The New Retail Thread

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. 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.
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Robber-baron?

I would agree with you on the point in the old-money crowd that Boston has. However, it seems like a rather large class of wealthy businessmen, athletes, and professionals has emerged in the last decade or two. Couldn't you say that this is starting change the lifestyles, culture, and spending habits of Boston residents to a degree?
 
I find that the professionals who opt to move to/stay in Boston tend to either be attracted to or come to imitate the Ralph Lauren culture of Boston elites. Khakis all around.

As for athletes - sure, they're high rollas, and their tastes trend away from boaters and unironic argyle, but they're a small set, they don't seem to have that much cultural influence, and they tend to spend large swathes of the year residing somewhere else, anyway.

I mean, the Natick luxury mall is tanking (they bet the nearby Wellesley/Weston set would be interested in upgrading their style...and were dead wrong), but J. Press and the Andover Shop endure.
 
JimboJones said:
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 ...).
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I wasn't counting any of those spots. I don't know what kind of retail can make it with such high rents. I also think that there can't be demand for too many more restaurants. Stephi, Parrish, Mohr-Mcpherson's cafe and the new Senegal restaraunt will all be opening soon. Todd English is always rumored to be looking tin the southe end.
 
I missed this in today's Globe.

Re: Mohr & McPherson's:

It'll be a while before it airs, but producers of "Style Boston" gave folks a sneak peek at the TV show the other night. Creators Terri Stanley and Anna Cheshire Levitan (inset), producer Drew Holt, and hosts Tonya Chen Mezrich and Michael Tarshi hosted a screening of the first episode at Mohr & McPherson's new showroom in the South End.

Dropping by to take a look were Four Seasons GM Bill Taylor, real estate royalty Kevin Ahern and Don Chiofaro, Serenella owner Leslee Shupe, Beehive co-owner Jennifer Epstein, tie guy Tony Corey, Parthenon Capital's Ernest Jacquet, Bentley boss Paul Downey, Costal Capital Partners director Bill Earon, Mount Vernon Company founder Bruce Percelay, city parks commissioner Antonia Pollack, and socialites Linda Pizzuti, Ashley Bernon, and Nina Fialkow.
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czsz said:
I find that the professionals who opt to move to/stay in Boston tend to either be attracted to or come to imitate the Ralph Lauren culture of Boston elites. Khakis all around.

As for athletes - sure, they're high rollas, and their tastes trend away from boaters and unironic argyle, but they're a small set, they don't seem to have that much cultural influence, and they tend to spend large swathes of the year residing somewhere else, anyway.

I mean, the Natick luxury mall is tanking (they bet the nearby Wellesley/Weston set would be interested in upgrading their style...and were dead wrong), but J. Press and the Andover Shop endure.
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I haven't heard or seen much on the success or failure of the Natick luxury stores. Of course, I'm guessing it could be tough due to the economy as well.
 
Oh to paraphrase a commenter from one of the newspapers some time ago:

If my wife and I were to spend a million dollars or more on a condo, Nouvelle in Natick-by-the-Sea would be my choice. Consider the architecture which is a breath taking reminder of the Satalinist Russian style and copied so painstakingly by the designers of the Holiday Inn chain. Then there are the views from above: the sunrise over Boston Scientific, the sunset over the State Police training center, and to the east and west the stunning view of Dick's Sporting Goods and the Turnpike toll booths. Who wouldn't want to live there?

Nightly strolls through the mall while gazing at the "Going out of Business Clearance Sale" signs in the shop windows. Stopping for a late night treat at Sbarro's where fine Italian style dining is unparalled and copied by the fine chefs of the North End restauranteurs. Change of cuisine anyone? Who could pass up the chance to sample the wares of the fast food Indian or sample the succulent BBQ ribs and the sides of refried beans at Cajun Cafe, fresh from the steam table. Lastly, the advantage of being first in line for one of the many "Annual" sales at Macy's make living at Nouvelle all worth while.

Personal security at Nouvelle is a guarantee as the aisles are patrolled 24/7 by guys and gals in Smokey the Bear hats and all are 3rd degree Black Belt Tai Kwon Do experts, each carrying a can of mace and spray deodorant. The exterior is patrolled by former Green Beret veterans who drive in Jeeps with green and yellow lights on top of their vehicles with the printed moto,"Sometimes Vigilant".

