SouthPark Mall

[CLT2014]

45 minutes ago, Madison Parkitect said:

You'll be pleased to know all that faux mahogany paneling is still there and hasn't been repaired in any way since you saw it "years ago."

I think the DoubleTree South Park is one of the more polarizing hotels... and somehow it is pulling off a 4 on TripAdvisor and 4.2 on Google. 

"  The lobby is beautiful - a multistory design with plenty of seating and impressive woodwork. It definitely creates an intimate, luxurious tone to your stay. " - a 5 star review by LGILMAN479 on TripAdvisor

" Needs a renovation. BADLY. Smells damp and there seems to be a rodent issue." - a 1 star review by laurelivingston on TripAdvisor

Edited July 18, 2022 by CLT2014

[kayman]

On 7/17/2022 at 3:48 PM, JeanClt said:

SouthPark has a weird location flanked by SFH on all sides which could make things difficult…for density and transit alike. Hopefully its a place that values walkability in the future.

Buckhead central business district in Atlanta is similarly flanked on all sides by low density, single-family residental. However, they made it work. It can be achieved here with SouthPark as well. It'll come as they know the economic and future viability depends upon it. 

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, kayman said:

Buckhead central business district in Atlanta is similarly flanked on all sides by low density, single-family residental. However, they made it work. It can be achieved here with SouthPark as well. It'll come as they know the economic and future viability depends upon it. 

Are you referring to the Buckhead Village area, or the malls area? I think the latter is horrifically overrated and is what I'm fearful of SP becoming. Buckhead Village has some nice urban streets and doesn't feel like you need a car to just go one block. 

[kayman]

1 hour ago, tozmervo said:

Are you referring to the Buckhead Village area, or the malls area? I think the latter is horrifically overrated and is what I'm fearful of SP becoming. Buckhead Village has some nice urban streets and doesn't feel like you need a car to just go one block. 

These days there's no break btwn development patterns of Buckhead Village versus the Lenox Square/Phipps Plaza portions of Buckhead.  I used to live and worked in that area. It's less than a mile distance btwn the two.  It's all one continuous development along Peachtree Road from the Buckhead Village now known as the Streets of Buckhead to the malls. Most of the taller high rises and densest developments are actually btwn the two.  None of the Buckhead commercial district is walkable. 

However, SouthPark can learn from that and be more dense and pedestrian-scale. 

Edited July 19, 2022 by kayman

[AirNostrumMAD]

Can SouthPark get more dense without massive infrastructure upgrades? Buckhead has a major highway, Peachtree and 2 MARTA stops. 

Not sure The area can handle much more density and population increases with Sharon & Fairview being so small.

Mass transit outside of a huge investment in rail wouldn’t happen for decades if ever and would have to be built right if not underground… or in the center of a dramatically expanded Fairview/Sharon toward Ballantyne. It’s not even fun to speculate on mass transit upgrades to Ballantyne because it seems so beyond reality (which it shouldn’t be but it is so.) 

I think widening Tyvola/Fairway with faster lanes is the only way to get even a fraction of Buckhead. Ballantyne seems like the better investment for density (ya know. Besides infill closer within the core) 

(FYI that wasn’t a rhetorical post. Do you guys think South Park has to undergo a massive transformation to support further density?) 

Edited July 19, 2022 by AirNostrumMAD

[atlrvr]

Alexander McQueen is opening a store in South Park.  I can't tell if it's a stand-alone store or will be boutique contained within Neiman Marcus.  If it's a stand alone store, that would be one of not many across the US.

[Rufus]

2 hours ago, atlrvr said:

Alexander McQueen is opening a store in South Park.  I can't tell if it's a stand-alone store or will be boutique contained within Neiman Marcus.  If it's a stand alone store, that would be one of not many across the US.

It's gotta be an in-store boutique for NM...only NYC, Miami, LA, Dallas, Vegas, SF, and LA have stores. I also just don't know where there is available store space outside of the department stores. Still, that is awesome. 

[BigDave7772]

Alexander McQueen is opening stores in Boston at Copley and Phipps in Atlanta soon but I don’t see any openings planned for Charlotte. It must be a shop-in-shop at NM SouthPark.

https://www.simon.com/mall/copley-place/stores

https://www.tonetoatl.com/2022/07/Alexander-McQueen-Opening-New-Boutique-Phipps-Plaza-Buckhead.html?m=0

Edited July 22, 2022 by BigDave7772

[CLT>]

On 7/16/2022 at 11:28 PM, LKN704 said:

Off topic but years ago I had family stay there and it was easily one of the strangest hotels I have ever been in. Everything about it gave me this eerie feeling...I felt like I was an urban explorer walking around an abandoned hotel.

