice rink and one of San Diego’s strongest mall restaurant lineups. The Blue Line trolley ends right beside it. Parking is only free for the first hour, so plan around that.

UTC at a glance

What	Details
Address	4545 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92122
Phone	858-546-8858
Anchors	Macy’s, Nordstrom, AMC UTC 14
Size	About 199 stores across two levels (three in Macy’s)
Ice rink	UTC Ice, Suite E23
Parking	First hour free, then $2 per hour step, $15 daily max
Transit	MTS Blue Line, UTC station (end of the line)

Store hours vary by season and holiday. Check the Westfield UTC opening hours page before you go.

What UTC is like

UTC opened in 1977 as University Towne Centre. A 2016 expansion added about 400,000 square feet, and a new Nordstrom followed in 2017, giving the open-air center its current look of terraces and landscaped walkways (Wikipedia overview). It serves the UC San Diego and Golden Triangle office crowd as much as tourists. Expect a polished, upscale-casual feel: premium chains and popular national brands, not designer flagships (for luxury, Fashion Valley is the bigger draw).

Stores

Department stores

• Macy’s remains a main anchor, in the former Broadway building. If you searched “Macy’s UTC mall,” it is still open.
• Nordstrom moved into a new 144,000-square-foot store in October 2017. The old Nordstrom building was demolished in 2022.

Popular shops

Westfield highlights Apple, Lululemon and Bylt among its stores (Westfield UTC). There is also a LEGO Store, popular with families. Victoria’s Secret & PINK is at Space H22 (Victoria’s Secret store locator). For the full directory, use the Westfield UTC website or app, since tenants change often.

Stores that have closed or changed

Older guides to UTC mention names that are no longer there:

• Sears closed in July 2017. Its parcel was redeveloped as The Collection, with Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn Kids and Corner Bakery Cafe among the tenants.
• Forever 21 closed its UTC store in January 2024.
• Charlotte Russe and Hallmark do not appear in the current mall materials we checked. If you need either one, check the live directory or the brand’s own store locator before making the trip.

Build-A-Bear in San Diego

The old Build-A-Bear page on this site is now part of this guide. We could not confirm a current Build-A-Bear Workshop at UTC. Recent listings show San Diego-area stores at Fashion Valley in Mission Valley and Westfield Plaza Bonita in National City. There is also a Build-A-Bear shop inside SeaWorld San Diego, next to Nautilus Amphitheater, where kids can make an ocean-themed plush (Tripster). We found no current listing for Otay Ranch Town Center. Mall stores open and close often, so check the official locator at buildabear.com before you promise a kid a bear. Our Fashion Valley guide covers that mall.

AMC UTC 14: the movie theater

The mall’s cinema is AMC UTC 14. It opened on February 10, 2022, in the space left when ArcLight Cinemas shut down. It has reserved seating, online order-ahead and a MacGuffins bar serving cocktails, beer and wine. The food menu is more limited than ArcLight’s was (LaJolla.com). Showtimes and ticket prices are on the AMC website and app.

Parking tip: AMC validates parking, adding free time beyond the standard first hour, so bring your ticket stub or ask at the concession stand.

UTC Ice: skating at the mall

UTC Ice (Suite E23, 858-452-9110) is a year-round indoor rink in the middle of the mall. It sells single public-session passes and an annual pass for unlimited public sessions (UTC Ice), and the rink also hosts programs beyond public skating. Session times change week to week, so check the online schedule before you go. UTC Ice also validates parking. For prices and a comparison with San Diego’s other rinks, see our ice skating guide.

Dining and the “food court”

UTC is known more for its restaurants than for a classic food court. Restaurants Westfield currently features include:

• Din Tai Fung, the Taiwanese dumpling chain, which often has a wait at peak times. Put your name in early.
• Shake Shack and Tender Greens for quick, casual meals.
• Chef Fei, another Asian option for a quicker sit-down meal.
• JOEY La Jolla, Javier’s and Seasons 52 for sit-down dinners.
• Teleferic Barcelona for Spanish tapas.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Lady M Cake Boutique for dessert.

For a quick, food-court-style meal, the counter-service spots are the fastest option. Sit-down restaurants fill up on weekend evenings and before movies, so reserve where you can. Seasons 52 also validates parking.

Parking at UTC

The free parking window was cut in early March 2026 (San Diego Ville). Current self-parking rates, per Westfield UTC:

Time parked	Cost
First hour	Free
1 to 2 hours	$2
2 to 3 hours	$4
3 to 4 hours	$6
4 to 5 hours	$8
Over 5 hours	$15 daily max

• Validation: AMC Theatres, 24 Hour Fitness, Seasons 52 and UTC Ice Sports Center give validations for extra free hours. Charges resume only after the validation expires.
• Lost ticket: Charged at the daily maximum, with no refunds.
• Valet: $20 flat per day, at the drive-up on La Jolla Village Drive near Javier’s.
• Garages: The five-level Genesee Parking Garage, along Genesee Avenue, has red and green lights showing open spaces.
• Rideshare: A dedicated pick-up and drop-off station sits alongside Room & Board.
• EV charging is available on site.

For a long day of shopping, a movie and dinner, a validation from AMC or the rink can save you more than the daily maximum.

Getting there by trolley

UTC is the northern end of the MTS Blue Line, part of the UC San Diego extension that opened in November 2021. The UTC Transit Center sits beside the mall. Ride times, per MTS:

• Old Town to UTC: about 26 minutes
• Santa Fe Depot (downtown) to UC San Diego: about 29 minutes
• Balboa Avenue to UC San Diego: about 11 minutes

The trolley is easier than driving for visitors staying downtown or in Old Town, and it avoids the parking fee entirely. Our getting around San Diego guide covers fares and passes.

Who UTC suits

• Families: The LEGO Store, ice skating and kid-friendly restaurants make an easy rainy-day or hot-afternoon plan.
• Food-first visitors: The restaurant lineup is the real draw, especially Din Tai Fung.
• La Jolla visitors: UTC is a short drive inland from the coast and handy for errands or a movie.
• Car-free travelers: It is one of the few major San Diego malls right at a trolley station.

Nearby pairings

From UTC it is a short drive west to the coast. Pair a morning on the La Jolla coastal walk with lunch and a movie at UTC, or visit the Birch Aquarium on the UC San Diego campus and finish with dinner at the mall. If you are mall-hopping, Fashion Valley and Westfield Mission Valley are both in Mission Valley to the south.