Lenox Square/Phipps Plaza

[VistaLakes01]

When I say Atlanta wins by default I mean that most people would rather take a 2 hour drive to the A, shop and return within the same day, instead of basically planning an expensive trip to FLA to shop. Except, obviously , the 20,000,000 people in FLA.

And I still don't know who travels to Orlando, besides Floridians, JUST TO SHOP. I think Orlando's retail scene has had a lot of help from Tourist coming to vist the theme parks and resorts. Which I think is very cool also.

Im saying FLA is being overated because Atlanta is basically being underrated. Even though some of these other places may have a couple of luxery stores, Atlanta still has a lot that most places in the south don't have. And yes toursim as well as the Market is thriving.

You are saying exactly what my point is! Yes, a lot of people REGIONALLY travel to Orlando as opposed to Atlanta to shop. If someone in Gainesville Florida decides they want to go to Bloomingdales to shop, they are going to have to drive quite a distance to do so. There is a Bloomingdale's in Orlando. More than likely they are going to drive to Orlando, not Lenox to go to Bloomingdales. You do realize that we are talking about premiere shopping destinations, correct? Not your everyday Savannah or Gainesville shopping. Now the point was, just 5 or so years ago, that person would have gone to Atlanta to go to that premiere shopping at Lenox. NOW they can go to Orlando because that premiere shopping is available there. They are building more premiere shopping in Jacksonville right now. Say in a year you want to buy a special designer suite (Hugo Boss) or something and Jacksonville has a Boss store. Wouldn't you drive the much shorter distance from Savannah to Jax to get that suite rather than all the way to Atlanta? Same as somebody in Valdosta, etc. Say someone in Fayetteville, NC wants to go shopping at Nordstrom. There is a Nordstrom in Charlotte. Are they going to drive to Nordstrom in Charlotte or Atlanta? Do you get the point now? Maybe you don't understand the difference between American Eagle Outfitters and Zara. Or Sears and Neiman Marcus. Is that why you don't understand? This is not meant to be offensive or critical like you are taking it. I am talking about the changing shopping patterns in the southeast for PREMIERE shopping and how it affects Lenox/Phipps. I hope you finally understand.

[VistaLakes01]

Im saying FLA is being overated because Atlanta is basically being underrated. Even though some of these other places may have a couple of luxery stores, Atlanta still has a lot that most places in the south don't have. And yes toursim as well as the Market is thriving.

[verge]

Im saying FLA is being overated because Atlanta is basically being underrated. Even though some of these other places may have a couple of luxery stores, Atlanta still has a lot that most places in the south don't have. And yes toursim as well as the Market is thriving.

Oh, now that I re-read this line here, I think maybe you don't realize that Atlanta doesn't have that much more than Orlando retail-wise. Orlando had Bloomingdales before Atlanta and it wasn't converted from another department store, it was built as Bloomingdales from the ground up and was the first prototype of future stores. Atlanta is just now getting Zara, that has been in Orlando for 4 or 5 years. You need to look at the website for www.mallatmillenia.com and for The Florida Mall. There are also stores located in smaller shopping venues and in Winter Park. IKEA is opening in Orlando in a few months, another retail option. ETC

Folks should realize that Orlando is a resort town... the mouse with ears thing gives Orlando things that most cities its size wouldn't ordinarily have-- not to mention lots of roller coasters and grown men (or women) in bunny costumes...

Edited August 1, 2007 by verge

[ironchapman]

Okay, guys, this is a thread to discuss what's going on and what developments are happening at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. This is NOT a thread to debate over whether Lenox and Phipps are THE shopping destination of the Southeast or if they are not.

It is EMBARASSING how many times mods have had to intervene in this thread.

--ironchapman, forum moderator

[SAV]

You are saying exactly what my point is! Yes, a lot of people REGIONALLY travel to Orlando as opposed to Atlanta to shop. If someone in Gainesville Florida decides they want to go to Bloomingdales to shop, they are going to have to drive quite a distance to do so. There is a Bloomingdale's in Orlando. More than likely they are going to drive to Orlando, not Lenox to go to Bloomingdales. You do realize that we are talking about premiere shopping destinations, correct? Not your everyday Savannah or Gainesville shopping. Now the point was, just 5 or so years ago, that person would have gone to Atlanta to go to that premiere shopping at Lenox. NOW they can go to Orlando because that premiere shopping is available there. They are building more premiere shopping in Jacksonville right now. Say in a year you want to buy a special designer suite (Hugo Boss) or something and Jacksonville has a Boss store. Wouldn't you drive the much shorter distance from Savannah to Jax to get that suite rather than all the way to Atlanta? Same as somebody in Valdosta, etc. Say someone in Fayetteville, NC wants to go shopping at Nordstrom. There is a Nordstrom in Charlotte. Are they going to drive to Nordstrom in Charlotte or Atlanta? Do you get the point now? Maybe you don't understand the difference between American Eagle Outfitters and Zara. Or Sears and Neiman Marcus. Is that why you don't understand? This is not meant to be offensive or critical like you are taking it. I am talking about the changing shopping patterns in the southeast for PREMIERE shopping and how it affects Lenox/Phipps. I hope you finally understand.

