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Re: Mandarin Oriental
Blends in nicely from the Longfellow Bridge.
Blends in nicely from the Longfellow Bridge.
Mandarin Oriental | 776 Boylston St | Back Bay
- Thread starter LeTaureau
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Re: Mandarin Oriental
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned but First Republic Bank will be occupying the easternmost corner near Lord & Taylor. The other word on the street is that Gucci will be opening a mega-store of sorts there however I have no official confirmation on that.
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned but First Republic Bank will be occupying the easternmost corner near Lord & Taylor. The other word on the street is that Gucci will be opening a mega-store of sorts there however I have no official confirmation on that.
JeffDowntown
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Re: Mandarin Oriental
It looks much better from a distance.
From Fairfield Street the construction simply looks cheap!
It looks much better from a distance.
From Fairfield Street the construction simply looks cheap!
Re: Mandarin Oriental
When Druker first proposed this building he said he was bringing in the kind of retail you can only find in New York. What a waste, another bank.
When Druker first proposed this building he said he was bringing in the kind of retail you can only find in New York. What a waste, another bank.
BostonObserver
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Re: Mandarin Oriental
Maybe they can get a Duane Reed and a D'agostino. They have amazing customer service.
Maybe they can get a Duane Reed and a D'agostino. They have amazing customer service.
Re: Mandarin Oriental
^^ You're kidding, right?...
To keep the joke up, about the best Druker (why do newspapers always say he's "sensitive to the city," by the way? everything he puts up is ghastly, and he's trying to build a Framingham office park on Shreve Crump and Low) could do to replicate New York would be two Duane Reades, a Rite Aid, a Chase and a Commerce Bank, with a mass-market "luxury" retailer and a Chipolte. Excitin' stuff.
^^ You're kidding, right?...
To keep the joke up, about the best Druker (why do newspapers always say he's "sensitive to the city," by the way? everything he puts up is ghastly, and he's trying to build a Framingham office park on Shreve Crump and Low) could do to replicate New York would be two Duane Reades, a Rite Aid, a Chase and a Commerce Bank, with a mass-market "luxury" retailer and a Chipolte. Excitin' stuff.
Re: Mandarin Oriental
Or a nice, non-chain, bagel/sanwich/salad shop? given the Mandarin's location and clientele, it wouldn't be a bad idea. it sure beats another bank. One of my favorite things about New York City is the delis and bagel shops seemingly on every corner. It's one aspect of "Manhattanization" that wouldn't be so bad for Boston.
Or a nice, non-chain, bagel/sanwich/salad shop? given the Mandarin's location and clientele, it wouldn't be a bad idea. it sure beats another bank. One of my favorite things about New York City is the delis and bagel shops seemingly on every corner. It's one aspect of "Manhattanization" that wouldn't be so bad for Boston.
Re: Mandarin Oriental
Rumor is the Best Buy on Newbury/Mass Ave is in the hole a high five figures a month in that cursed location. Maybe they can spend another $8.5M to move down to Boylston Street!
Rumor is the Best Buy on Newbury/Mass Ave is in the hole a high five figures a month in that cursed location. Maybe they can spend another $8.5M to move down to Boylston Street!
Re: Mandarin Oriental
Maybe being a 8 minute walk for the other bestbuy was not such a great idea?
Maybe being a 8 minute walk for the other bestbuy was not such a great idea?
Re: Mandarin Oriental
That's what Best Buy gets for following the Dunkin Donuts/ Starbucks business model. I guess we learned the market for overpriced coffee is different than the market for over-priced mediocre electronics.
Although, little anecdote about Best Buy's customer service: I bought (in my infinite wisdom) an HD-DVD player from them (for about $200) way back in August. Of course, mere months after my purchase, most major studios drop HD-DVD and go strictly with Blu-Ray, making my HD DVD player pointless. So Best Buy sends me a $50 gift card in the mail because my purchase is now somewhat obsolete. I was impressed. I can still use my player for my extensive DVD collection and it plays the HD-DVDs that i do have (including the incredible "Planet Earth") series. So I get 25% of my purchase price back to spend again and I still have a fully functional DVD player. I'll probably pick up some more HD-DVDs for peanuts when stores start dumping them to clear room for the Blue Ray only section. Needless to say, I was impressed with Best Buy doing that because I didn't feel I deserved anything for my ill-advised purchase late last summer.
