Why the lack of Restaurants & shops in Brickell? (Miami: sales, mover)

[NomadicMe]

I've spent a decent amount of time walking around Brickell (since it's one of the locations I'm considering). There are some restaurants around Mary Brickell Village - but that's really about it. A few scattered here and there otherwise. Yet, with all the buildings and growth around I'd think there would be more? Do you think they will start to come in... or is this it?

As for shops and boutiques... nada. Well, of course you have the new city center with all those inside mall shops I suppose. But walking the streets, nada. Perhaps people just don't walk about in Brickell? Or is it just too soon (i.e, they just finished building up all the towers and now that demand is here, the shops will come?)

[AnnRyan]

I actually think it really has to do with style. Most of the buildings were built in Brickell in the time when the style was to have either a residential building or a commercial building, and not one with mixed use. It's harder to finance the mixed use ones.

But I totally agree. The "new urban" approach which has commercial on the first floor and residential above makes areas a lot more liveable. Where do you find that in Miami... Doral. We've got three developments using that approach - Downtown Doral, Midtown Doral, and CityPlace. Now if we could just build some public transit.

[elchevere]

I live in the vicinity of 10th and Brickell Avenue, rely upon restaurants to eat (as I have not cooked since 1987), and find there is no shortage of restaurants within easy walking distance from where I live....when I want a little variety and even more options, downtown is just a 15 minute walk away and/or Coral Way, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Midtown, and SoBe are within a 7 - 20 minute drive.

As far as shops, sure--there is no Target, Nordstroms, Office Depot, or big box electronics (Best Buy) within Brickell but there is a downtown Macy's within a 20 minute walk and/or Midtown Shops or Shops at Merrick Park within a 13-15 minute drive.

[pierrekid]

Are you serious? There are hundreds of restaurants within the downtown brickell area. I've eaten at a new restaurant every week for the past year and change. Now if you are comparing it to New York I understand. But in general there are tons of restaurants. Just walk down all the side streets, Brickell key, west Brickell, Brickell ave etc...

[Marc Middleton]

Yeah, there's definitely no shortgage of restaurants in Brickell. Sure Mary Brickell has most of them, but there are more down the road around 12th & 13th as well as some really exciting new spots to eat inside CityCentre, some with great outdoor terraces. You also have high end restaurants in side some of the nicer condo buildings.

The shopping is lacking, that's true. CityCentre helped a little but still most of those stores are very pricey but at least you get an apple store.

When we wanted to 'shop' living downtown, we got on the MetroMover to Brickell (free) then got on the MetroRail to Dadeland mall ($2.50) and went shopping.

Remember before 2012, Brickell was considered the financial district. I'm sure if you were in the Wall Street area of NYC before 2012 there wasn't a ton of shops and restaurants. Its becoming a lot more residential so you're getting more shops and restaurants.

[elchevere]

and the Apple Store at Brickell City Centre is the only Apple outlet I've been able to get help with my phone right away without needing to make an appointment....I think that's more a function of BCC is never that crowded--hopefully, for now and not a function of retail shopping centers eventually going the way of rotary dial telephones, Sony Walkman and Smith Corona typewriters, etc......I suspect once all the new condos open up and people start filling them up then, perhaps, BCC will become a bit more crowded....curious if anyone has stats on how sales are doing at the BCC....with the exception of a few restaurants, I would suspect the rest of the stores in chains elsewhere are currently carrying/subsidizing their counterpart stores at BCC.

[CXT2000]

Brickell was basically built overnight honestly, during the first boom between 2005-08, it was mainly residential only. Now it's slowly starting with street presence, but it's still highly lacking compared to so many cities, due to how quick it was built, no foresight. Retail is slowly making a presence, but South Florida is already oversaturated with retail, and people are still going to chose Dolphin or Sawgrass. Brickell City Centre, although new, is one dimensional and caters to high-end shopping, along with everything in Miami, thus making it a dull and empty environment. So maybe compared to other downtowns in the South it has much to offer, but compared to other downtowns, it lacks big time with both restaurants and retail.