THAT WAS HILARIOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I would respond but really, I think we need to just drop it or we will literaly be debating for years

Like ironchapman said, lets just talk about development happening at Lenox and Phipps and I can't wait until the new Ralph Lauren opens. And is it true that stores in the new Neimans wing are going to be 2 levels?

Edited August 2, 2007 by SAV

[gjoseph]

I'm from Tampa which is less than an hour from Orlando, and I rather shop in Atlanta, than in Orlando because to me you have better shopping, less tourists, and people that speak ENGLISH. I can get a cheap ticket less than 100 bucks to fly there and get picked up by friends or family and go shopping or I can drive there in 5 hours or less. I know plenty of people that rather shop in Atlanta than in Orlando or Miami. Those places have fine shopping mainly to international tourists but people I know come from cities such as Jacksonville, Tampa, Tallahassee, Gainesville and they go to Atlanta to shop and have a good time such as a weekend getaway. The only good thing orlando has is all of the outlets and theme parks anyways I'm sorry if I made a racist comment but I'm just being

"real" shopping in Orlando/Miami is overrated I mean Atlanta just got news that H&M will be opening in the near future I think in 08' 09' in atlantic station or sumthing like that but I ain't heard of plans of one in Orlando yet. Atlanta got a IKEA first before Orlando and that's the 1st IKEA in the Southeast, I consider Atlanta the HUB of shopping in the Southeast and all of the other cities such as Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Charlotte, Jacksonville, New Orleans, and other southern ciites with upscale shopping are "Mini-Hubs". I love going to Atlanta thats why I cant wait to move back to the ATL or Macon, GA in 09 or 10

So yes ATLANTA WINS BY DEFAULT!!!

Edited August 3, 2007 by gjoseph

[Manolos]

^^interesting....

Hanna Andersson is opening at Phipps, a baby/young childrens store.

Like ironchapman said, lets just talk about development happening at Lenox and Phipps and I can't wait until the new Ralph Lauren opens. And is it true that stores in the new Neimans wing are going to be 2 levels?

No, only RL.

[atlantakid25]

yeah i agree atlanta isnt dependent on tourist to bring high end boutiques to our city most of orlando is made up of outlets yeah they did get a bloomingdales before us but we have 2 bloomingdales 3 nordstroms in the city calvin klien white label opening up here in atlanta this fall and also diesel true reliegion ralph lauren (2 levels) miss sisty energie is already open puma,lush,zara, and yeah H&M will be opening up spring of 08 so i really dont think there is a comparison our market here in atlanta is alot bigger then orlando we have a widder selection but i think as time passes lenox and phipps well change dramactically hope to see dolce and gabbana come back to phipps

[Martinman]

-French luxury retailer Herm

Edited August 3, 2007 by Martinman

[Manolos]

^^I hadn't been to Lenox in awhile and I completely forgot that the ATL Hermes is ridiculously small. That would be nice for it to expand to the normal size.

[Martinman]

I just read that Carter already has commitments from several high end clothing retailers and that more of them will be announced at the Buckhead Village groundbreaking ceremony today.

Edit:

Here are the committments announced so far...

Retail

Hermes

AG Adriano Goldschmied - a men's and women's boutique featuring vintage-inspired apparel. Currently has 9 stores with the most recent openings in San Francisco and Beverly Hills.

Domenico Vacca - featuring custom-tailored suits

Etro - based in Milan, currently has five locations in the US

Bottega Veneta - a division of Gucci selling apparel, leather goods and home goods that plans to open a flagship store in Atlanta

Restaurants

Bottega del Vino - A white-tablecloth restaurant featuring northern Italian cuisine. This will be the third location with the others being in Verona, Italy and NY at Fifth Avenue and 59th.

La Goulue - a French bistro with a location at 746 Madison Ave. in NY.