The layout of the property makes me think it was some kind of executive housing before it became a Doubletree...the check in desk and layout of the lobby reminded me of a building concierge/security desk in an apartment building, and the way they built the complex around the pool (which strangely has a waterfall in it?) also gives me apartment complex vibes. 

I saw enough faux mahogany wall-paneling for a lifetime after being in the hotel for about an hour. 

The DoubleTree  originally opened as 'Guest Quarters Hotel' which was the first 'extended stay' brand  to go after the luxury market. Based in VA they were in the South/Mid Atlantic and it was quite nice when it opened. It was subsumed into DoubleTree in the early  1990s.

[atlrvr]

On Alexander McQueen, they had a job posting up for a Store Manager, and now have inventory manager and sales associate, so I assume that is a sign it will be a stand alone store.  I think it will be a carve out of the Indochino space (downsizing maybe....it's still there right?)

[Temeteron]

10 minutes ago, atlrvr said:

On Alexander McQueen, they had a job posting up for a Store Manager, and now have inventory manager and sales associate, so I assume that is a sign it will be a stand alone store.  I think it will be a carve out of the Indochino space (downsizing maybe....it's still there right?)

The last time I was at SP indochino looked completely closed but not sure as I was in a hurry. 

[CLT2014]

27 minutes ago, Temeteron said:

The last time I was at SP indochino looked completely closed but not sure as I was in a hurry. 

They show their only Charlotte location as inside Nordstrom: https://www.indochino.com/showrooms

[Temeteron]

16 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

They show their only Charlotte location as inside Nordstrom: https://www.indochino.com/showrooms

Then that’s probably where Alexander McQueen will be!

[Rufus]

Also, MCM has opened a kiosk in the Belk wing of the main luxury court. Interesting that it's a kiosk...I wonder if they are gauging interest towards a free-standing store. I've never been a fan of the main designs od MCM, but they have some good stuff. 

[TheOneRJ]

It is indeed a standalone Alexander McQueen store. They are currently hiring for all positions including management and sales associates with a late November-early December 2022 opening. 

[TheOneRJ]

Also Altar’d State is renovating their existing store across from Apple and splitting the former Banana Republic store for two of it’s sub brands Arulla and Tullabee. A third sub brand from them AS Revival is also taking up a corner in the main store and will have it’s own entry. Once the new stores open that will leave the temporary Altar’d State space beside kate spade (formerly the Madewell store) as the only vacancy in the mall but it’s likely they already have a tenant lined up for that as well. 

[Madison Parkitect]

9 hours ago, TheOneRJ said:

Also Altar’d State is renovating their existing store across from Apple and splitting the former Banana Republic store for two of it’s sub brands Arulla and Tullabee. A third sub brand from them AS Revival is also taking up a corner in the main store and will have it’s own entry. Once the new stores open that will leave the temporary Altar’d State space beside kate spade (formerly the Madewell store) as the only vacancy in the mall but it’s likely they already have a tenant lined up for that as well. 

It's crazy to me that an entire store based around Christian Girl Autumn can do well enough to have multiple sub brands.

[LKN704]

I don't mean for this post to be offensive in anyway, and I totally get that fashion is relative...if it fits well and you think you look good, you should wear it, regardless of what others think.

That said, I genuinely don't get the fashion sense in Charlotte. It's strange, because Charlotte is a relatively large metro area, filled with a good number of people who have higher than average incomes. But walking around in Charlotte, the fashion sense reminds me of a small Midwestern town stuck in 2012 than say one of the fastest growing cities in the country. 

For example, I went out in NoDa last Saturday and went to dinner and then out in the Southend on Monday...both times I was taken back by the fashion of people around me. Tons of men were wearing V-Neck t shirts, skinny jeans, and boat shoes. Boat shoes take me back to high school, V-Necks have been dead since at least 2016, and the memorial services for skinny jeans were held years ago. Women's outfits weren't as bad, although I did get pre-Christian Girl Autumn vibes, and I saw a couple Lily Pulitzer dresses...I didn't know that was still a thing. 

Frankly, I wonder if Charlotte fashion sense is tied to the finance industry. My friends that live in NYC are always making fun of finance bros with their Patagonia vests and 2010-themed Preppy fashion, so I wonder if finance bro fashion is universal outside of NYC. 

MCM coming to Charlotte is odd to me. I always saw MCM as a gaudy brand, and easily duped. Walk around a couple neighborhoods in DC and you'll find plenty of people on the street selling fake MCM bags. I'm not into designer clothes personally, but I am into fashion and follow fashion regularly, and to me the fake MCM bags look identical to the real ones. 

