Retail coming to Philadelphia (Bellevue, Penn: pizza, long-term, banks)

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by steeps

If it has city landmark status... A Old Navy can still incorporate it into their new store. But with ots interiors re-purposed to Old Navy's needs.

One example I know of. Its Exterior remain's the same. That is the Former
Louis Sullivan designed exterior of the Carson Pierre Scot Store. Is on the Chicago Loop's State Street. Chicago's original main shopping street. It now has the Mall type stores and still its Iconic Former Marshal FIELD'S store now a Macy's.

But the Landmark building of the former Carson's. Is now a TARGET store downtown. The EXTERIOR has landmark (certified) protection. Because of It's intricate Iron workings of designer Louis Sullivan, and Chicago windows above.

No reason a Old Navy in Philly... Can't keep that landmark Art Deco exterior too. It will have to.

Many of Chicago's Historic buildings would have been lost but for Preservationist. Its theaters WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST if not for the fight of preservationist. Now they are Chicago's Off Broadway district. Hard to believe. They almost lost the their iconic Chicago Theater even....

That Chicago Landmark building, looks like this today as a TARGET. Exterior the same preserved.

Carson Pirie Scott (& Co.) Built 1904 to house the Schlesinger & Mayer Co. department store.

On my first visit to Chicago, when I was a sophomore in high school in Kansas City, you had the following department stores on State Street, north to south:

Marshall Field & Company (now Macy's)
Wieboldt's
Carson Pirie Scott (now Target)
Montgomery Ward
Sears, Roebuck

At that time, on Market Street in Philadelphia,one would have found, west to east:

John Wanamaker
Gimbels
Strawbridge & Clothier (across the street from Gimbels)
Lit Brothers (across 8th from Strawbridge's)

The difference between State and Market streets is that after a period where a Chestnut Street Transitway-style pedestrian mall nearly killed it, the street revived with a slew of smaller chain stores (including that City Target in the former Carson Pirie Scott) once the street was unmalled. Market Street added one more department store (JCPenney), then lost all of them save one (well, a Burlington Coat Factory replaced Penney's), and entered a Twilight Zone, neither totally dead nor really alive.

Originally Posted by rotodome

Ah yes, the Historical Commission...an effectual bunch

The Boyd, I submit, is a special case. It hadn't been historically certified. Its fate would have been different had that happened.

The facade of the WCAU building is already a storefront suitable for a retail store. There's no need to alter it.

Originally Posted by cpomp

This is why I hesitate to post my opinions. I will pull a Steeps "NORMALLY THIS IS NOT A BAD SETUP" - from my first post. You see the same exact setup in KoP and Glen Mills mixed with high end retail and they all exist perfectly fine.

Philadelphia is a different animal, discount stores for decades have attracted (not poor people, nothing wrong with that at all) but low life people, the Wendys that used to be at the corner of 15th and Chestnut, and the Mandee where 5 Below is going were perfect examples of that.

People seem to be overthinking my first post, it was just an opinion from my observations as a city resident.

I've been a city resident for 33 years, and I tend to be chary of descriptions of large swaths of lower-income folks as lowlifes. Then again, I never felt uncomfortable walking through the Gallery, and the block I live on now has a stop 'n' go on its corner. And I'm a Harvard grad. Go figure. I think too many of us are governed by fear.

Let me second Duderino, however, in objecting to what I perceive as high-end fetishism among many here who seek a Center City retail revival. You'll find me in the off-price stores.

And was that reference to "F21" (Forever 21, a store aimed at younger women) supposed to be one to "C21" (Century 21, an off-price designer department store)? Again, I think the latter's just great.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Let me second Duderino, however, in objecting to what I perceive as high-end fetishism among many here who seek a Center City retail revival. You'll find me in the off-price stores.

We can have both and should have both. There should be a balance. I certainly see nothing to be gained by trying to drive out lower income people from Center City.

But my cause for whining, if one can call it that, is that a city this size should be able to have more high stores in its urban core. You may not like it, Sandy, but we need people with real disposal income spending their money here in the city and/or living in the city without the constant, and automatic, forays to King of Prussia.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Carson Pirie Scott (& Co.) Built 1904 to house the Schlesinger & Mayer Co. department store.




I've been a city resident for 33 years, and I tend to be chary of descriptions of large swaths of lower-income folks as lowlifes. Then again, I never felt uncomfortable walking through the Gallery, and the block I live on now has a stop 'n' go on its corner. And I'm a Harvard grad. Go figure. I think too many of us are governed by fear.

Let me second Duderino, however, in objecting to what I perceive as high-end fetishism among many here who seek a Center City retail revival. You'll find me in the off-price stores.

And was that reference to "F21" (Forever 21, a store aimed at younger women) supposed to be one to "C21" (Century 21, an off-price designer department store)? Again, I think the latter's just great.

It appears to me that maybe its a difference in generational views. Asiandudeyo and myself are much younger than most of you guys(no offense) so our take on what we think the city needs/what we do not find appealing may be quite different from someone who is 55 and lived in Philly their whole life.

[asiandudeyo]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

And was that reference to "F21" (Forever 21, a store aimed at younger women) supposed to be one to "C21" (Century 21, an off-price designer department store)? Again, I think the latter's just great.

Yes F21 = Forever 21.
It caters men as well as women. Although the one in CC, the men dept. is a measly corner.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by cpomp

It appears to me that maybe its a difference in generational views. Asiandudeyo and myself are much younger than most of you guys(no offense) so our take on what we think the city needs/what we do not find appealing may be quite different from someone who is 55 and lived in Philly their whole life.

Except for southbound_ 295, I'm the resident oldster here, am a native with that familial century old history in the area. But I agree, pretty much, with younger people about the direction CC should take.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Except for southbound_ 295, I'm the resident oldster here, am a native with that familial century old history in the area. But I agree, pretty much, with younger people about the direction CC should take.

Yup, I'm right behind you. I also agree that there has to be a balance & I think that you & I have seen some storefronts, years ago, that would scare the bejesus out of some of the younger posters here.

[asiandudeyo]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Yup, I'm right behind you. I also agree that there has to be a balance & I think that you & I have seen some storefronts, years ago, that would scare the bejesus out of some of the younger posters here.

Meaning?
Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by asiandudeyo

Meaning?
Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Back when the A Team was on, before it was reruns, empty storefronts suddenly came alive with no-name establishments with the windows filled with boomboxes & wads of gold chains.

[asiandudeyo]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Back when the A Team was on, before it was reruns, empty storefronts suddenly came alive with no-name establishments with the windows filled with boomboxes & wads of gold chains.

oh.
Just like whatever we had in front of Market East Station - before it was demolished...
Yeah that's dreadful.
I wonder how it became from Gimbels, Strawbridge etc. to that....
SMH

PS: I love the A-team as a kid in 90's, late 80s.

[asiandudeyo]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Back when the A Team was on, before it was reruns, empty storefronts suddenly came alive with no-name establishments with the windows filled with boomboxes & wads of gold chains.

Well, now I see from you guys's POV how the retail scene in Philly is better now. Because you are comparing it with the 90s.