[QUOTE=mentulbloc;167052]Stores we should atleast have as a major city:
A&F -- Yes
Hollister -- Maybe. New York just got theirs a couple of months ago.
American Eagle -- Yes. And this isn't that expensive a store.
Also consider that a lot of people here wear clothes from the above 3 stores.
Rheul -- This is shutting down, it was a small chain, and there wasn't even one in New York, Seattle, and most other major cities.
Pottery Barn -- We've got one. Not in Center City, but still.
Restoration Hardware -- Ditto.
Crate and Barrel -- Ok, but a CB2 would work too. There's a Crate and Barrel in the suburbs.
Bloomingdales -- I agree. It could be smaller like the SoHo one. Or even that new outlet store they're planning.
Stores that need to be upgraded to showcase stores:
JCrew
Express
What's a showcase store? I think we have a really good Express. J. Crew is fine.
I'd like to see Best Buy, Levi's, Jack Spade, Marc Jacobs, and Nike.
I think Philadelphians are frugal (i.e. cheap) and not very style-conscious. All you need to do is take a walk around center city and see how the majority of folks are dressed. I really believe that if any of the stores you mention above did locate here, they wouldn't last long.
there is a couple hundred thousand people in cc + numerous surrounding colleges so i think they would do fine. even if they didn't, the fact that those brands don't chose to have at least a showcase store in philadelphia is at least somewhat insulting considering the size of the city. i personally don't wear much of anything from any of those stores but feel that major brands should have a presence in a major city. Moreover, a large city such as this should be self sufficient, where its residents don't have to trek 20 miles west to a mall or over a bridge to find an article of clothing or brand name furniture. Also these stores are somewhat "recession proof" and i highly doubt if they were present on walnut prior to 2006 the number of vacant shops today would be dramatically less. Even if they are trendy stores, they are stable, popular, retail stamps, markers of the middle to upper-middle class, and make tourists happy. Not having them in this city is silly.
The bannana republic on walnut is a showcase store - larger then most bannana's, contains nearly all the most current merchandise, and in a gorgeous building. Shops at liberty place are def not showcase stores. The express and jcrew in KOP are much nicer and have a greater selection.
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Originally Posted by Pitt
I could go for a good, new, small, classy pub that doesn't try to overdue everything and serves normal, good bar food. There's really only a couple of them in Center City if you think about it. I'm burned out on gastropub menus featuring $9 wings covered in organic coconut shavings, Philadelphia bars not having Guinness on tap, and burgers that for whatever reason come w/ buns harder than hockey pucks. Something like Deacon Brodie's in Manhattan would be perfect: Deacon Brodie's - - Hell's Kitchen - New York Magazine Bar Guide
I wouldn't mind seeing The Boyd movie house get a classy '30's era makeover. I'd also like to see a History of Philadelphia and its Peoples museum.
eldondre's point about Moriarty's and (the former) Doc Watson's is well taken; there's also The Bards near Rittenhouse Square. Both Moriarty's and The Bards have Guinness on tap, BTW.
But you are right that there aren't a lot of these sorts of places in Center City. There are a lot of college-drinker bar/restaurants, though, including the two Irish Pubs, Drinker's Pub, Noche, and Cavanaugh's on Sansom.
O'Shea's near the last of these looks like it may qualify for the former category, though I'm not sure it does.
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A toy store is definitely a good idea. I'm surprised there isn't one in CC...
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A toy store is definitely a good idea. I'm surprised there isn't one in CC...
Haven't been there, but I'm almost certain there's a sizable FAO Schwartz boutique in Wanamacy's. Is that still there, or is it a holiday season only kind of deal? If so, that's probably the default CC toy store...at least in Macy's eyes!
eldondre's point about Moriarty's and (the former) Doc Watson's is well taken; there's also The Bards near Rittenhouse Square. Both Moriarty's and The Bards have Guinness on tap, BTW.
But you are right that there aren't a lot of these sorts of places in Center City. There are a lot of college-drinker bar/restaurants, though, including the two Irish Pubs, Drinker's Pub, Noche, and Cavanaugh's on Sansom.
O'Shea's near the last of these looks like it may qualify for the former category, though I'm not sure it does.
