Does anyone here enjoy going to Sunset Place? (theater, shops)

[bale002]

Originally Posted by tallrick

It is going the way of the Bakery Center. All predicted by me when it was redeveloped. They will tear down Sunset place and build a larger, equally obsolete center in the future. Very predictable.

Here is an excerpt from a recent article in South Florida Business Journal:

Chris Weilminster, executive VP of Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), said the hardest thing to do is deliver a large retail space all at once, so his company prefers to do projects in phases. Working with local partners Comras Co. and Grass River Partners, Federal Realty acquired CocoWalk and Shops of Sunset Place in 2015, and plans to redevelop them. Weilminster said his focus is to provide a retail experience and public space that serves the community. "We aren't satisfied by the tenant mix there. Sunset has great demographics around it, and we want to create a tenant mix that is different from Dadeland.”

We all know that tallrick has no confidence and he has his reasons.

Does anyone have confidence in this?

[Sugah Ray]

Originally Posted by tallrick

It is going the way of the Bakery Center. All predicted by me whan it was redeveloped. They will tear down Sunset place and build a larger, equally obsolete center in the future. Very predictable.

You have been saying that for years.

Originally Posted by bale002

Here is an excerpt from a recent article in South Florida Business Journal:

Does anyone have confidence in this?

I don't know what they are planning to do. I think people avoid this place because of parking.

Maybe it does need to be demolished again, at least part of it to make it more walkable from the metrorail station. This place looks awful and uninviting from US1. All you see is dark parking garages. If there was a pedestrian bridge on US1 I think it would make a big difference too.

I go there to the movie theaters only. I really don't mind even when I have to pay a small fee for parking because the theaters are much nicer and the people tend to be less ghetto. I usually pay $1.50 when they movie exceeds whatever time they validate your parking ticket for.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Wordsmith12

I know people grumble over the fact that Sunset Place charges for parking. (Some of my friends avoid it for this reason alone.) The mall also has a limited number of stores and restaurants.

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I still enjoy coming here. My wife and I like going to Barnes and Noble and reading for an hour or two over coffee before catching a movie at the theater. If we're in the mood for something more lively, we amble over to Game Stop and/or Splitsville.

I agree that this mall isn't the best place in town for shopping. That's what Dadeland is for. As for restaurants, there are a couple of good ones within walking distance, including Panera Bread.

I would much rather pay for parking and find a parking space in a matter of minutes than not have to pay but be forced to chase after people for a spot, as is the case at the ridiculously crowded Dolphin Mall.

We also come here religiously for movies. The theaters are clean and well-maintained. (Unfortunately, I can't say the same for some of the bathrooms.)

I think Sunset Place appeals to those who appreciate a relaxed atmosphere in a cozy, not-so-crowded mall. Anchored by LA Fitness, Splitsville, Barnes and Noble, and GameTime, you can easily spend a whole day there.

Given its small scale, I don't think this mall was ever intended for those who wish to people watch or linger around, as people often do at Dadeland and Dolphin. Instead, it's for people who come here with something specific in mind, whether it's to read, bowl, or catch a flick.

I read that Simon Property Group sold Sunset Place to a joint venture last year. It'll be interesting to see whether the goal will be to attract tenants that appeal to different age groups (Ann Taylor, Saks), not just the 20- and 30-something crowd (Forever 21). I have a feeling they'll try turning it into a CocoWalk of sorts.

What do you think of Sunset Place? If parking were free, would you be willing to go there more often? How do you compare it to the two aforementioned malls?

I remember when Sunset Place first opened years ago, it was a popular hangout place for teenagers. I don't know if they charged for parking then-I do seem to remember paying for it later on, but you'd see lines of cars in the front with parents dropping their teenyboppers off, so I guess they didn't worry about parking charges.

It was the clientele, sooooooooo many teenagers, and IMO the inconvenient location that kept me away from the place when we lived in Miami.

[UrbanCrossroads]

Originally Posted by bale002

Weilminster said his focus is to provide a retail experience and public space that serves the community. "We aren't satisfied by the tenant mix there. Sunset has great demographics around it, and we want to create a tenant mix that is different from Dadeland.”

I'm not quite sure what he's trying to say with that (about the demographics). Are they gonna try to cater to the upper echelon of the sunset crowd? Because remember, "the community" includes poor folk who live on the other side of US1, as well as poor folk who take the metrorail to go to the theater and other places within the mall.

[Wordsmith12]

I live in Kendale Lakes, so the closest theater to me is really Regal Kendall Village Stadium. Still, I make the drive to Sunset Place for movies.

So why would I continue to go to Sunset despite having to (1) pay for parking and (2) fork over more money for gas?

Like I said earlier, I do it for a better experience.

