National Harbor - News, Events, Updates, Questions and Developments Etc. (shopping mall, rail)

[choccity]

Tanger Outlet is great, but PG county is in full force and parking in the parking lot near the outlet mall can be tricky at best. PG directs you the other two over flow parking lots and you have a little walk to the outlet mall. There is minimal places to eat, this is for shopping only. Laid out just like Tanger Outlet in SC. About 100 stores, get in shop, get out. No frills, you wanna eat go to National Harbor.

[UrbanScholar]

Originally Posted by choccity

Tanger Outlet is great, but PG county is in full force and parking in the parking lot near the outlet mall can be tricky at best. PG directs you the other two over flow parking lots and you have a little walk to the outlet mall. There is minimal places to eat, this is for shopping only. Laid out just like Tanger Outlet in SC. About 100 stores, get in shop, get out. No frills, you wanna eat go to National Harbor.

Yeah that's what they wanted. I think that as people get used to the format going to and from the harbor during their visit to the outlet will be part of the norm.

[UrbanScholar]

I was driving through the NH this evening and saw that a new restaurant is coming. Called The Walrus & the Carpenter Oyster Bar it appears to be a Seattle based seafood restaurant also located in Boston. From the looks of it it will be located where the Ketchup used to be. It will probably open in the Spring. Below are a few links related to it.

From their about page:

The Walrus and the Carpenter blends the elegance of France with the casual comfort of a local fishing pub. “The idea is to serve the highest quality food and drink in a space that is stripped of pretense and feels like home.”

About : the Walrus and the Carpenter : an Oyster Bar in Seattle

The Walrus And The Carpenter-great seafood. - Review of The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle, WA - TripAdvisor

The Walrus & the Carpenter Oyster Bar - Boston, MA | Yelp

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by UrbanScholar

I was driving through the NH this evening and saw that a new restaurant is coming. Called The Walrus & the Carpenter Oyster Bar it appears to be a Seattle based seafood restaurant also located in Boston. From the looks of it it will be located where the Ketchup used to be. It will probably open in the Spring. Below are a few links related to it.

From their about page:



About : the Walrus and the Carpenter : an Oyster Bar in Seattle

The Walrus And The Carpenter-great seafood. - Review of The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle, WA - TripAdvisor

The Walrus & the Carpenter Oyster Bar - Boston, MA | Yelp

Sounds awesome. I love seafood. I've been wanting to try McLoone's Pier House for a while now. I will definitely try to make it before the year is out. I think nabbing a Seattle restaurant that isn't a national chain is nice. It's what I talk about when I say I want unique offerings that you can't find elsewhere in the DC metro area. That helps bring people in who might not otherwise come. I'll drive to great distances for great seafood. :-)

[UrbanScholar]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Sounds awesome. I love seafood. I've been wanting to try McLoone's Pier House for a while now. I will definitely try to make it before the year is out. I think nabbing a Seattle restaurant that isn't a national chain is nice. It's what I talk about when I say I want unique offerings that you can't find elsewhere in the DC metro area. That helps bring people in who might not otherwise come. I'll drive to great distances for great seafood. :-)

I agree. It does provide an opportunity to create an option not seen else. The same goes for the other restaurant coming in the spring. I am not a fan of oysters but the theme of the restaurant is promising. They have a few spaces that could house additional restaurants and retail. That said I wonder if we will see more announcements over the next few months.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by UrbanScholar

I agree. It does provide an opportunity to create an option not seen else. The same goes for the other restaurant coming in the spring. I am not a fan of oysters but the theme of the restaurant is promising. They have a few spaces that could house additional restaurants and retail. That said I wonder if we will see more announcements over the next few months.

Look for a sharp uptick announcements if MGM gets the bid. The potential foot traffic would be too good to pass up with Tanger and MGM within the same mile. Next year should be a busy year.

[UrbanScholar]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Look for a sharp uptick announcements if MGM gets the bid. The potential foot traffic would be too good to pass up with Tanger and MGM within the same mile. Next year should be a busy year.

That is the hope. They do need to get a couple of really strong anchors in both the food and the retail category since both are reviewed as mediocre for the prices charged. If they pulled a few branded stores like a Armani Exchange, Jimmy Choo, Versace, or Tiffany for retail and a Ruth Chris, Morton's, or a jazz supper club featuring a great chef. they would go a long way in improving the perceptions of their options. The opening of Tanger helped but people (for the moment) still look at them as separate entities. That may change as people get used to thinking of it as one complex but that's how it is at the moment. As has been stated before, NH could also benefit from some type of upscale movie theater to draw people in during off cycles.

[UrbanScholar]

This article provided some sound advice to those braving shopping expeditions during this season. Especially those heading out to the National Harbor and/or Tysons.

For those who can’t get it all done on Cyber Monday or who just need to see
stuff before they buy it, here are some survival tips for holiday shopping
travel in the D.C. region.

Tips on handling holiday shopping traffic

[Fast GTO]

I headed out to Tanger again today. The lack of food options is an issue. The average shopper doesn't want to get back in their car in the middle of shopping to head down to NH. For the traveling tourist visiting NH, sure, but not for locals who are likely to pick one or the other (either here for NH or for the shopping at Tanger).


This is the third time I've been to Tanger and there is a line out the door for Johnny Rockets...meaning people would rather hang out for 15-20 minutes for that crappy food instead of going down to NH.

[UrbanScholar]

Originally Posted by Fast GTO

I headed out to Tanger again today. The lack of food options is an issue. The average shopper doesn't want to get back in their car in the middle of shopping to head down to NH. For the traveling tourist visiting NH, sure, but not for locals who are likely to pick one or the other (either here for NH or for the shopping at Tanger).


This is the third time I've been to Tanger and there is a line out the door for Johnny Rockets...meaning people would rather hang out for 15-20 minutes for that crappy food instead of going down to NH.

They are going to have to consider some closer alternatives to stave off some of the response that they have gotten so far.. Maybe food carts/stations like they are doing with Chik Fila. According to reviews online, most Tangers don't offer a wide variety of food options and prefer to optimize their retail offerings.

Peronally, not having a bonifide food court is not a biggie for me since I don't stay at a shopping mall/center/whatever to get hungry but can understand that others have different needs. I don't think there will ever be an extensive option onsite but do believe that options will be built near the center (e.g. Harborview Center, MGM, etc). Remember they really want to promote the restaurants at the harbor and extend the stay of visitors. They are definitely noticing though. There was a sign across the street pointing out that NH has over 30 food options. That's not going to help those that want to eat and shop in close proximity.