I was thinking something along the lines of Deacon Brodie's in West Manhattan (as mentioned before), which is much smaller and classier than those places. I can't think of anything like it here - small, intimate, simple, and classy. Sometimes less is more: Deacon Brodie's - 370 W. 46th St., New York, NY
Obviously the only thing big enough to fit these two are the four towers on the corner of Broad and Washington LOL, right.
Ritz, Midway, and Abbey have all gone under this decade...I think CC REALLY would do well with a high end photo/video store. Calumet is ok but in the middle of nowhere in South Philly and has limited merchandise. Plus you got all these colleges that have to outsource stuff to NY like Medium format film etc. and BH photo.
Haven't been there, but I'm almost certain there's a sizable FAO Schwartz boutique in Wanamacy's. Is that still there, or is it a holiday season only kind of deal? If so, that's probably the default CC toy store...at least in Macy's eyes!
That became history when Toys R Us purchased FAO Schwartz last year.
I think Best Buy is possible, given that the chain is doing well. They also have stores in cities. People living in Baltimore's downtown (Mt. Vernon, Fells Point) can walk or cab it to the Best Buy which faces the Inner Harbor. But, I don't think the tourists go up there. The Best Buy is on the 3rd floor.
I don't think Nordstrom is likely. They opened in Cherry Hill, and it and PREIT were probably banking on some Philadelphia traffic crossing the bridge to Cherry Hill to support it, and not just South Jersey traffic.
Lord&Taylor hasn't opened up a single new store under its new ownership. But I've been to the Moorestown Mall Lord&Taylor often, which is in a mid-range mall. When things are on clearance, it's at decent price-points for the middle-upper class shopper. JCPenney could do well in the City. I've seen a 50,000 sq.ft. JCPenney store (Vineland NJ), so a smaller format could work if they are reluctant about returning to the city but want to test the waters. If they are expanding, they'd probably go for freestanding stores in Texas and the South. But they did open in Manhattan.
Or else Kohl's, though I prefer JCPenney. If the city got suburban Olive Garden and Ross, Kohl's isn't too much out of that category.
The Sports Authority. I don't know if they do urban stores, but the chain could take a shot here, since Foot Locker, Finish Line and Modells seem to do well.
Smaller chains that could round out the 10-25 yr old demographic:
American Eagle Outfitters
Aeropostale
Forever 21
Zumiez
PacSun
Hollister (maybe a stretch)
American Eagle Outfitters is in NJ's Burlington Center Mall, which is similar to the Gallery.
Younger demographic/semi destinational:
Disney Store
Already in the city:
GAP
Old Navy (Gallery)
Wet Seal (Gallery)
While none of these are true destinational stores, it could definitely give the comfort of almost everything you can get in the suburbs, it's available here, where one wouldn't need to leave the city as much to shop; Or families strolling on Walnut St. on the weekends could pick up what they want in Philly, eliminating a trip to the boring mall.
As for movie theaters, I'm not as sure. They'd need to charge Manhattan prices in order to keep it comfortable for the city dweller, not wanting to get overwhelmed in long lines, unmanageable bathrooms and it feeling like a Six Flags. But if its about being viable and raising revenue for the city, it's a good idea.
Last edited by dontforget; 02-09-2010 at 10:26 AM.
I wonder if our lack of downtown retail has something to do with the relative population of our downtown to the population of the city. Retailers look at statistics and say "downtown Philly already has a blah-blah-blah" if there's one in South Philly or City Line Avenue or Manyunk.
Haven't been there, but I'm almost certain there's a sizable FAO Schwartz boutique in Wanamacy's. Is that still there, or is it a holiday season only kind of deal? If so, that's probably the default CC toy store...at least in Macy's eyes!
It's gone. I found out during xmas shopping. I can't remember if the clerk said it was a universal FAO-Macy's break or just the CC store.
I wonder if our lack of downtown retail has something to do with the relative population of our downtown to the population of the city. Retailers look at statistics and say "downtown Philly already has a blah-blah-blah" if there's one in South Philly or City Line Avenue or Manyunk.
Yeah that makes sense, though there's room for something mid-range like Target or Best Buy in Center City.
