Phipps plaza, Lenox mall, streets of buckhead, midtown mile (Roswell: sales, insurance)

[atlantaATL]

Whats ups guys what do you guys think of these malls and up and coming retail destination. I really Like lenox because they have my favorite stores like Zara, Club Monaco, Diesal, and bloomingdales, and phipps i Love the Barneys, Valentino ,Gucci , Theory, and the armani exchange stores

[GF72]

Lenox and Phipps are not up and coming. Lenox is like 60 years old and was the first major shopping mall in Georgia (and the largest). Phipps Plaza has been a destination shopping center for high-wealth southerners for the last 50 years.

Streets of Buckhead is "up and coming" only in the sense that it is new, but it's just a continuation of Lenox/Phipps established shopper base and they are plopping it down in one of the richest places in the country. Buckhead zip code 30327 was listed by Forbes as in the top ten highest income zip codes in the country (ahead of Bev. Hills 90210 if you can believe it) and it was the highest population zip code in the top 10, like 5 times more people than the number 1 zip code.

[Iconographer]

Location, location, location.
Yes, Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza are old...but they have re-invented themselves and will continue to for decades to come. They will be around for a long time.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Location, location, location.
Yes, Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza are old...but they have re-invented themselves and will continue to for decades to come. They will be around for a long time.

Yep, yep, Mrs. Decatur!

[meadgrad]

IMO - Lenox and Phipps are just malls with nice stores...malls are not that memorable really..to me.

Buckhead will be okay...but as its all built at once by one designer, its going to have a bit too much of an atlantic station feeling.

to me Midtown will have the best "real" feel to it as its not just one big design...more like a New York or Chicago than what could be accomplished anywhere else.

in the end they will all be successful though I think, as they appeal to different crowds, the malls for the suburbanites, Buckhead for the Betties, and Midtown for the young hipsters!

[GF72]

Originally Posted by meadgrad

IMO - Lenox and Phipps are just malls with nice stores...malls are not that memorable really..to me.

The funny part is Lenox was originally open air when it was built. They only turned it into an enclosed shopping mall to stay competitive with all the new suburban shopping malls that started popping up everywhere.

[johnatl]

Actually, they enclosed the mall as a condition of Nieman Marcus locating there. They insisted on it.

[jsimms3]

Well SOB (Streets of Buckhead) is actually a compilation of designs. For the most part it is being built all at once, but there are many different architects that have come up with a new design for each building. I have seen the plans and the renderings, and know one of the developing partners. You will be impressed, trust me! As for midtown mile, I live in midtown. I of course am most excited for this one. However, it is not going to happen any time soon. The stores going in 1010 are your typical nail salon, laundry, etc, a couple chains, nothing special. Universal gear is just another higher end store in the base of metropolis closing. The reason why? Lack of sales and large scale thefts. Sadly but truly there is more crime here which is a major deterrent, and not coincidentally many NOLA hurricane victims this year were the culprits. Right now the only services that are keeping midtown "en vogue" are the new trendy hotels with two more about to open up, and their restaurants. But let's keep our fingers crossed for the new president to bring us out of this mess and get the economy rolling again, because you see, after the last boom all the developers bought all the parcels and closed such favorites such as Jocks and Jills sports bar, etc. So now we have properties waiting for the next boom.

[GF72]

Yeah I don't know why people think SOB will be generic like Atlantic Station. It's a whole different level, when you're dealing with such a wealthy consumer base and important location you aren't going to screw around with the generic crap.

[Atlanta Natv]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

...the developers bought all the parcels and closed such favorites such as Jocks and Jills sports bar, etc.

Jocks & Jill’s closed because of two sexual harassment lawsuits hit them one right after the next and cost them about $4 mil in settlements. I was in the process of working with them on their insurance when this happened, and there certainly wasn't much that could be done. They unfortunately didn't see the need for EPLI coverage which would have protected them in court and would have helped them sustain their business.

Another sad part of the story is that one of the partners also owned Frankie's sports bar off Roswell Rd. and the financial impact of these lawsuits forced him to shut it down as well.