I deal with traffic and crowded stores/restaurants every day in the West Kendall area. There isn't as much hustle and bustle in South Miami, nor at Sunset Place for that matter. Instead, you get more of a relaxed vibe in there.

Honestly, I don't like going to Regal Kendall Village Stadium. Aside from the huge crowds there, the place has the feel of a musty office building. To me, it just isn't as cozy and inviting as Sunset Place. The latter looks and feels like an Italian village, and I like the fact it's an outdoor mall. You just don't see many of those in Florida.

If you're the kind of person who wants to be in the heart of the action, I suppose Kendall Village is for you. I, on the other hand, prefer fewer people and a more laid-back atmosphere. I feel it's worth paying a few extra bucks for.

[tallrick]

I live in the boondocks next to the abandoned railroad right of way to Copeland Florida. There is no movie theater within miles. However, a friend has set up a home theater in a garage that is far better than anything I have seen. Of course, I have not gone to a movie since the 1990's. In my home I have been planning to install two bowling lanes where the storage containers now sit. So eventually I will have bowling and a movie within walking distance. Sunset drive was narrowed from 4 to two lanes to help create a traffic jam that would make the area look more popular. This was a trend that was done to places including Homestead. Luckily money is available for essentially no cost to allow developers to constantly build and demolish structures in the hopes of making a profit. Meanwhile out here things remain relatively stable. Yes even out here we have Amazon, Ebay and all manner of websites to buy from. Entertainment is where you find it, and you can do things that are not available in the city. I have been curious since Splitsville opened but every time I have been near Sunset Place I lost the desire to actually go in there and check it out. So instead Don Carter's lanes 35 and 36 will be at my home, along with my pinball machines and pool table. Friends from Loxahatchee, Homestead/Redland, and more populated areas are willing to drive 1.5 hours or more just to visit me, as I do to them. You will waste just as much time driving across Miami to get to South Miami.

[hurricaneMan1992]

When I go down there, I go to Dadeland Mall instead because you don't have to cross US1 from the Metrorail. To give you an idea, UM has to run a shuttle bus from campus to Sunset Place (which is actually just a 20 minute walk...) because students get killed trying to cross US1! So access by car is not the best, neither is transit access. An overpass would make Sunset Place and Sunset Drive a much more attractive place to go after work and spend an evening. Parking probably will never be free because otherwise they'd be overrun with people going to Sunset Drive and elsewhere in the downtown South Miami area. But the least they can do is better tap in to the Metrorail station located 100 ft away. And give people who validate at the movie theater more free time to hang out. I for one actually find Sunset Drive and surrounding streets more pleasant to walk around than Brickell.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by Wordsmith12

I live in Kendale Lakes, so the closest theater to me is really Regal Kendall Village Stadium. Still, I make the drive to Sunset Place for movies.

So why would I continue to go to Sunset despite having to (1) pay for parking and (2) fork over more money for gas?

Like I said earlier, I do it for a better experience.

I deal with traffic and crowded stores/restaurants every day in the West Kendall area. There isn't as much hustle and bustle in South Miami, nor at Sunset Place for that matter. Instead, you get more of a relaxed vibe in there.

Honestly, I don't like going to Regal Kendall Village Stadium. Aside from the huge crowds there, the place has the feel of a musty office building. To me, it just isn't as cozy and inviting as Sunset Place. The latter looks and feels like an Italian village, and I like the fact it's an outdoor mall. You just don't see many of those in Florida.

If you're the kind of person who wants to be in the heart of the action, I suppose Kendall Village is for you. I, on the other hand, prefer fewer people and a more laid-back atmosphere. I feel it's worth paying a few extra bucks for.

If I lived in west Kendall, I'd definitely make the drive and pay for parking to avoid somewhere like Regal Kendall Village. In the end, it's only a few dollars for a much better experience. But of course, I wouldn't be going out "just for the movie" either--lots of other stuff going on, but it's not as congested (or as far) as, say, Brickell or South Beach.

[valicky]

The trick to Kendall Regal is not going when the movie first comes out. Wait two weeks and you'll have the theater to yourself. I've been doing this for years and have never been in a crowded theater. I also, never go out on Friday and Saturday night regardless, unless someone's birthday falls on that day. Then we'll choose a non-popular pplace to go.

I don't feel the need to see a movie right when it comes out. It's the same movie two weeks later.

[perry335654]

Originally Posted by valicky

The trick to Kendall Regal is not going when the movie first comes out. Wait two weeks and you'll have the theater to yourself. I've been doing this for years and have never been in a crowded theater. I also, never go out on Friday and Saturday night regardless, unless someone's birthday falls on that day. Then we'll choose a non-popular pplace to go.

I don't feel the need to see a movie right when it comes out. It's the same movie two weeks later.

Yea, who says you have to go to first-run movies.