What ever happened to that proposed Target at the Disneyhole? I thought that was a great idea.
Obviously the only thing big enough to fit these two are the four towers on the corner of Broad and Washington LOL, right.
Ritz, Midway, and Abbey have all gone under this decade...I think CC REALLY would do well with a high end photo/video store. Calumet is ok but in the middle of nowhere in South Philly and has limited merchandise. Plus you got all these colleges that have to outsource stuff to NY like Medium format film etc. and BH photo.
Calumet is in a horrible location and their store stock has been reduced a lot since they opened. There is still Webb Cam in Chinatown. A B&H would never make it in Philadelphia.
I was thinking something along the lines of Deacon Brodie's in West Manhattan (as mentioned before), which is much smaller and classier than those places. I can't think of anything like it here - small, intimate, simple, and classy. Sometimes less is more: Deacon Brodie's - 370 W. 46th St., New York, NY
doesn't look particularly special. many of us are glad to see the dominance of guinness fall by the way side, much rather have a cask ale than guinness. that said, decon brodie's just looks like a bar, like many in Philadelphia. I suppose Sherlock's might fit the bill, though since it's British it may or may not have guinness. sly fox makes a good stout. I suppose you like St. Stephen's quite a bit then? Of the new crop, I've been drawn to varge more and more. great beer selection, good drinks, and good food. probably the best sliders I've ever had. still, its hard to beat the old time ambience of a place like mcgillan's (except when it's crowded). moriarty's strikes me as just the kind of place you're looking for during the week. there aren't a ton of old pubs in center city AFAIK.
I'd like to see a furniture store, midrange, and perhaps a filene's basement type of store on east chestnut.
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Originally Posted by Psynema
Ritz, Midway, and Abbey have all gone under this decade...I think CC REALLY would do well with a high end photo/video store. Calumet is ok but in the middle of nowhere in South Philly and has limited merchandise. Plus you got all these colleges that have to outsource stuff to NY like Medium format film etc. and BH photo.
Ritz just reopened the store it shuttered a year or so ago in the 1300 block of Walnut Street.
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doesn't look particularly special. many of us are glad to see the dominance of guinness fall by the way side, much rather have a cask ale than guinness. that said, decon brodie's just looks like a bar, like many in Philadelphia. I suppose Sherlock's might fit the bill, though since it's British it may or may not have guinness. sly fox makes a good stout. I suppose you like St. Stephen's quite a bit then? Of the new crop, I've been drawn to varge more and more. great beer selection, good drinks, and good food. probably the best sliders I've ever had. still, its hard to beat the old time ambience of a place like mcgillan's (except when it's crowded). moriarty's strikes me as just the kind of place you're looking for during the week. there aren't a ton of old pubs in center city AFAIK.
I'd like to see a furniture store, midrange, and perhaps a filene's basement type of store on east chestnut.
Your dislike of Guinness is well documented. It's the first beer I turned to after my Keystone/Natty Light/Budweiser college years. After moving here, I got into Belgians, then craft beer. I'm done with Belgians outside the occasional Le Fin. I went back to Guinness, although I catch myself staying away from it in hotter weather for whatever reason. I still drink a lot of craft beer.
O'Hara's Stout is a good Guinness substitute. Murphy's Stout is OK. O'Reilly's Stout is just horrible, though not the worst I've had. Some strange smoked ham ale concoction by Triumph is much worse though.
I go to Brodie's a few times a year, and I've been all over Center City. There's nothing like it here. At the risk of sounding like a snob, it's simple, clean, and inexpensive, yet unpretentious, intimate, quiet, classy and upscale. I like the wood, fireplaces, couches, and size.
You called it - I do enjoy St. Stephen's Green a lot.
The next gimmick bar to open in the area should be interesting. Probably something along the lines of Ethiopian-Chinese fusion with a list of organic Belgian beer churned into slushies dispensed from vintage fire hoses hanging from the ceiling. Nobody's done that yet .
I'll have to try Bar sometime. Their gimmick is actually not having a gimmick. I think that says a lot about the recent openings. The owners did a good job with Vintage and Time.
American Girl in CC would be BIG DRAW imo.
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