The New Retail Thread

Anyone else ever check out the huge neon sign on top of the Hotel Commander right off of Cambridge Common? I've always loved it! It's so out of place, but it makes Cambridge Common feel like it might actually be a common and not just a under used park on the outskirts of Harvard Sq.
 
Apparently this opened recently?

Anyone been?

IMG_6789.jpg
 
I don't think this is a new building, but rather a new tenant in an old space.
 
Correct, Ron. This was the pale blue Eastern Pier II until about two months ago.
 
LowerRoxbury said:
Well, that has been the topic of discussion in high-end retail. Boylston is the new target with the Mandarin at one end with the likes of Gucci and the FourSeasons with Hermes and others... Vidal Sassoon is opening a new salon across from the Tannery and im sure the rennovations to facades and buildings will begin in the next couple years to house the chic. I like to think of the new duo as Madison and 5th; running parallel and featuring all of the citys best high-end retail in the city's "it" part of town; the center near the park and posh hotels.

Boston can be soooo stiff that its funny, all these tight folks walking around with a big stick lodged... Its nice to see predictions made in high school finally make it to reality.
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I remember this article from two years ago:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2006/05/14/make_way_for_millionaires/

Plus, Boston seems to becoming a rather big bash, charity city:

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/the_seven_new_rules_for_the_proper_boston_host/
 
I haven't been, but I think I remember hearing that it's owned by the same people who have Stadium over in Southy Proper (to which I've never been either).
 
Referring to the Make way for Millionaires-

Apart from the wealth-poverty gap, I'd say this is very good for Boston in general. Wealthy, hip people will bring more hip people, and make Boston more 'culturally trendy'-not that Boston doesn't already have an abundance of culture. The city will become more desirable to the rich, who have influence, and when the rich are trendy, they'll invest in hipper, trendier, nicer architecture-which with any luck, will exhibit proper urban planning as outlined by ablarc's posts.
 
Wealthy people Boston has always had a lot of. Hip they have never been, and wealthy people with style aren't generally attracted to the idea of living here. Gucci and Armani on Newbury Street have always more or less been the haunt of Russians or Italians flaunting their robber-baron families' wealth while they put in their couple years picking up a Harvard MBA.

Plus I think art and design culture trickle up more than they trickle down, which is why the stylishly wealthy tend to invade erstwhile relatively poor artsy neighborhoods like Williamsburg. They prey on the creative impulses of the artistic underclass.
 
czsz said:
Wealthy people Boston has always had a lot of. Hip they have never been, and wealthy people with style aren't generally attracted to the idea of living here.
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I think that sums up the reason behind every problem cited on this board!
 
Good news! okw, the women's fashion shop at 234 Clarendon Street in the Back Bay to 631 Tremont Street in the South End.

Because if there's one thing we need more of in the South End, it's women's clothing.
 
The South End needs more retail, period - neighborhood retail. Tremont and Washington should be bustling with more than a few scattered restaurants - they should be lined with delis, small groceries, pharmacies, hardware stores, etc.
 
JimboJones said:
Good news! okw, the women's fashion shop at 234 Clarendon Street in the Back Bay to 631 Tremont Street in the South End.

Because if there's one thing we need more of in the South End, it's women's clothing.
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Why is that a bad thing. The south end is loaded with too many empty stores, banks and real estate offices.
 
I don't see many empty stores or offices. And the real estate offices are dropping like flies.

It's bad because they end up closing after three months from a lack of business, that's why. The corner of Dartmouth and Warren sees more action than the Combat Zone on a Saturday night.
 
I can think of at least 5 in the desireable section of Tremont, 2 on Washington St by the Catherdral, another at 35 West Newton, at least 3 on Harrison and I'm sure there are more.
 
I can't argue that there aren't empty storefronts, and I'm (very) happy that at least one company is investing in the neighborhood. I just think the dress shops (and home furnishings and knick-knack shops) have limited appeal. Plus, a dress shop doesn't have the type of traffic that some other types of stores have (mostly, restaurants, but you can't have those, everywhere). Real estate agencies are bad for this reason, as are dental offices and law offices.

The five on the "most desirable" are being filled, shortly, FYI, if by "desirable" you mean my area. Stephi's on Tremont is going into Garden of Eden, Bostonian Market is being renovated ... actually, that's it. Who knows what will happen to the photo shop (maybe they can start selling fake IDs like the other shop ...).

The empty storefronts near Cathedral are empty because the owner is stubborn, I think, based on comments he made in the South End News. Looking for rents he can't expect to get. Don't know about Harrison.

Tremont St near where okw is going will be reborn when the commercial spots at 641-643 are done and when the spots at 657-659 are done, both next year.
 
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