If one agrees that this is the dream lifestyle, contact your CRA saddled banker. Compelled by that wonderful bit of legislation, the bank is more than willing to loan up to 90% of the value of your new condo with a special wet kiss from Barney Frank and a 'friendly' handshake from Christopher Dodd.
 
That Natick "Collection" was a boneheaded move doomed to failure. I'm honestly glad it tanked to significantly put a damper on any more regional malls being constructed. While placing housing on site seems like a good idea from a urbanist standpoint. Who really wants to live in the middle of a sea of parking lots? To be dripping with sarcasm: tower or block in the park, meets auto-itecture, meets mall, sounds like a winning combination to me.

In other luxury news; the new Gucci store is utterly tacky and a terrible place to spend 3 hours while your wife decides on a new handbag. I highly recommend using the Apple store as a distraction on that stretch of Boylston. If one does enter the Apple store with a significant other, do everything possible to distract them from longingly gazing across the street towards that infernal boutique.
 
I've gone in Apple countless times just to walk up and down that staircase. An hour on each floor would give the significant other plenty of time to decide on a handbag that costs as much as your new Macbook, iPhone, and reservation at the Genius Bar, no?
 
Motley, in the South End, has a "going out of business" sign in its window.
 
They moved down the street.
IMG_7335.jpg



New location is sliiightly bigger, but better distributed. Wine area is much nicer. Beed selection seems slightly larger (I saw Brahma, ew, and Sol, yay, which werent there before). Liquor area seems smaller.
 
Boston Globe - January 29th
Good news! Corporation rescues Out of Town stand

By Jenna Nierstedt, Globe Correspondent | January 29, 2009

Don't stop the presses yet - Out of Town News, the Harvard Square newsstand and historic landmark, is not closing.

Retail store operator Muckey's Corp., which runs newsstands in the Boston area under Patriot News Inc., signed a five-year lease Monday to take over Out of Town News. It will remain a newsstand, per the signed contract, but also because Muckey's wanted to maintain the tradition.

"I am looking forward to being a part of the community in Cambridge," said Mike Patel, owner of Muckey's Corp., which is headquartered in Pembroke. "I'm very proud to have the business at such a historical place.

"We're going to keep the same kind of vision, and we will try to have more items of whatever the people want. It's still going to be a newsstand. We're not changing anything."

Muckey's will take over on Sunday, Patel said.

The decades-old newsstand, which sells domestic and international publications, was rumored to be closing this month, after its former operator, Hudson News of East Rutherford, N.J., did not renew its lease with the City of Cambridge, citing diminished demand for print news. The lease was to expire Saturday.

When word surfaced in November that Out of Town might close, residents and shoppers expressed shock, while the city scrambled to find another news dealer.

Cambridge, which owns the 450-square-foot property, opened the space up to bidders.

Muckey's Corp. had the highest bid, at $140 per square foot, said Ini Tomeu, Cambridge public information officer. Unofficial Tours, a Harvard student organization that gives tours of the university, came in second with a bid of $136 per square foot. Current manager, Kallol Barua, bid $106.43.

"I think it's fabulous they're keeping the tradition, something that I started," said Sheldon Cohen, who founded Out of Town News in 1955. "I wish them the very best and hope they continue as a newsstand. The community will patronize it."

Cohen sold the business to Hudson News in 1994.

Globe correspondent Victoria Cheng contributed to this report.
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Very good news, especially since this is a local Massachusetts company.
 
Not new but Brooks Brothers on Newbury is nearly finished with a full interior renovation. It's still very clubby with dark(er) wood, navy carpeting and hardwood floors in line with the Madison Avenue store. The women's section has been moved to the east side of the lower level and the other side remains as shirts, ties, shoes, etc., the second floor will be men's casual, Country Club, and a few other lines and the third will still be suits, sportcoats, formalwear and Black Fleece. Some office space located on the upper floors will also be converted to retail and said offices will move to the basement.
 
Google Maps puts this at the site of the Berklee Bookstore.

From the City of Boston's Board of Appeals:

The Stellar Restaurant Group
seeking with reference to the premises at
1078-1080 Boylston Street, Ward 4
from the terms of the Boston Zoning Code (see Acts of 1956, c, 665) in the
following respect: Conditional Use

Change the legal occupancy to include a restaurant with for
seventy-two patrons and a #36A take-out license.
 
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