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May 21, 2008
StreetLevel: Swedish Fast Fashion to Invade Fulton Mall?

Intriguing...Racked is reporting via "an informant" that H&M's second Brooklyn location (the other's way down on Avenue U) is going to be at the Fulton Mall. If the rumor's true, it'll be a victory for the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, which has been pushing for more big-name chains to sign leases at the Mall.
Storecasting: H&M to Set Up Shop on Fulton Mall [Racked] GMAP
Fulton Mall ‘Mallification’ Inevitable? [Brownstoner]
Photo by wallyg.
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Comments
Awesome. Are they going to enter the shrink-wrapped sneaker market?
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:08 PM
WOO HOO
Maybe the Brooklyn locations will have more selection and sizes because all the tourists won't be showing up buying everything in sight.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:09 PM
guffaw
Hey those shrink-wrapped sneakers are a Brooklyn classic, 2:08!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:10 PM
it still won't make fulton mall appealing in the slightest....i'll still do my shopping in manhattan, thanks anyways h&m....
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:11 PM
apparently the addition of h&m won't make you any less pretentious either, 2:11.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:20 PM
it's not as if 34th street is that much more appealing to non-tourists than fulton mall. the areas around the midtown h&ms are slightly better, but not enough to justify dealing with the commute (and, also, the tourists). verdict: yay!
Posted by: i disagree at May 21, 2008 2:22 PM
Black people love H&M.
this will not effect Fulton Mall at all.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:24 PM
Yay, an H&M in the middle of Fulton Mall, I can buy cheaply made, over priced T-shirts AND stolen electronics, all on the same block! How exciting....
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:32 PM
It's a victory for us all (and as a black person, I'm happy this will keep the haters out)
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:33 PM
Mario Batali and Morimoto will open there soon!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:34 PM
I thought black's were buying gucci this days
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:37 PM
I'm a white Boerum Hill resident (brownstone owner, no less!), and 2:33 and I will be outstyling all you boring Manhattan snobs. The H&M news is really exciting.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:39 PM
The comments section of this website really shows what the United States has become.
You all literally sound like you have IQ's of about 40.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:44 PM
yeah, yes, woo hoo!!!!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:45 PM
People including myself who visit these sites actually have a IQ of 20!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:48 PM
its a start, but its going to take a lot more to make fulton more diverse.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:50 PM
Just bought in Boerum Hill and thats great news...FULTON MALL IS A DUMP... Hopefully some better retailers keep coming in...
EVERYONE settle down because gentrification is coming to Downtown Brooklyn...
Seriously how many ghetto cell phone stores do they need...
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:55 PM
anyone who doesn't think that this is a positive thing for fulton street and brooklyn in general does not belong in brooklyn.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:00 PM
im actually wearing an H&M button up shirt that cost me $9.50.
greatest
store
ever
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:02 PM
i agree 2:55, Fulton is not my idea of a fun place to shop. People get so upset when you say that, but lets be real, it is a dump...
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:04 PM
H & M is the IKEA of clothing...
That said, good for Brooklyn!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:12 PM
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH PARK SLOPE?!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:21 PM
jealousy!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:21 PM
SCREW PARK SLOPE!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:23 PM
why bother dealing with dumpy fulton mall to go to an h+m, when the village has much better shopping, much more enjoyable atmosphere, and is a 10 minute subway ride away????
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:26 PM
or you can move to Park Slope. if you lived in park slope, you never have to leave your neighborhood! in fact, you're not allowed to leave! you must remain within Park Slope and never venture out. see those big tall buildings over yonder, across the river? YOU DONT WANT TO GO THERE! stay here.... never leave ... sit in your little room and type comments into as many blog as possible
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:30 PM
the west village is nothing but sex in the city bus tours and overpriced cucakes.
have you BEEN to bleeker street lately???
5 marc jacobs stores and a sunglass hut. on ONE STREET!
they don't even have condomania anymore!!
the west village after 8pm is nothin but jersey.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:31 PM
2:55 and 3:04:
I love going to fulton mall. I know its a dump, but its unique and being somewhat of a sneaker head, they have the best selection of sneakers ANYWHERE!
Also, as the LES has gentrified, I find that you can't find anything like this in manhattan anymore. You used to be able to get sneakers, a knock-off gucci or louis vuitton tracksuit and grills in many places in manhattan. No more, my friends. I was very, very sad to see Beat Street go. That was an awesome record shop.
