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Urban Shopping Destinations


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What are the South's current thriving urban shopping destinations (you know, the rare non-enclosed breed)? I saw an article stating that Atlanta's Peachtree Corridor would be the South's next one but I couldn't think of any that currently exist. :huh:

These are proper Urban Shopping Destinations...

Paris - Champs-

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Some of them in Florida are:

Miami: Lincoln Road (pedestrian traffic only)

Ft. Lauderdale: Las Olas Blvd.

Palm Beach: Worth Avenue

Orlando: Winter Park's Park Avenue

Tampa: Hyde Park area (however last time I was there some of the shops had gone out of biz)

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I think King Street in Charleston probably takes the cake here.

In what way to you mean?

South Fl's urban shopping destinations have high-end retail stores that don't exist in Charleston. Not really trying to debate here, just curious in what way you mean "takes the cake?"

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^So does King Street. It has a great mix of national and local retailers, and the downtown location amidst the rich history of Charleston makes for an awesome setting.

I've been to King Street and it is nice, BUT it can't touch the level of stores that are on Lincoln Road and especially Worth Ave. in Palm Beach. Have you been to either? King Street's stores are more in-line w/Park Ave. in Winter Park.

I do agree on "setting alone" King Street is great.

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the shopping in South Beach is incredible!

The "Miracle Mile" in Coral Gables isn't bad, either.

I think in the South the best shopping city by far is Miami, followed by Dallas and then Atlanta and Orlando, the latter roughly tied.

As far as one specific area, it's tough to beat South Beach.

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Definitely Main Street Greenville, South Carolina. :shades:

Also, King Street Charleston, South Carolina.

^Market St too. Its more touristy though.

Five Points in Columbia, Devine St is a minor one... The Vista isn't there yet but it will be one day.

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The "Miracle Mile" in Coral Gables isn't bad, either.

I think in the South the best shopping city by far is Miami, followed by Dallas and then Atlanta and Orlando, the latter roughly tied.

As far as one specific area, it's tough to beat South Beach.

what makes Dallas such a great shopping destination?

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what makes Dallas such a great shopping destination?

1. It has more retail square feet per capita than any major city in America.

2. It has multiple upscale malls and shopping districts (Northpark, Dallas Galleria, Willow Bend in Plano, Highland Park has multiple Beverly Hills-ish shopping centers). Northpark and the Dallas Galleria are both considerably more impressive and much larger with more upscale stores than Lenox, for example. It's a second-tier fashion city, in part because it's the home of Neiman Marcus.

Dallas clearly is inferior to Miami, though. Highland Park has its share of top stores but not on the level of South Beach. Plus, there are malls galore down there that have top-tier retail with anchors like Saks and Neiman Marcus. Places like the Shops at Bal Harbour or Aventura Mall just run together after a while. Plus, the world's largest outlet mall is Sawgrass Mills.

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Utica Square in Tulsa, a 1950's open air center in the heart of midtown, the anchors are Sak's and a Tulsa store called Miss Jackson's and an upscale grocer called Petty's Fine Foods. There's a 10 story condo building going up next door, the place is a institution. The closest thing to it I can think of is the Plaza in Kansas City.

http://www.uticasquare.com/

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1. It has more retail square feet per capita than any major city in America.

2. It has multiple upscale malls and shopping districts (Northpark, Dallas Galleria, Willow Bend in Plano, Highland Park has multiple Beverly Hills-ish shopping centers). Northpark and the Dallas Galleria are both considerably more impressive and much larger with more upscale stores than Lenox, for example. It's a second-tier fashion city, in part because it's the home of Neiman Marcus.

Dallas clearly is inferior to Miami, though. Highland Park has its share of top stores but not on the level of South Beach. Plus, there are malls galore down there that have top-tier retail with anchors like Saks and Neiman Marcus. Places like the Shops at Bal Harbour or Aventura Mall just run together after a while. Plus, the world's largest outlet mall is Sawgrass Mills.

You beat me to it! ;) I was going to mention Highland Park. There's a big shopping center there that's been around since the 30s, though I can't remember its name. Very upscale, no doubt.

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Utica Square in Tulsa, a 1950's open air center in the heart of midtown, the anchors are Sak's and a Tulsa store called Miss Jackson's and an upscale grocer called Petty's Fine Foods. There's a 10 story condo building going up next door, the place is a institution. The closest thing to it I can think of is the Plaza in Kansas City.

http://www.uticasquare.com/

I haven't been there but I have spent time in Tulsa and that's a very pleasant, underrated city.

I thought I had to comment about the Plaza since I spent some time in KC. My expectations of KC were pretty low and I was shocked at the cultural offerings of that city and really grew to appreciate it. It's probably the most underrated city in the country, IMO. The Plaza was one of the most interesting shopping districts I'd ever been to. The incredibly detailed architecture dating to the 1920s and imitating Seville is unique. The free parking was a terrific addition. The way the AMC Theater was integrated into the original theater that's decades old and utilized the upper levels over the stores to do this with skybridge connections was incredibly daring and original. The fountains and sculptures make it worth a visit to anyone passing through. It spawned a tremendous amount of high-density residential in the immediate vicinity. The way it's lit up during the holidays is another thing that makes it terribly unique.

I freely admit it beats anything in Texas and I've never seen anything in the South aside from South Beach that approaches it for shopping.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Downtown Greenville, SC is pretty good for urban shopping- and nice by typical Southern downtown standards. Lots of nice/new gift shops and higher-end clothing stores, plus a department store, and tons of restaurants. Plus it's an original downtown- not a shopping center that has morphed into an urban-style area. It's quaint/charming, with few national chains but nice and upscale regional chains and locally-owned stores.

For other urban areas with shopping, I'd say downtown and midtown Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta used to have a decent Macy's, along with Underground Atlanta (with mall-type stores), a Brooks Brothers and some national chains, but downtown has generally died off, but has been more than replaced by Atlantic Station and other developments in Midtown, with a Dillard's, Z Gallerie, etc. Not as quaint/charming as downtown Greenville but more selection, especially among national chains.

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