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If you haven't been to the Santa Monica Place mall in the last few years, you're in for a surprise.

The original enclosed mall, which was featured in several Hollywood movies, was mostly demolished in 2008, as part of a major $265 million renovation.

In 2010, Santa Monica Place reopened as an open-air shopping venue, with a much sleeker, more sophisticated appearance. The center now opens directly into the adjacent Third Street Promenade.

Likewise the mall's selection of stores and restaurants has also been upgraded. Anchor stores are now Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, and notable shops include Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Kitson, Kenneth Cole and Hugo Boss.

There's also a new third-level Dining Deck.

Besides an ocean view, it features a number of white tablecloth restaurants, as well as "The Market" - a sort of high-tech artisan food court, offering everything from baked goods to imported cheeses.

Santa Monica (for the uninitiated) boasts the main beach serving upscale West Los Angeles, so as you might expect, the city gets its fair share of Hollywood luminaries . 

Stars who have made their home in the city include Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood, Christian Bale, Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson, Owen Wilson, Mel Brooks, Carson Daly, Jeff Bridges, Jane Fonda, Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Sutherland, Marg Helgenberger, Ted Danson and Tom Selleck.

Dozens more live just beyond its borders in Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Brentwood. So it's not surprising that they would turn up here.

Celebs spotted soon after the new mall opened include Owen Wilson, David Beckam, Sofia Vergara, Paris Hilton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tori Spelling, chef Gordon Ramsay, Giuliana & Bill Rancic, and NBA star Kris Humphries.

Actress/pop star Selena Gomez performed a free concert at the mall, in June 2010.

You can see the video of her Santa Monica Place performance right here:

The original Santa Monica Place mall was built back in 1980 as a three story, enclosed mall, at the south end of the popular Third Street Promenade, and a short walk from the Santa Monica Pier.

It was designed by renowned architect, Frank Gehry, who later created Disney Hall (although the old mall had none of the flair of that landmark building).

As seen in the screencap to the left, the old mall's north entrance was featured in the 1982 smash hit "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."  It played the Ridgemont Mall in the movie.  (But only for the exterior shots. The film's interior scenes were filmed inside the now-defunct food court at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.)