Also, I think many of the posters who dis Fulton Mall, don't realize that this real estate is expensieve for shops and it makes money.
While I welcome H&M (they also have a shop at the end of flatbush ave by the water), I hope Fulton Mall doesn't gentrify too much and eliminate what makes it a desination for local shoppers (all of whom, I assume are not snobby brownstoner readers).
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:31 PM
I know you are! but what am I?
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:36 PM
keep trying, 3:33, eventually that comment will be just perfect!
Posted by: z at May 21, 2008 3:37 PM
The best thing about H&M is...ITS NOT IN PARK SLOPE!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:38 PM
actually 2:55's comment was in fact pretty lame, so i withdraw my snark at 3:33.
Posted by: z at May 21, 2008 3:38 PM
My question is, when are they going to put a bike path in there? It's a no brainer, as it's the perfect connection between the DeKalb path and the Adams/Tillary/Brooklyn Bridge connection; and, it's already car-free.
Way I see it, they should put a two-way bike path in the middle of the street, and let the buses operate and make stops on either side.
Posted by: sdrubbins at May 21, 2008 3:38 PM
Buying clothes at H&M that last about 6 months is why many of you can't save for a downpayment.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 3:40 PM
SCREW PARK SLOPE!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:44 PM
And, to be on-topic: the Fulton Mall argument has been beaten to death. The facts are simple: it brings in more money per square foot and/or per capita than any other retail district in Brooklyn. Yes, it's different from Montague St./Smith St./5th Ave./7th Ave./etc. Yes, the storefronts are loud and ugly. Yes, more black poeople than white people shop there. THAT'S OKAY. Not every retail district has to be a clone of the same cookie-cutter yuppie ideal. Fulton Mall has been and continues to be a raving success, just the way it is. Anyone who thinks it needs to change is either a snob or a developer.
Nevertheless, we know how these things play out. The snobs and developers always win. Like it or not, Fulton Mall is going to change.
I just hope the change includes a bike path so I don't get run over by a bus.
Posted by: sdrubbins at May 21, 2008 3:45 PM
some people will be glad, most people won't care. i plan to shop this location on the occasion i need something cheap, trendy & cheaply made.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:49 PM
Sunset park is where its at!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:50 PM
sdrubbins is correct. Fulton Mall does command more money per sq foot because of the heavy traffic. much more then 5th ave or 7th ave in park slope....WHICH ROCKS!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:52 PM
"I just hope the change includes a bike path so I don't get run over by a bus."
You gotta know what you're doing! Dodging the buses and never-look-for-a-bike pedestrians is all part of the fun, man! You guys don't even know how to enjoy Brooklyn.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 3:53 PM
oh, dave. so disappointed in you. today i'm wearing a skirt i bought at h&m three years ago for $19. it still looks great, and i bought a brownstone last year.
Posted by: i disagree at May 21, 2008 3:54 PM
yum!
Posted by: z at May 21, 2008 3:58 PM
i disagree is my new hero.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:01 PM
i disagree....I probably spoke too harshly. Sometimes, not very often, but sometimes I do that. I went to the one on 5th Ave about 6-7 years ago when it first opened and walked out the stuff was so bad. I'm sure its gotten better.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 4:02 PM
SUNSET PARK!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:06 PM
I meant heroine.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:07 PM
dave, it's all about separating the wheat from the chaff. 4:01 clearly has equally great judgment and...z, are you flirting with me??? let's leave the PDA to biff & dave, okay?
Posted by: i disagree at May 21, 2008 4:14 PM
YAY! I sure hope this is true.
Posted by: MsBrooklyn at May 21, 2008 4:14 PM
SUNSET PARK is where its at.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:15 PM
after reading everyone's comments, i think its funny that so many people get so upset when someone says they don't enjoy to shop on fulton....someone else has a different opinion of it...why do you care soooo much that you would freak out? and lets be realistic here, its not like fulton has a stellar reputation to begin with, and it does NOT have something for everyone either....and don't pull that "my hood" or "you don't belong in brooklyn" crap just because someone doesn't like fulton mall...just because you pay rent here, doesn't mean you have to be head over heals in love with everything in this borough...
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:16 PM
i disagree, had you shopped at goodwill, you would have been able to buy two brownstones last year. and to think i was about to compliment you before the pda comment...hmmmph. it's ok, i still like you.
Posted by: Biff Champion at May 21, 2008 4:18 PM
3:33, 3:38 and 3:45 you are clueless...
