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Really hope the move doesnt turn out to have been a mistake. I'd never been there, but seems they were quite popular (or at least well-regarded) at their previous location off Western.
Hopefully they can keep their loyal customers and draw in some new ones from the mall, but don't know if that'll be enough to offset the cost of moving into the mall.
As the nearby senior community (across the parking lot from D&B) tenants move in, there should be some steady new business for the bakery!
However, a mall cannot survive on walkers buying coffee and pastries.
Furniture place had a couple customers browsing!
It's my go-to exercise place for bad weather days. Inside, if you walk the entire perimeter, keeping to the right it is about 1.2 miles. I see the same group of seniors real often. Wi-fi is decent.
Also, there often is a group of escorted handicapped folks in wheelchairs and some are blind, with walking sticks and I regularly see them as well.
Yesterday, there was quite a mix, with military recruiters having lunch and about a dozen in hijabs walking the mall.
We've been here 7 years. It wasn't great when we moved here, but serviceable. It's a fairly old mall and Crabtree dominates as the premier spot in the area. I also think Crossroads being so close kind of dilutes CTC's impact.
Throw in the shift away from indoor malls as seen by the North Hills revival, and then Park West is really the nail in the coffin...momentum has shifted and they didn't keep up. It's not exactly in the high-rent area of Cary either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StAndroid
I remember when CTC opened it's major expansion in the early 90's - it was so exciting! I was a tween at the time and it seemed so cool and hip and was closer to our house in Fuquay than Crabtree.
Over the years it just seemed to not be able to keep up with the other malls in the area, and took economic slumps a little harder than the others. Honestly, I think Crabtree is such a powerhouse force in the area that it's hard for ANY other mall to make a dent. Despite the traffic, Crabtree is and has been the king of malls around here.
I mean, besides South Point, (which is arguably just a little "too far" or just outside of people in Raleigh's radar) what other mall is actually doing well besides Crabtree? CTC and TTC are both dying though they boomed in the beginning and the other malls (South Hills, etc) were failing before the CTC and TTC opened.
South Hills and Crossroads aren't malls. Far from malls, btw.
Cary deserves better.
I despise malls, but I have no idea why you all don't want a shopping "destination" in Cary/Morrisville or West Raleigh.
And Park West???! ... c'mon now. *smh*
Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenblade
I've actually been going to CTC more now that I have a one year old. Although the mall is dated looking, the new indoor playground is wonderful! Parking is always easy. Skylark Tailors does a great job with alterations at a low price-- only $8 to have pants/jeans hemmed! The train ride and carousel, plus Gymboree, are nice draws for people with little kids. Sometimes I buy things from Toy City to support the store, even though the prices are so-so. It's also nice to see the outlets for The Limited and NY&Co., although my kids keep me from being able to browse much there. The Beyoutiful Butterfly consignment store has some awesome deals too, although they didn't want any of my designer clothes. I once saw 7 for All Mankind jeans for only $17 there.
I wish the food options were better though. The food at Ali Baba? sounds healthy, but tastes mediocre, especially in comparison to Neomonde's food. The last time I tried to order from the Mexican place at the food court, no one was at the front and another customer and I quit waiting and left after over 5 minutes. Looking forward to supporting this new bakery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nocturna5
I'll take a locally-owned bakery over Cinnabon any day! I haven't been to the Cary Mall in over a year, but I'll stop by for a sweet treat.
Thank you two for being optimistic. Yes the mall is on tough times, but this should be celebrated. This is someone's bakery business and they chose CTC, so I hope it does well. I'll drop in next time I go to CTC.
South Hills and Crossroads aren't malls. Far from malls, btw.
Cary deserves better.
I despise malls, but I have no idea why you all don't want a shopping "destination" in Cary/Morrisville or West Raleigh.
And Park West???! ... c'mon now. *smh*
I didn't say Crossroads was a mall. But it's a massive area and is the center of gravity for shopping in the immediate vicinity.
Also don't get your Park West reaction...not a mall, but they're stealing stores from CTC, which is accelerating the mall's slide.
And who is saying they don't want a shopping destination? We DO want one, but CTC isn't one anymore. Given the competition (malls and otherwise), they're going to need a massive revamp to make it a destination again.
I didn't say Crossroads was a mall. But it's a massive area and is the center of gravity for shopping in the immediate vicinity.
Also don't get your Park West reaction...not a mall, but they're stealing stores from CTC, which is accelerating the mall's slide.
And who is saying they don't want a shopping destination? We DO want one, but CTC isn't one anymore. Given the competition (malls and otherwise), they're going to need a massive revamp to make it a destination again.
Park West is a glorified shopping center to me ... and from what I've seen, folks want everything but a shopping destination. Countless threads have been made on ctc, and most are talking about alternatives other than shopping.
Park West is a glorified shopping center to me ... and from what I've seen, folks want everything but a shopping destination. Countless threads have been made on ctc, and most are talking about alternatives other than shopping.
Not my recollection at all...shopping is very high on the wish list it seems, but has to be more than just that. People have suggested something like North Hills or Southpoint, or an Ikea (I'm so-so on that one for this spot), etc. Shopping is fine, but it has to be the modern experience of "shopping plus" that people have come to expect. Open-air walkability, public spaces for gatherings and concerts, perhaps some office and residential mixed in to keep things lively throughout the day, etc.
Park West is a glorified shopping center in many regards, but it's adding some of the residential component too. Some areas of it have the North Hills-like environment it seems people would like for CTC, but others are more traditional shopping center.
Ok guys, I went to CTC and tried out the new bakery, thanks to the posting here, and it is AWESOME!!! Everyone must go and try out all their delicacies! There was a huge array of scrumptious triangular cakes, about 15 different flavors, and mounds of cookies, croissants, and other pastries. I heard a man saying how good the croissants were, so I bought a chocolate one, in addition to a slice of black forest cake and a cup of coffee. The young lady working there was friendly and chatty. She said everything was made fresh daily from scratch. The cake was good and fresh, a little too sweet for my liking due to the abundance of chocolate curls on top, but the chocolate croissant was the absolute BEST I have ever had. I'm talking 10 times better than what you'd get at Panera Bread or Starbucks. Wow! Can you tell I really liked it? If I had a party or work meeting, I would buy them by the bagful. So much for losing weight. I'll definitely be going to this bakery every time I visit CTC. My son also gobbled up bits that I allowed him to have. Next time, we might have to each get one.
As for the rest of the mall-- disappointed that Jets Coffee has closed down (although their food was stale; guess it's hard to make a profit on coffee drinks), as well as Ann Taylor Loft, Justice, Structure, C3 (that was an odd store with lots of knick knacks), the snack place near the carousel, Macy's, ..... that was a ton of stores that all shut down in less than 6 months. Also the house decor place that was near Macy's and the food court-- Kirklands maybe? I can't remember the name. The new furniture store where Sears used to be seems pretty nice with good prices. Some of the furniture didn't even have price tags on them, but we were just browsing anyway.
Limited Outlet has some terrific deals on their clearance, all the way in the back right of the store. Everything is an extra 50% off. So I got work pants for $10 and a sweater for $8.50. Great deals all around.
Last edited by goldenblade; 05-20-2016 at 09:54 AM..
Reason: added store
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Far from malls, btw.
... c'mon now. *smh*
