Your favorite Pittsburgh area malls (Taylor, Monroe: buy, income, to move)

[Blackbeauty212]

Wish the City still had Allegheny Center Mall......I remember as a Teenager that was the mall to be on the weekend if you lived in the city, it was quite convenient...

Could've been Pittsburgh's version of the Gallery in Philadelphia, that place just bustles on the weekend.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Wish the City still had Allegheny Center Mall......I remember as a Teenager that was the mall to be on the weekend if you lived in the city, it was quite convenient...

Could've been Pittsburgh's version of the Gallery in Philadelphia, that place just bustles on the weekend.

mine (and i know im weird):

1) The Bank Center (defunct - at that time, i had not yet seen any interior so beautiful. Saw "Star Wars" there in '78)
2) Allegheny Center Mall (defunct - i wasnt a teen yet, but i concur with Blackbeauty)
3) Fifth Avenue Place
20) Ross Park Mall
21) Century III
121) anything in Robinson

[Hopes]

The Bank Center was beautiful. Fifth Avenue Place doesn't have many stores.

I also enjoy childhood memories of Allegheny Center and Northway Mall.

[raubre]

I always liked South Hills Village. Kids don't hang out there in droves.

[zip95]

1. Ross Park Mall -- definitely the nicest

Tied for 2nd
2. Monroeville Mall -- both are reasonable with plenty of shopping/eating/etc
2. Mall at Robinson

Don't really like the others
3. South Hills Village -- to hard to get to
3. Westmoreland Mall -- to far away
3. Pittsburgh Mills -- to country
3. Beaver Valley Mall -- to far away
3. Century III Mall -- dead mall

[neurodistortion]

Now if this was back in the early 1990s, this is how I would've rated the malls:

1. Monroeville Mall
2. Century III Mall
3. Ross Park Mall
4. South Hills Village
5. Westmoreland Mall
6. Greengate Mall
7. Beaver Valley Mall
8. Northway Mall

Keep in mind that back then, most (if not all) malls weren't renovated yet, they didn't have kids play areas, and the store selections were likely similar but more downscale than today.

[neurodistortion]

I'm just bumping this thread by posting this review of all the area malls that I have previously posted in another thread. Hope you find this information useful.

Monroeville Mall has its share of vacancies, but I think it is still doing fine, although it can use some new attractions, like a movie theater as there isn't currently one in the Monroeville area. It also has some decent stores, although it has lost a few upscale boutiques within the past year or so, which could be due to the massive upscaling of Ross Park Mall. I think the remodeling of Monroeville has been good and bad for the center. The District was a wonderful addition to the mall, and contains some wonderful stores. On the downside, I think the remodeling of the mall's common areas weren't what I was expecting, a lot of the decor is still dated and with the new features added, it just doesn't bode too well. If it received a renovation on the scale of South Hills Village, it would look much better.

Pittsburgh Mills is actually doing better now, although its quality of stores have been lacking. It may not have the room to accomodate higher-end retail like in Monroeville but it is a flourishing mall and still has a lot of potential considering that it's still relatively new. The area is very working class however and that shows in the stores and services offered at the mall. The addition of the indoor waterpark should only improve the mall's bottom line and carve a niche that other malls don't have. In addition, the Village at Pittsburgh Mills is booming and continues to be successful.

Westmoreland Mall is sort of in a transitional period it seems, although with the economy the way it is, I think it has taken longer for it to sign new leases and open new shops. The good news however is that it has signed leases for Crazy 8, which is a children's shop owned by Gymboree, as well as Longhorn Steakhouse on the former Denny's site. It is also getting a new Sephora cosmetics shop in the JCPenney store, which in itself is remodeling, which should be a popular addition to the mall. It has also gotten an Ann Taylor LOFT store, a Hollister and a Talbots Petites within the past year or two. There's still room for higher-end retailers, which I predict should be coming to that mall in the next few years.

Century III Mall has been having problems the last few years, and with the economy, it's faring a little worse than other nearby centers but overall, business is still average for most stores, and its department stores are doing well. The mall is filling some of its vacancies with a number of local shops as it continues to ride out the recession. The center plans on doing more events this year, as it has been doing the past few years now. Last year, the mall hosted over 200 events, which consisted of blood drives to sports card shows.

South Hills Village is doing very well, and its occupancy has been in the upper 90 percent range despite losing its Boscovs store a few years back. It has gotten a new Red Robin restaurant, however, which is going in the former spot of the Roxy Cafe. In addition, a new Target and Dick's Sporting Goods are taking over the former Boscovs sometime this year or next year. Target plans on occupying the lower level and Dick's is getting the upper two levels.

The Mall at Robinson has been doing steady business, considering all the retail that surrounds it and its proximity to South Hills Village and Ross Park Mall. It has gotten a new XXI Forever store on the upper level, and overall, occupancy is in the upper 90 percent range. Nearby, the brand-new Settlers Ridge shopping complex does amazing business and offers a number of retailers new to that area.

Ross Park Mall has gone upscale over the years, with Nordstrom as its main centerpiece. It has gotten several small retailers over the past year such as Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Louis Vuitton, etc. A Crate and Barrel store is also expected to open sometime this year or next, and an Apple Store is mentioned to be coming to the mall.

[greg42]

Apple Store is definitely going into Ross Park; they advertised for employment recently so it should be fairly soon.

[Craziaskowboi]

Ross Park Mall is the flagship mall in the Pittsburgh area. Once Nordstrom moved in, many other upscale retailers followed, and the mall has since become a regional destination. Those who live in the northern suburbs are lucky.

South Hills Village is also a very nice mall, but it's kind of small too, which is probably why Nordstrom didn't locate there even though the median household income within a five-mile radius of the mall is even higher than it is within five miles of Ross Park Mall.

Monroeville Mall and The Mall at Robinson are both "twins" in terms of the kinds of stores they have, although The Mall at Robinson is the newest mall in the region, and Monroeville Mall is the second-oldest (South Hills Village). Both malls do well for the middle-class suburbs that surround them.

Century III Mall is being squeezed, and moving downmarket as a result. It's the biggest mall in the Pittsburgh area, but the Waterfront is newer, and South Hills Village is more upscale. Making matters worse is that West Mifflin has seen better days, and many of the Mon Valley towns that the mall served are shadows of their former selves.

I've never been to Pittsburgh Mills, so I cannot make an accurate assessment of it.

[neurodistortion]

Back in the mid to late 1990s, the rumor was to build a Lord and Taylor at South Hills Village, which would've been located roughly between Sears and Macy's (or it could've been Kaufmann's/Boscov's) as well as a parking garage surrounding the new department store. SHV was also a favorable site for Nordstrom, but it chose Ross Park instead. I wouldn't rule it out though in the near future, a Nordstrom would do well in the South Hills, and depending on how Ross Park does, it may become a reality. Another area a Nordstrom could do well is in Cranberry with that mall they've been wanting to build forever, it could be a good fit in addition to a Macy's as anchor stores. We also don't have a Bloomingdale's or a Neiman Marcus in the area yet.