[NomadicMe]

Originally Posted by djesus007

Brickell was basically built overnight honestly, during the first boom between 2005-08, it was mainly residential only. Now it's slowly starting with street presence, but it's still highly lacking compared to so many cities, due to how quick it was built, no foresight. Retail is slowly making a presence, but South Florida is already oversaturated with retail, and people are still going to chose Dolphin or Sawgrass. Brickell City Centre, although new, is one dimensional and caters to high-end shopping, along with everything in Miami, thus making it a dull and empty environment. So maybe compared to other downtowns in the South it has much to offer, but compared to other downtowns, it lacks big time with both restaurants and retail.

This makes sense. And yes, I compare it to other downtowns... what else would one do?

Originally Posted by pierrekid

Are you serious? There are hundreds of restaurants within the downtown brickell area. I've eaten at a new restaurant every week for the past year and change. Now if you are comparing it to New York I understand. But in general there are tons of restaurants. Just walk down all the side streets, Brickell key, west Brickell, Brickell ave etc...

Hundreds? Perhaps a slight overstatement. I'd say ~30 and that's being generous. Either that or these restaurants are hidden from sight (on rooftops, inside buildings with poor signage, etc). I walked around and saw a few dozen... that's about it. SoBe & Miami Beach have many more. I think the poster above nailed why. But I would imagine more would show up as these buildings get filled with tenants. Supply and demand usually works well.

[perry335654]

Originally Posted by NomadicMe

I've spent a decent amount of time walking around Brickell (since it's one of the locations I'm considering). There are some restaurants around Mary Brickell Village - but that's really about it. A few scattered here and there otherwise. Yet, with all the buildings and growth around I'd think there would be more? Do you think they will start to come in... or is this it?

As for shops and boutiques... nada. Well, of course you have the new city center with all those inside mall shops I suppose. But walking the streets, nada. Perhaps people just don't walk about in Brickell? Or is it just too soon (i.e, they just finished building up all the towers and now that demand is here, the shops will come?)

It's a poor area didn't you know

[NomadicMe]

Originally Posted by pierrekid

Are you serious? There are hundreds of restaurants within the downtown brickell area. I've eaten at a new restaurant every week for the past year and change. Now if you are comparing it to New York I understand. But in general there are tons of restaurants. Just walk down all the side streets, Brickell key, west Brickell, Brickell ave etc...

I stand corrected. I looked at Yelp and although not all of these are restaurants it appears there are more than meets my walking eye: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_des...ell,+Miami,+FL

Yelp shows over 350 (although again not all are restaurants). Still quite a bit more than it felt like to me. To me, it feels so empty in Brickell. Maybe ~30 restaurants as I walked up and down the streets (not including pizza places, subway, etc.) Meant more nice restaurants. But apparently according to Yelp it appears like I'll need to walk slower and wear my glasses

However, I guess I am just comparing to other areas. Doing the same trick in Miami Beach shows over 6,000 restaurants! https://www.yelp.com/search?find_des...ach%2C+FL&ns=1 I know MB is a bigger area - but perhaps that's why Brickell feels so empty to me. Just sig less restaurants per sq ft in the area.

Originally Posted by elchevere

I live in the vicinity of 10th and Brickell Avenue, rely upon restaurants to eat (as I have not cooked since 1987), and find there is no shortage of restaurants within easy walking distance from where I live....when I want a little variety and even more options, downtown is just a 15 minute walk away and/or Coral Way, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Midtown, and SoBe are within a 7 - 20 minute drive.

As far as shops, sure--there is no Target, Nordstroms, Office Depot, or big box electronics (Best Buy) within Brickell but there is a downtown Macy's within a 20 minute walk and/or Midtown Shops or Shops at Merrick Park within a 13-15 minute drive.

1987? elchevre, we have got to buy you a cookbook and a wok!