Upscale Shopping: Dallas vs. Houston (rates, live, best, better)
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Big indoor malls aren't being built anymore, every development is being built as a lifestyle center that of course tries to imitate a "downtown" and is located nowhere near a real CBD... LOL
A lot of suburbs could use a CBD, though with so many companies moving outward. Plano has several fortune 500 HQs, but doesn't really have one imitation "downtown" but is semi-urban in some regards to begin with. However, Sugar Land has a town square area near city hall with mixed use retail/residential and retail/office buildings and a walking environment that has actually attracted some nice companies and lured a few away from high rises in Houston proper. Bellevue, Washington is a good example of a suburb that's "downtown" has grown enough to lose the quotation marks.
I grew UP in Texas. Central Texas to be exact. Killeen Fort Hood to be more exact. Look at my location. I know what Texas is in the summertime and I know what chicago is in the wintertime. Both are extremes. You cannot sit there and say they can't compare unless you have experienced both. The reason why there are malls is because Texas caters to the car and the A/C. Nothing more, nothing less as there are cities around the world that have extremes like Texas but have streetfront stores.
Who cares if someone walks up or drives up. That is a very pretentious point of view. Upscale shopping is upscale shopping. NorthPark Center has done a great job creating a unique shopping mall experience. There are also a lot of outdoor lifestyle center shopping areas around DFW. In Dallas proper NorthPark and Galleria are the main malls and there is plenty of outdoor shopping areas. I think theres a good mix. Every city has malls.
For Northpark being such a fine mall they sure do have some of the worst parking lots I've ever seen in a mall that upscale. They need to repave them BADLY. What good is a mall on the inside if the outside gives off a bad first impression. Pulling in the entrance a few days ago jarred my whole body & I was driving a luxury sedan.
PS I've been shopping at Northpark for many years well before the expansion/renovation.
My beef is usually the suburban style malls that cater to the car and surrounded by parking. Downtown Houston actually has a mall and it's the Pavilions and I have no problem with that development. In fact, i think Houston is the only city that has built basically a mall in it's downtown in Texas.
For Northpark being such a fine mall they sure do have some of the worst parking lots I've ever seen in a mall that upscale. They need to repave them BADLY. What good is a mall on the inside if the outside gives off a bad first impression. Pulling in the entrance a few days ago jarred my whole body & I was driving a luxury sedan.
PS I've been shopping at Northpark for many years well before the expansion/renovation.
True, the parking garage near Neimans and Dillards really needs an upgrade and why is that mall surrounded by huge parking lots? Either go big or go home amirite?
Who cares if someone walks up or drives up. That is a very pretentious point of view. Upscale shopping is upscale shopping. NorthPark Center has done a great job creating a unique shopping mall experience. There are also a lot of outdoor lifestyle center shopping areas around DFW. In Dallas proper NorthPark and Galleria are the main malls and there is plenty of outdoor shopping areas. I think theres a good mix. Every city has malls.
Just to end it, you like suburban environments and I like urban environments. There's nothing urban about Northpark or the Galleria and lifestyle centers are suburban style places that pretend to be urban. Nothing wrong with these just a preference. But most of the best upscale shopping districts are not necessarily inside a shopping mall. They are usually on the streetfront. Oh and there's nothing pretentious about it either.
I just recently learned that the Giorgio Armani store at Northpark closed. While I still think Dallas has better overall shopping than Houston, I find it interesting that we couldn't maintain a store that Houston has had for quite some time. In fact, this is the second time a Giorgio Armani store has come to DFW and closed. We had one at Willowbend that closed 5 or 6 years ago. Any idea why Armani can't survice heare in Dallas but appears to work in Houston.
I just recently learned that the Giorgio Armani store at Northpark closed. While I still think Dallas has better overall shopping than Houston, I find it interesting that we couldn't maintain a store that Houston has had for quite some time. In fact, this is the second time a Giorgio Armani store has come to DFW and closed. We had one at Willowbend that closed 5 or 6 years ago. Any idea why Armani can't survice heare in Dallas but appears to work in Houston.
Yes it opened in Willowbend as a Collezioni and if I recall correctly it was downgraded to a Emporio store before closing. Giorgio Armani at Northpark was open for less than 3 years, Houston has had both Emporio and Giorgio Armani stores for years.
Last edited by Brody_1008; 05-27-2010 at 11:41 AM..
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