A Compilation of Good Ideas

[runawayjim]

generally i thought of macys as a nicer store, mainly because of NY and Macys day parade etc., but recently going in the stores I feel like filenes was higher class, and now with the merge I can't tell if they are holding macy products, filenes products or what they are doing.

[basachs]

Being a NY/NJ person, Macy's were always really nice. Living in Boston for 5 years before moving here showed me that Filene's can be just as nice if not more so. Macy's has been declining in the overall shopping experience (merch, service, infrastructure of the stores) for a while now.

The PP Filene's, as Cotuit pointed out, never impressed me either. With the new acquisitions, I hope that the Macy's brand is reinvigorated and is restored to its former status. Mostly nostalgia for me.

When it gets right down to it, I dont care what the name of the place is. Just make it a more affordable than Nordstroms, yet still classy department store. If Macy's can do it, great.

Lord and Taylor to JC Penney really is a downgrade. If they were going to have a store of that caliber in the spot, I would almost have rather seen a Sears. At least then there would almost be a hardware store downtown

[runawayjim]

Being a NY/NJ person, Macy's were always really nice. Living in Boston for 5 years before moving here showed me that Filene's can be just as nice if not more so. Macy's has been declining in the overall shopping experience (merch, service, infrastructure of the stores) for a while now.

The PP Filene's, as Cotuit pointed out, never impressed me either. With the new acquisitions, I hope that the Macy's brand is reinvigorated and is restored to its former status. Mostly nostalgia for me.

When it gets right down to it, I dont care what the name of the place is. Just make it a more affordable than Nordstroms, yet still classy department store. If Macy's can do it, great.

Lord and Taylor to JC Penney really is a downgrade. If they were going to have a store of that caliber in the spot, I would almost have rather seen a Sears. At least then there would almost be a hardware store downtown

[brick]

We've drifted pretty far from topic, but it's important to note that the L&T and Filene's things have nothing to do with the mall itself.

The Providence L&T was actually one of the better performing ones, but their overall brand is/was sinking. I think there are only two left in the greater Boston metro whereas at one point there were about a dozen (if you include Portland and Providence). For me this is too bad because I liked their lines better than Filene's or Macy's. I am not happy about Penny's as the choice, either, and would likely have re-thought the space when L&T moved out. It could be Sears or Penny's but only give them the top two levels and make the bottom level some higher end stores like those mentioned above.

[runawayjim]

We've drifted pretty far from topic, but it's important to note that the L&T and Filene's things have nothing to do with the mall itself.

The Providence L&T was actually one of the better performing ones, but their overall brand is/was sinking. I think there are only two left in the greater Boston metro whereas at one point there were about a dozen (if you include Portland and Providence). For me this is too bad because I liked their lines better than Filene's or Macy's. I am not happy about Penny's as the choice, either, and would likely have re-thought the space when L&T moved out. It could be Sears or Penny's but only give them the top two levels and make the bottom level some higher end stores like those mentioned above.

[Liamlunchtray]

sears has raelly revamped themselves in the clothing with their deal with lands end. being able to buy quality lands end clothing in a store is awesome. and having some of the best hardware and appliances available downtown would rock.

[basachs]

I had forgotten that Sears now carry's Land's End. That brand has gone downhill though too.

However, Sears would be much better than JC Penny..

[eltron]

This is amazing:

Chicago's Green Permitting Process

"Chicago's highly-successful streamlined permitting program for green projects recently got a speed boost when the city added a paperless application option.

Under the program, the city's buildings department will grant building permits within six weeks for projects that are designed to Energy Star or LEED standards or better-a full two months faster than the average permit application process (BD+C, November 2005, p. 28). "

Something like this, coupled with affordable housing or TOD components, would be a ridiculously awesome in PVD and RI.

[gregw]

I had forgotten that Sears now carry's Land's End. That brand has gone downhill though too.

However, Sears would be much better than JC Penny..

[Cotuit]

Someone told me that JC Penney is not blah and dreary like it used to me. (I haven't been myself in years.) What do people think?

[runawayjim]

This will strike some as not very PC or racist, but, I think the JC Penny's in Providence Place is trying to lure a latino demographic, which would be smart given that PVD is majority minority. The clothes don't really appeal to me at all, but I can see them appealing to some hispanic men. At least that's my feeling on the men's department. There's some good basics there, but a lot of the shirt styles for example just aren't my taste at all.

[dgreco]

that's hardly un-PC or racist... it's basically true. i feel the same way about a lot of the less expensive stuff at macy's.

[TheAnk]

I find the term "majority minority" extremely humorous..

[runawayjim]

I find the term "majority minority" extremely humorous..

[CtownMikey]

i think people associate the word minority with the current minority in many places (africans, spanish, etc.) and they refer it as a race oriented word... but isn't minority meaning something (a voting poll) or someone (a group) that isnt in the majority???

im not getting whats so bad about the word..

[runawayjim]

i think people associate the word minority with the current minority in many places (africans, spanish, etc.) and they refer it as a race oriented word... but isn't minority meaning something (a voting poll) or someone (a group) that isnt in the majority???

im not getting whats so bad about the word..

[TheAnk]

when it refers to people who are not white, it's quasi-derogatory if you ask me, especially when used in the term "majority-minority". i think people should be called as they are and not lump all minority races into one group. it's like their individual races don't have any distinction other than they're not white.

[JJK5]

Just to get the facts straight: the majority race in Providence is in fact white, at least according to wikipedia.

[runawayjim]

Just to get the facts straight: the majority race in Providence is in fact white, at least according to wikipedia.

[Cotuit]

I find the term "majority minority" extremely humorous..

[Gusterfell]

majority means over 50%. while there are more whites than another other individual race, whites are not more than 50% of the population. minority races are, which is why they lump them all together and use the whole majority-minority thing.

[Cotuit]

I'm not sure if I like categorizing demographics into "white" and "minority" (everything else). That implies that Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Middle-Easterners, and so on are equal and somehow in a different category than whites. I do understand the logic behind it, but it strikes me as subtly racist. I'd much rather see a simple, fair breakdown by percentage.

[dgreco]

I hate the term 'people of color' it really grinds my gears. It somehow implies that there are people who lack color (?). Do they lack culture, do they not suffer from discrimination? It's just as inelegant as 'minority' and perhaps more so. When you talk about discrimination and use the term people of color it leaves out discrimination suffered by white religious minorities, white gays, white immigrant communities, white women, white fat people...

[runawayjim]

it is impossible to always be PC so I think you choose the terms and when and where.

[Cotuit]

saying "blacks" is much better than "people of color" since that's really what it means.