Is Bridge St the Shopping Destination of AL? (sale, buy)

[financelife]

Or the South like some have stated?

Just wanted to know everyone's opinion. I visited there and shopped there, but didn't like the waste of water. Just seemed like water was there for no reason really. I liked some of the shops and restaurants were good, but I felt like they could have been located anywhere else. What do you all think?

Was it overhyped last year?

[ionlife]

the stores are too pricey for a lot of people here--i like them -- but on sale only haha
the water is really nice when it is HOT. the kids play in the spouts and have fun. it's very nice to listen to the fountain...

[boilrmkr]

Maybe that water gets recycled

[Charles]

Originally Posted by financelife

I visited there and shopped there, but didn't like the waste of water. Just seemed like water was there for no reason really.

The water (assuming the original poster is referring to the artificial lake) creates a eye pleasing effect against the suburban landscape. It also serves as a noise buffer zone. It's pretty. It provides a medium on which to provide gondola ride service.

[Katsmeeyow]

I have only seen pictures, but it is really pretty! i can't wait to get there and take a gondola ride! What a wonderful idea!

[Southlander]

LOL! Hardly. It's just a shopping center. Big deal. It IS prettier than most. And relax. There's plenty more water where that came from. But I expect that in a few years they'll get rid of the big pond. It will prove too expensive to maintain and repair.

[zenjenn]

I don't thinks it's "the" shopping destination at all. I think it's more of a recreation destination. Not that I know anything, but I suspect that if they had more "fun" stores and less high-end clothing stores they'd be more profitable - for example, a Hallmark Shop, Build-a-Bear, a Christian book and gift store, Libby Liu, novel candy and ice cream parlor, etc.

To me it's a place to go and enjoy the atmosphere and maybe buy something fun, not to shop for clothes. I feel a disconnect with the atmosphere and the shops. A few clothing stores would be ok, but it seems like that's almost all that's there.

[ionlife]

Disconnected is true--love the idea of fun stores... wish they'd do that, too.

[financelife]

Yeah, I spent about $700 on jewelry at that Swarovski (sp?). I saw the water spouts with kids splashing around, and I thought that was nice, although a bit out of place. To me, it didn't fit there because I'm not going to drive to Bridge St just to let my toddler splash around. It would be cool to have that sort of thing somewhere else with other features.

I didn't think about the lake being a sound buffer. That's a neat idea. The gondola is cheezy. Where does it take you? It might be cool if it was like Venice, and the gondola could take you to the different shops. If the gondola just takes you back and forth on a fake lake, then what is the point? I think it's a waste of water.

I liked being outside to walk to the shops, and it's probably cheaper to the property owners since less space to heat/cool. The only thing was I had a chemical peel the weekend before so I didn't want to stay in the sun too long.

Is Bridge St completed? Or will there be more to it later?

[vakinderegg]

There are a couple of shop I shop at, but we take our 4 year old to the carousel and for a cotton candy flavored snow cone for a reward. For $5 we can enjoy an afternoon or an evening walking around the mall, playing in the water , and sometimes listening or watching all the people or listen to someone playing music. I love the waterways.....almost feels like an European City!