Hotel/Residential

Paces Plaza Hotel and Residences - 100-key five-star boutique hotel with 40 condo units on top

1 Hotel and Residences - 175-key five-star hotel featuring eco-friendly components with 100 condominium units.

Edited August 6, 2007 by Martinman

[sun234]

also announced

Domenico Vacca

Etro

Bottega Veneta

Sounds good since everyone was hoping for Bottega Veneta's Return.

[charlotte_bon_vivant]

The stores found in Atlanta can be found in any big city or small rich city, it doesn't have anything that's unique.

That doesn't make sense. Every city has unique retail offerings, but they are necessarily chains. Of course, chain stores will be in multiple locations. So that doesn't make sense. The Atlanta malls are dominated by corporate chains, but outside the mall there are many terrific and unique stores.Blue Genes, for example, is considered one of the best stores in the country to buy denim. Then there are stores like Jeffrey Kalinsky's (a unique enough retail concept for Nordstrom to buy it) and Bill Hallman. There's "affordable chic" places like Luxe (recent vintage) and fab'rik as well. Atlanta has long since had homegrown luxury even when the chain stores weren't interested.

Most places have similar local shops. Like the shops in Atlanta, they reflect the attitude and tastes of the area which makes them unique. More so than any large retailer.

ETA: Thanks to fashion forums and Lucky Magazine, those smaller boutiques have a much greater presence in national retail. The same is true of Charlotte.

Edited August 7, 2007 by charlotte_bon_vivant

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

One unique boutique I was hoping to see arrive since Lenox is trying to appeal to the younger, hipper shopping crowd as reported in the Atlanta Journal is Custo Barcelona. It is great that Miss Sixty, Diesel, True Religion, and Calvin Klein are arriving, but that would have been a good fetch for Atlanta, but not all is lost, Ben Carter developer of the Streets of Buckhead said a third of his development would be luxury retail, a third trendy retail and a third hip retail, so maybe Custo Barcelona will locate in the Streets of Buckhead.

Now as far as luxury retail we are so far seeing AG, Hermes, Etro, Dominico Vacca, and Bottega Veneta. I just wonder how many luxury retailers in Phipps Plaza may jump ship and head for the Streets of Buckhead. That certainly would not be a good thing for Phipps to go through since Simon has tried so hard to promote the center as a luxury destination, but from the commitments for the SOB, it seems that we are learning alot of luxury retailers prefer a streetscape enviroment as opposed to being shut up in an enclosed mall.

[Temeteron]

Does anyone know when True Religion is opening? I hope by October it will be open...that's when I will be visiting ATL

[atlforlife]

well the sign is up now in the mall so i am prettysure soon i mean diesal and someof the others signs are up too zara opens up this friday and also if you go to atlantic station website H&M has now coming soon on the webiste

[sun234]

Has anyone taken any pics of the new wing yet? Or has it not opened yet?

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

Has anyone taken any pics of the new wing yet? Or has it not opened yet?

Don't even think about it!! Simon has a very strict policy of taking pictures inside their malls. Trust me I tried and Security was all over me like I had just robbed a store.

And yes, the new wing is open. Zara is scheduled to open tomorrow, and True Religion very soon. In the meantime Shabby Chic, Lush, Calvin Klein, Diesel, and Ralph Lauren are under construction. Neiman Marcus should be finished with their expansion around February according to an associate I spoke with.

[JerseyBoy]

Don't even think about it!! Simon has a very strict policy of taking pictures inside their malls. Trust me I tried and Security was all over me like I had just robbed a store.

Ever tried a camera phone?

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

Ever tried a camera phone?

Well I would expect a picture taking expert to let me know something that should be obvious!

Oh, and by the way DaAchiever I haven't seen you in a while, but I wanted to congradulate you on your promotion to moderator, you are certainly an asset to UrbanPlanet and I'm glad they recognized that. Best wishes with your new position!!!

[atlforlife]

well lush has already open also and yes i believe that true relegion is scheduled to open next all the rest will open in october and i am sure i can get pics because i work for zara so ill try to get you guys some pics of the new wing

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

well lush has already open also and yes i believe that true relegion is scheduled to open next all the rest will open in october and i am sure i can get pics because i work for zara so ill try to get you guys some pics of the new wing

That would be great!, and everyone can enjoy looking at the progress both you and I have witnessed.

[atlforlife]

here are a few pics of signs that are up pictures are kinda blurry but its pics all all the tenants that are new well i have pics but idont know how too post them can someone tell ,me how too there pics of the new wing

[ironchapman]

Where are the pictures?

[atlforlife]

i dont know how to put the pics on here but i have them waiting to be put on here someone please show me how thanks