Can the Fulton Mall Have it Both Ways?
The Observer has a long piece looking at the much-ballyhooed changes to the Fulton Mall that examines whether the new tenants coming to the retail strip—”middlebrow retailers who appeal to both the design and price conscious,” like H&M—will attract “everyone from the blacks who have dominated the mall since it fell into decline decades ago…
The Observer has a long piece looking at the much-ballyhooed changes to the Fulton Mall that examines whether the new tenants coming to the retail strip—”middlebrow retailers who appeal to both the design and price conscious,” like H&M—will attract “everyone from the blacks who have dominated the mall since it fell into decline decades ago to the white bohemians and businessmen.” The piece is skeptical about whether the new stores and eateries will lure white “brownstone babies”:
“Sure, there is Shake Shack, but besides that, literally and figuratively, the new eateries consist of a barbecue place from Vegas, a candy store called Sugar and Plumm, and a Paneras? These are precisely the kinds of establishments people moved to New York, and now Brooklyn, since they have colonized so much of Manhattan, to get away from. They are fleeing middle American malls, not craving them.”
As is often noted about the Fulton Mall, the street is very much a commercial success as is: The third busiest in the city after Fifth Avenue and Times Square, and the rents are much higher than on Atlantic Avenue or Smith Street.
Will Brooklyn Flock to Fulton Street’s New Chain Stores? [NY Observer]
Photo by onesevenone
I have to say that I agree with Cara. Ugly is ugly.
Fulton Mall is a dog.
It’s not fun to be there. Its like going to the DMV to have your license renewed.
BTW last time I looked the properties on and around Fulton Mall are privately owned – so other than the street furniture and some zoning issues, why does everyone think they have so sort of say in what the Fulton Mall is or will become?
I think most of you people haven’t been to the Fulton Mall in a very long time…Yes there are inexpensive items catering to people earning less than 100K a year – your $2 socks, your $5 T-shirts, your $20 sneakers BUT there is also plenty of places selling $150 sneakers and $75 shirts and $5,000 jewelry.
People trying to differentiate Fulton Mall by claiming it as some sort of Mecca of low cost shopping are just being ridiculous. There is low cost shopping everywhere for everyone these days.
access to the upper floors take away from ground floor retail, which is where the money is.
The DOB would not make it easy to rehabilitate the upper floors of the exiting buildings. ADA access and fire egress are big issues.
Entrance hall, stairs and elevator would eat up a chunk of the floorplate of the narrow buildings. Possibly up to 30% of the ground floor area.
The larger buildings are more viable.
access to the upper floors take away from ground floor retail, which is where the money is.
The DOB would not make it easy to rehabilitate the upper floors of the exiting buildings. ADA access and fire egress are big issues.
Entrance hall, stairs and elevator would eat up a chunk of the floorplate of the narrow buildings. Possibly up to 30% of the ground floor area.
The larger buildings are more viable.
I think the visual ambiance of Fulton Mall has markedly improved over the past four or so years. The new paving, street furniture and lights are clean and upbeat. the new Albee Square design, although not brilliant, is OK. There has definitely been evolution. It is not a static place. Whether this means that there will be a change in the kind of shopper that is attracted to the area remains to be seen.
I think affluent shoppers of every race avoid the Mall. There are so many nicer places to spend your money in NY. This is not going to change, nor perhaps should it change, any time soon.
i don’t see anything wrong with cleaning this place up and bringing some big name retail stores to brooklyn. it’s not always convenient to trek into manhattan to get to some of those stores.
Snappy, the folks on this blog look their noses down on Ikea furniture and granite kitchen counters. You don’t have to be poor to elicit disdain here.