Urban Shopping Destinations

[Lacharm]

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 forgot to mention park lane place development, west village, and victory........

followed by miami, dallas definitely is the best shopping destination in the south.

[tonytt]

Don't agree on Miami having lived there for over 4 years, South Beach is totally over rated, 1 or 2 smart stores do not make a good shopping district. Miami cannot compete with Houston/Dallas/Atlanta or even Orlando in terms of shopping. In fact Miami only gets good once you reach Ft Lauderdale/West Palm beach, now you're talking

In fact Miami has to go down as one of the worst run down cities in America, ghetto after ghetto, with one or two nice spots, cannot understand all the praise it gets, surely by people who've never even visited, yes it does look pretty in the pictures but the place is one huge hole. Horrible beach, with only one or 2 nightclubs yet claims to be some sort of nightlife hotspot It really could be part of Cuba, run down homes, delapidated shops, tiny little cantinas serving up junk classed as cuban fare. Horrible horrible 3rd world city.

Yeah Miami is great

[Hybrid0NE]

*takes cover while waiting for return fire*

[goodbye]

Don't agree on Miami having lived there for over 4 years, South Beach is totally over rated, 1 or 2 smart stores do not make a good shopping district. Miami cannot compete with Houston/Dallas/Atlanta or even Orlando in terms of shopping. In fact Miami only gets good once you reach Ft Lauderdale/West Palm beach, now you're talking

In fact Miami has to go down as one of the worst run down cities in America, ghetto after ghetto, with one or two nice spots, cannot understand all the praise it gets, surely by people who've never even visited, yes it does look pretty in the pictures but the place is one huge hole. Horrible beach, with only one or 2 nightclubs yet claims to be some sort of nightlife hotspot It really could be part of Cuba, run down homes, delapidated shops, tiny little cantinas serving up junk classed as cuban fare. Horrible horrible 3rd world city.

Yeah Miami is great

I would say from my experience that in most cities, the small, "hole-in-the-wall" cafes are usually the best places to find quality ethnic food. Having never been to Miami, I have no say as to exactly what it is like in person, but I don't think it can be as bad as your opinion declares, especially since so many people are moving there, and not only the poor and wealthy.

[tonytt]

Skyliner I agree with you about the hole in the wall joints, and too be fair I was being a little harsh about Miami, it's not all bad and I met some good people there, and if you know where to look there is some happening stuff about, just if you pick up the brochures or listen to certain people you'd think Miami was heaven on earth, maybe to some people it is, but each to their own I guess. There is no center, South Beach is little more than a few bars and shops, same with Miami beach just with less drug dealers. Most of the people moving there are from south and central America and they have basically turned the city into one of thier own slums.

Now let's get this straight, I love Florida, Tampa, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, St Pete, Cocoa Beach, Naples yadda yadda but Miami is a stain on the state, chop it off and let's hope it's floats back to Cuba where 75% of Miami's population would prefer it to be. It really is like being in Cuba, it's not an American city, and I don't ever consider it to be one, float away Miami float away.

[thedude26]

I'm just wondering tonytt, have you ever even been to Cuba, because I have. From my experiences, Havana and the rest of the country were very nice and the people there quite friendly. Just forming your opinions from what you have heard on TV is not the same as actually going there in person.

[tonytt]

I'm just wondering tonytt, have you ever even been to Cuba, because I have. From my experiences, Havana and the rest of the country were very nice and the people there quite friendly. Just forming your opinions from what you have heard on TV is not the same as actually going there in person.

Yes, spent 2 weeks in Cayo Coca about 3 years ago, nice resort, good beaches, friendly staff in the shops/hotels etc but the one weird thing about the place was that any Cuban nationals who neither worked in the resort or lived in the vicinity were barred from entering the resort as the government did'nt want to lower the tone of the place so the resort was basically just full of tourists.

Havana was great as well, very interesting, and although I think you've strayed way off the path if you think I have a problem with Cubans or Cuba, the only problem I have, is with Miami, hate the place, and that's my opinion there's plenty of great cities in this country, New York, Chicago, LA, Memphis, New Orleans, Boston, DC, Philly, Boston, Houston, San Antonio etc etc but in my opionion Miami is not one of them, remember my opinion though as I'm sure loads of people do love Miami .

[dan326]

In a year or two the new Perkins Rowe urban village will be finished in Baton Rouge. I've read there's only a handful of these in the nation. If your in the area the next few years you'll have to check it out. Here's the model.

[rusthebuss]

Hampton Va. is in the process of turning a mall into something just like that.

[vdogg]

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[urbanvb]

This is the upper south but Old Town Alexandria has some nice shopping opportunities as well as great restaurants mixed in as well. Also, Georgetown in DC is pretty cool too.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

In the Birmingham area, places like The Galleria and The Summit definitely make that list. The Galleria is the largest mall in the southeast, so, haha, it's a must.

[vdogg]

In a year or two the new Perkins Rowe urban village will be finished in Baton Rouge. I've read there's only a handful of these in the nation. If your in the area the next few years you'll have to check it out. Here's the model.

This looks almost exactly like the Peninsula Town Center proposed here in HR.

[Hybrid0NE]

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[kayman]

In the Birmingham area, places like The Galleria and The Summit definitely make that list. The Galleria is the largest mall in the southeast, so, haha, it's a must.

As much as I love to say this is true it's not. Riverchase is the largest mixed-used center in the South, but it is like the 4th or 5th largest shopping mall in the South nowadays. Summit Birmingham is Top 5 of the most profitable per square footage shopping center is the South and it is in the Top 20 in the nation as a whole.

[dan326]

This looks almost exactly like the Peninsula Town Center proposed here in HR.

You're right, those do look alike. What does "HR" stand for agian?

[NCB]

You're right, those do look alike. What does "HR" stand for agian?

HR stands for Hampton Roads, which is the metropolitan area surrounding Norfolk.

[Hybrid0NE]

In the Birmingham area, places like The Galleria and The Summit definitely make that list. The Galleria is the largest mall in the southeast, so, haha, it's a must.

No.

If it's climate controlled, then it doesn't count as an urban shopping destination. I would've mentioned my local favorites, Lenox & Phipps in the beginning if I wanted to discuss standard malls. These are proper Urban Shopping Destinations...

Paris - Champs-

[wrldcoupe4]

Carytown in Richmond... it's 12 blocks of about 250 stores, restaurants, and offices, plus a theater. Most of the stores are locally owned, funky, non-chain stores, though a few chains like American Apparel have opened up recently. Pretty eclectic area and definitely worth checking out.

[Trae]

You can't forget Houston's Westheimer and Rive Village.^^

[vdogg]

HR stands for Hampton Roads, which is the metropolitan area surrounding Norfolk.

Haha, indeed. I knew we dropped that moniker for a reason.

[Hybrid0NE]

I found this photo of Charleston's King Street, one of the South's successful Urban Shopping Destinations...

[TBurban]

I fell in love with King Street and the Market in Charleston. Definitely a must see when youre visiting

King Street

The Old Charleston Market

[vaceltic]

Carytown in Richmond is a decent shopping destination as well. I wish I had some pictures of it to post.

[TBurban]

Carytown in Richmond is a decent shopping destination as well. I wish I had some pictures of it to post.

Carytown is a unique shopping destination in Central Virginia. Including over a mile of shops, which for the most part, aren't found anywhere else. It's definately a must see urban shopping destination.

Maybe Coupe can hook us up with some pictures