Its not about being a snob. The area is changing just like everywhere else nothing will forever stay the same. Its not about race its about money and a quality of life...People are paying alot of money to live here and stores will cater to them just like everywhere else.SO see ya cellphone and beeper stores and bail bonds and so on...
And who is this jackass that keeps saying I cant get smeakers anywhere but Fulton Mall???DUDE go online like everyone else...
I just moved to Boerum Hill and think that Fulton Mall can be a higher quality of stores with some restaurants and so on...Why not??? Because you need cell phone stores and cheezy sneaker stores...
And like the other poster said go to Manhattan every now and then and hit up those sneaker stores..
Times are changing either get on board or head EAST my friend...
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:22 PM
don't confuse a lustful "yum" with a flirtatious heroine comment
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 4:24 PM
4:16 you're missing the point. You don't have to like it. Lots of people don't like it. That's fine. The problem is when you go from "I don't like it" to "I don't like it, therefore it should change."
You don't lose anything if Fulton Mall stays the same; there are presumably plenty of places for you to shop around Brooklyn that are more to your taste. But there are a lot of people who actually like Fulton Mall, and if it changes than they do lose something. So all else being equal, it seems to me that the status quo should win out here.
But again, we know that all else is not equal, and change is the only constant around here. These discussions have an air of inevitability...
Posted by: sdrubbins at May 21, 2008 4:26 PM
right on 4:22
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:27 PM
Daveinbedstuy, you NEVER know what you are talking about.
I sew. I have friends in fashion. I know about clothing construction. And H&M clothes are well made. Often the skirts are lined. There are extra buttons sewn in the tags inside. The fit is excellent. The fabric contents are mostly good. The designs are very fashion-forward. Thus why people like Stella McCartney design lines there.
On the other hand, the higher priced moderate lines (Banana Republic, Gap, etc) are total crap. You can spend hundreds on sweaters in those places and they're pilling after one day's wear. Skirts and pants aren't lined. The fit is heinous. The clothing designs are square and boring.
Oh and by the way, I shop at H&M and we own a brownstone debt-free. Paid cash.
Love spending less on clothes.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:29 PM
aww, biff. i don't shop at goodwill these days, but i do donate! and don't be mad, i'm just trying to preserve your unique role here.
Posted by: i disagree at May 21, 2008 4:31 PM
sdrubbins...you are speaking way above their heads!!! Glad to have you on board...and love the "her-on-top" comment from that loft condo post
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 4:31 PM
4:26, most of the people that said they don't like fulton mall, say they do their shopping in manhattan...the comments that followed called them a snob. Most people I know shop in the city, and don't even think about wanting to change fulton mall..I know I don't.....so what is it? Shop somewhere you like and say you don't like fulton mall and get called a snob for not loving fulton, or shop there and hate it, but you're not allowed to wish it had more things for you....you're argument doesn't make any sense, and is a complete double standard.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:33 PM
I couldn't care less about that stuff at H&M 4:29. Its got a reputation for cheap clothes because it desreves it. I'm not saying its a bad COMPANY. It has actually been a good stock longer term. But the stuff they sell, they sell to downmarket...and that's good these days. But to say its high quality is a load of crap.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 4:36 PM
i disagree, I could never be mad at you. And I think donating to Goodwill is benevolent. I'm not sure of my unique role here but have been trying to keep the PDA's to a minimum as of late. Anyway, I do enjoy your posts quite a bit (no flirting or a PDA intended).
Posted by: Biff Champion at May 21, 2008 4:39 PM
Fulton Mall also has the largest ratio of gallons of spit per square foot. It really is a beautiful place Brooklyn should be proud!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:40 PM
and in addition to 4:33, Fulton Mall is not some hidden neighborhood strip...its a major commercial strip in the middle of down town brooklyn...it SHOULD cater to a larger variety of people, because a large variety of people live in brooklyn and the surrounding neighborhoods...cities are fluid and organic...they can't be frozen in time...
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 4:47 PM
4:40 said, "Fulton Mall also has the largest ratio of gallons of spit per square foot."
4:47 said, "cities are fluid and organic...they can't be frozen in time..."
What a coincidental pair of posts!
Posted by: Biff Champion at May 21, 2008 4:55 PM
Biff that's way above their heads..they won't understand. Did you read sdrubbins 4:26...great stuff!!!!
