The Avenue outdoor mall, Viera

The Avenue is an upscale outdoor mall in Viera. Viera is an area that used to be farmland and has been developed with cookie cutter houses. Everything is new and pleasant. The Avenue has some great options for food such as Panera Bread and Olive Tree Greek Grill, both with outdoor seating. There is a cool coffee shop called Bold Cup Coffee, which has a large space for hanging out, and a Cold Stone Creamery ice cream shop. Books-A-Million is a bookstore here though the dreary lighting and layout of the store takes away from the great toys and books inside. There is a Claire's jewelry store which kids always love to go to.

The best part about The Avenue is the inner courtyard where there are strung lights, palm trees, and a fountain. The atmosphere is lovely. On Thursday nights there is live music here. Another nice thing about this mall are the flowers and sculptures everywhere. 
If it's sunset time, drive or walk around Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands, also called Viera Wetlands. You will see amazing birds and alligators from the dirt road (watch out because both cars and pedestrians use this path- too bad it's not a boardwalk for just pedestrians). If you pop in to Viera Discovery Center in this mall they can give you a map with pictures of all the birds you may spot- the center is run by Viera Builders, the developers of this planned community.
Another great place nearby is Brevard Zoo, which has super play areas for the kids. And there is a walking path called Brevard Zoo Linear Park where all the locals go to jog and bike- it is free. Another walking path is Viera Nature Trail, which starts at 803 Thrasher Drive in the northern neighborhood of Heron's Landing. It goes over some water and an island, for a mile- stay tuned for when I try it out.

Directions

The Avenue is located at 2271 Town Center Ave #117, Melbourne, FL 32940. There is plenty of free parking.

Click on map for interactive view