My style is essentially minimal Scandi-Chic...essentially everything loose fitting and relaxed, and I don't know where I would shop in Charlotte to find clothes like this within my budget:

I was at the H&M in Southpark on Tuesday, and they really only had skinny and slim pants in men...nothing relaxed. Most of the men's clothes at their SP location were either graphic tees that had like "MIAMI" written all over them in block print, or were business clothes...dress shirts and pants, that sort of thing. To be fair, I don't have that much success here in DC either (I go to Uniqlo or COS) but they have a better selection of minimal clothing for men, and I can almost always find relaxed fitting trousers and shirts. 

One store that I am shocked Charlotte doesn't have is Club Monaco. Their stuff is expensive for what it is imo, but sometimes I find nice trousers and shirts there, and they often have sales. 

For comparison, my hometown of Albany has a better selection of on-trend stores than Charlotte does imo. While Albany lacks designer stores like LV,  they've had a H&M store (Crossgates) for 22+ years now (the store opened in 2000) and the store is gigantic...larger than any of their locations in the Charlotte area. Albany also has a second H&M at their more mid-market mall, and for many years there was a third store in the region just north of Saratoga Springs in a podunk wall (Wilton Mall)) that recently closed. One of the Macys in Albany is huge (three stories) and carries a pretty large selection of designer goods...I would put it on par with the Southpark Nordstrom. Albany also has a Zara and is getting a Primark, and friends tell me that an Uniqlo is eventually coming to the region as well. 

Edited September 9, 2022 by LKN704

[Madison Parkitect]

Charlotte is still very much a preppy Southern bank town, fashion-wise. I don't know if Club Monaco would do well here, or a Uniqlo for that matter. Zara might do well among certain groups here. I honestly don't even know how well the new J. Crew fall line will do here, even though I think it's so good.

 

@LKN704 You may be able to find some things at Tabor, they're easily the most fashion-forward male boutique here in town.

Edited September 9, 2022 by Madison Parkitect

[TylerFerreroSorel]

@LKN704 - Have you tried Tabor or Taylor, Richards & Conger? It might be worth the splurge if you can find something you really love. 

[LKN704]

3 hours ago, Madison Parkitect said:

@LKN704 You may be able to find some things at Tabor, they're easily the most fashion-forward male boutique here in town.

 

36 minutes ago, TylerFerreroSorel said:

@LKN704 - Have you tried Tabor or Taylor, Richards & Conger? It might be worth the splurge if you can find something you really love. 

Thank you both for the suggestions! 

It looks like Tabor carries two of my favorite designers...Norse Projects (Denmark) and Universal Works (UK)...both are extremely hard to find in stores in the US. It can be kind of expensive to order stuff directly from them, so I usually stick to shopping for used pieces from Grailed, unless I find pieces that are on sale. 

I no longer live in CLT, but I look forward to checking out Tabor next time I'm in town! 

[Temeteron]

8 hours ago, Madison Parkitect said:

Charlotte is still very much a preppy Southern bank town, fashion-wise. I don't know if Club Monaco would do well here, or a Uniqlo for that matter. Zara might do well among certain groups here. I honestly don't even know how well the new J. Crew fall line will do here, even though I think it's so good.

 

@LKN704 You may be able to find some things at Tabor, they're easily the most fashion-forward male boutique here in town.

Are you kidding? You just contradicted yourself. Club Monaco is rather on the preppy side and I feel that it would make a killing in Charlotte! Much better than Banana Republic or J. Crew.  Club Monaco has a more French/European style preppy which gives it some spice compared to the majority of the other stores. 

[LKN704]

12 hours ago, Temeteron said:

Are you kidding? You just contradicted yourself. Club Monaco is rather on the preppy side and I feel that it would make a killing in Charlotte! Much better than Banana Republic or J. Crew.  Club Monaco has a more French/European style preppy which gives it some spice compared to the majority of the other stores. 

I really wouldn't consider Club Monaco's men collection to be "preppy", although I do agree it does have a French/European style. Their women's collection is much more preppy and on par with J Crew and Banana imo, hence why I originally thought it would do well here. 

Here's an image from their current men's collection. In a city where there are huge swaths of men wearing stuff like Vineyard Vines and/or skinny jeans and boat shoes out on the town, a switch to an outfit like this is a pretty big change that I can't see folks making. 

Edited September 10, 2022 by LKN704

[tarhoosier]

Urban fashion discussion is a welcome addition to the board. 

[Rufus]

Any word on the Philips Place revamp? Others were mentioning a pretty significant retail updates...interested to see where that goes