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 4:58 PM
4:33 it's not a double standard. Fulton Mall skews toward the lowbrow (for lack of better terminology). If you don't like the lowbrow stuff, and shop elsewhere, then more power to you. That's fine.
But if your attitude is, "it's lowbrow, it's urban blight, it must change because it's not to my taste" then you are a snob. The numbers tell the story: it's the most economically successful retail district in Brooklyn, bar none.
You live in Boerum Hill and want some highbrow shopping near you? Fine - I do too, actually. So you can go to the boutiques on Atlantic Ave, or Smith St, or up to 5th Ave, or that nice block of Bergen St.... But having the lowbrow Fulton Mall nearby means more variety. That's a good things, as long as there is a satisfactory number of highbrow places near you.
Let's also not forget, there is a very real possible downside to the prospect of development. Look at 7th Avenue: the rents skyrocketed over the lest 20 years, such that it's near-impossible to succeed with a small business there. That's why all the good restaurants and bars are on 5th Ave now. It seems crazy that you might have lingering empty storefronts in such an intensely gentrified area, but they're there.
In other words, strange as it sounds, development and gentrification in Fulton Mall might actually lead to economic depression in that area.
My argument is simple, and involves no double standard: if it ain't broke don't fix it. And Fulton Mall, even if it isn't to your taste, definitely ain't broke.
Posted by: sdrubbins at May 21, 2008 5:24 PM
"Look at 7th Avenue: the rents skyrocketed over the lest 20 years, such that it's near-impossible to succeed with a small business there. That's why all the good restaurants and bars are on 5th Ave now."
This is not a crazy defense of Park Slope post and I actually am really enjoying your thoughtful posts, Sdrubbins (truly) but in the last year, some really fine restaurants have opened on 7th Avenue...Barrio, Moim, Chiles and Chocolate, some say Elementi, but I won't go in there for personal reasons...
I still COMPLETELEY agree with you about rents being outrageous and the fact that there are way too many empty storefronts still (especially given the extreme affluence of the nearby area) but perhaps it's making a small comeback.
5th is still more fun, but I've seen 7th making a resurgence over the last year.
Your comments about Fulton Street are spot on. Thanks for your posts. They are fun to read.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 5:43 PM
"In other words, strange as it sounds, development and gentrification in Fulton Mall might actually lead to economic depression in that area."
You are so full of crap sdrubbins. I hope the buses hit and kill you.
Fulton Mall is trash. The people who shop there are trash. It needs to be plowed under and they need to start again. Totally ghetto and dirty.
Let the gentrification begin.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 5:43 PM
both Dave and Biff depress me -- I mean, are they on here commenti ng every ten minutes? do they not have a life? must the be know-it-alls about EVERY damn thing including H&M? I mean, I know someday I'll be retired too and sitting at home in my underwear waiting for my check from the government to arrive, but please god, don't make blogs my only hobby!
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 5:45 PM
sdrubbins, i missed the part where you established that h&m was highbrow. have you ever actually been to an h&m? it's like target or ikea, except all clothes. or is it that you think the h&m is like the marijuana of retail gentrification - a gateway leading inexorably to an ann taylor loft?
Posted by: i disagree at May 21, 2008 5:49 PM
5:43 is clearly unbalanced.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 5:52 PM
Hear hear 5:43!
Arguing in defense of Fulton Mall is like saying 'well heroin is the best cash crop out there so there's no reason to destroy those fields to make way for other crops.' Just because these ghetto dwellers dump their welfare checks on the fake diamond pendants and knock-off sneakers and stolen cell phones that litter the Fulton Sewer doesn't mean we should keep it and doesn't make it an asset to Brooklyn. Move it and the trash out. Bring in a more civilized area.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 5:57 PM
5:52 is clearly a loser who shops at the Fulton Mall and actually likes it and wants to preserve this nasty piece of Brooklyn's un-glamorous recent past.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 5:57 PM
Phew, sorry I'm late 5:45. Has it really been almost an hour since I was here? Time flies... I got caught up in a bit of work and wasn't able to stick to the one comment every 10 minutes pace, but I should be ok now. Actually, I'm not retired and have plenty of hobbies. As it happens, I'm at work, in a suit and getting paid (not too shabbily I might add) as I'm posting. I likely won't be living government paycheck to paycheck when retired either, but if you know that's something you'll be doing, best of luck, buddy!