In any case, I know there's no chance for anything other than a chain at that location, but there's no question it would be nice to have something that, well, isn't a chain (or a nice international chain, a la Zara... but isn't there one in Natick now?)
That's what Best Buy gets for following the Dunkin Donuts/ Starbucks business model. I guess we learned the market for overpriced coffee is different than the market for over-priced mediocre electronics.
Although, little anecdote about Best Buy's customer service: I bought (in my infinite wisdom) an HD-DVD player from them (for about $200) way back in August. Of course, mere months after my purchase, most major studios drop HD-DVD and go strictly with Blu-Ray, making my HD DVD player pointless. So Best Buy sends me a $50 gift card in the mail because my purchase is now somewhat obsolete. I was impressed. I can still use my player for my extensive DVD collection and it plays the HD-DVDs that i do have (including the incredible "Planet Earth") series. So I get 25% of my purchase price back to spend again and I still have a fully functional DVD player. I'll probably pick up some more HD-DVDs for peanuts when stores start dumping them to clear room for the Blue Ray only section. Needless to say, I was impressed with Best Buy doing that because I didn't feel I deserved anything for my ill-advised purchase late last summer.
In any case, I know there's no chance for anything other than a chain at that location, but there's no question it would be nice to have something that, well, isn't a chain (or a nice international chain, a la Zara... but isn't there one in Natick now?)
BosDevelop
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Re: Mandarin Oriental
How about something like a Fresh Market at the Newbury Street Best Buy location? For those who are unfamiliar, Fresh Market is sort of like a Whole Foods except I find their produce and prepared foods to be MUCH better than Whole Foods. I know there is a Trader Joes around the corner but it is not the same as a Fresh Market.
How about something like a Fresh Market at the Newbury Street Best Buy location? For those who are unfamiliar, Fresh Market is sort of like a Whole Foods except I find their produce and prepared foods to be MUCH better than Whole Foods. I know there is a Trader Joes around the corner but it is not the same as a Fresh Market.
Ron Newman
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Re: Mandarin Oriental
Newbury/Mass. Ave. needs a destination store -- something that demands that you go only there and nowhere else. Tower Records was a destination store -- even though there were a couple of other local Towers, this one dwarfed the others in size and selection. Virgin was a destination too, because it was the only one in this region.
Why Best Buy thought it was a good idea to go there, I don't understand.
Newbury/Mass. Ave. needs a destination store -- something that demands that you go only there and nowhere else. Tower Records was a destination store -- even though there were a couple of other local Towers, this one dwarfed the others in size and selection. Virgin was a destination too, because it was the only one in this region.
Why Best Buy thought it was a good idea to go there, I don't understand.
Beton Brut
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Re: Mandarin Oriental
^ Exactly!
This is a truly forlorn patch of Boston. Boylston Square would have transformed this area.
^ Exactly!
This is a truly forlorn patch of Boston. Boylston Square would have transformed this area.
Re: Mandarin Oriental
What's the situation with Air Rights over the pike at the corners of Mass Ave and Boylston? Is there potential to expand there?
In anycase, if anyone's ever been to an "El Corte Ingles" in Spain, that's a destination store. The chain has started international expansion (though not to the U.S. yet) and would be great for this spot. It's unique, and unlike your typical department store it larger stores typically sell music and electronics as well. It would do really well in this location I think.
*I could also picture the T stop there being renamed "El Corte Ingles." perfect for the growing Spanish speaking population in the U.S.
What's the situation with Air Rights over the pike at the corners of Mass Ave and Boylston? Is there potential to expand there?
In anycase, if anyone's ever been to an "El Corte Ingles" in Spain, that's a destination store. The chain has started international expansion (though not to the U.S. yet) and would be great for this spot. It's unique, and unlike your typical department store it larger stores typically sell music and electronics as well. It would do really well in this location I think.
*I could also picture the T stop there being renamed "El Corte Ingles." perfect for the growing Spanish speaking population in the U.S.