Posted by: Biff Champion at May 21, 2008 5:57 PM
5:57 #1 and #2=5:43=mentally unstable, potential workplace shooter.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 6:05 PM
I've had beefs with Biff before but, damn, he was pretty funny and clever today with that 4:55 spit/fluid connection above and the Kurd/whey joke on the 144 Underhill thread.
Posted by: johnife at May 21, 2008 6:28 PM
6:05 - troll with no taste, class, education or job.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 6:36 PM
Yes, 6:05, when you have no real point, try insulting a poster. Really makes you look smart.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 6:40 PM
I bet all the white people dissing Fulton Mall for it being "ghetto" here are voting for Obama.
White liberals are a funny bunch.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 8:05 PM
Yeah, and they don't know how to rock a good pair of AF1s.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 8:13 PM
i was excited until i realized this post said H&M not S&M.
Posted by: BrooklynLove at May 21, 2008 8:31 PM
I bet 8:05 doesn't realize that not all black people like Fulton Mall either. Idiot.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 9:00 PM
As I was exiting Macy's at the Livinston Street exit on Sunday with my sale rack loot (you can find some pretty amazing bargains on some basically decent -not stellar but decent- clothing), two guys tried to mug me. While one was asking some non-sensical question in a repetitive fashion meant to confuse me, the other was coming at me from the other side. I just ran.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 9:12 PM
8:05 - why did you try to mug 9:12?
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 10:53 PM
johnife, thanks for that. Our one-day feud is a thing of the past and I enjoy reading your posts.
Regarding Fulton Mall, I'm not there often, but I sometimes walk through it on my way to somewhere else, such as Park Slope or Pathmark. As one who lives nearby, I'm happy to hear an H&M will open there. I'm all for the mom and pops, but I don't think there's a high risk of this area looking like a suburban mall anytime soon so I welcome new places that will potentially expand the population of visitors to the area. If, as sdrubbins said, there's a demand for the "lowbrow stuff", that's fine too - sort of like how you have high end stores on 5th Avenue in Manhattan from 50-59th Street and the lower end stores below 50th. And I would love to see more bicycle paths too!
Posted by: Biff Champion at May 22, 2008 8:48 AM
h&m blows. cheap clothing that gets destroyed in a month.
Posted by: guest at May 22, 2008 11:17 AM
i disagree - actually, I don't shop for clothes much, but when I do it's almost exclusively at H&M. I really like their stuff - half the price of most similar chains, and cut to fit skinny people like me.
I don't think H&M in particular is out of place there, just as I never thought A&S/Macy's was out of place. I was extremely sad when Gage & Tollner shut down. I'm just speaking to the broader sentiment of "it's dirty and ugly (and unpleasant for white shoppers uncomfortable being in the *minority* in the vicinity) and it therefore needs to be bulldozed and replaced with something more pleasant and less threatening." If you don't like it, you don't need to go there. It's doing fine without you.
Don't get me wrong, I *love* the idea of Brooklyn having a beautiful pedestrian mall, like some you find in Europe. But it doesn't need to be in Fulton Mall, which again is doing fine as it is. It's the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" rule.
Here's an idea for an area that really could stand to be rehabbed: instead of building a bunch of ugly, highrise condos, create a commercial-zoned pedestrian mall on the Atlantic Yards next to Atlantic Ave, leading from Vanderbilt to the new arena.
And while we're talking crazy ideas, questions whether we really need buses in Fulton Mall at all. Why not make the mall just for pedestrians and bicyclists, and route the buses up Livingston. That in itself would do a lot to clean the place up. Less smog and noise, and surely shoppers could walk the 50 yards or so from Livingston to get there.
Meh. If only I was mayor, everything would be better, I tells ya...
Posted by: sdrubbins at May 22, 2008 1:13 PM
I think there's rooom for everything at Fulton Mall...some of the existing businesses and new ones, as well. Fulton St (before it was the "mall") was populated by no less than five different major department stores -- five different prices points -- and dozens of smaller retailers in the mix. There was something for everyone. Why that merchandise mix can't be restored is beyond me. The all-or-nothing argument doesn't make sense.
Posted by: guest at May 22, 2008 2:11 PM
If you were mayor, sdrubbins, the city would suck.
Btw: not interested that you are skinny and don't assume people who hate fulton mall are all white.
That said, what fat people can shop at H&M? The current overweight demographic that shops at the Fulton Mall? Guess again. H&M is for skinny white tweens. Time to grow up.
Posted by: guest at May 22, 2008 2:25 PM

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