The Americana at Brand opened up its doors on May 2nd,and I was wondering if any of you have been there and what are your impressions of the place ?

http://www.americanaatbrand.com

I have yet to go there, but from the looks of it, it's a carbon copy of The Grove (same developer).

http://devanwells.blogspot.com/2008/05/blog-post.html

I went.

I have yet to go there, but from the looks of it, it's a carbon copy of The Grove (same developer).

Its okay westside its just Glendale.... :nuts:

Such a boring store list

I wish they had built a shopping mall in downtown or at least a somewhat same thing as they did with 3rd street promanade

I wish they had built a shopping mall in downtown or at least a somewhat same thing as they did with 3rd street promanade

it's called LA Live.

^ No. LA Live will not have any retail.

Will definitely take some business away from the Galleria across the street.

Rick Caruso will probably just buy it demolish it, and turn it into another outdoor mall and rename it the glendale galleria town center

From what I understand, the Galleria may be ok since it has lower end stores than Americana. The two somewhat complement each other.

I hope they will offer sufficient non-compact parking for visitors. I would hate to go and have to squeeze in into a tiny park-spot and be concerned about my car getting scratched up.... :ohno: As far as the site, looks great!!!

How is the galleria doing anyway? From what I read and hear, the era of the gigantic indoor mall is about to come to an end. How's the occupancy at the galleria? I would hate to see it demolished and "downscaled" like what's happening to a lot of large indoor malls nowadays. Lots of us kids of the 80s have fond memories of hanging out at large indoor malls like the galleria after school, hanging out at the orange julius, playing video games at the arcade and what not.

Other then Glendale Galleria there is a few more indoor malls left. There is Burbank Town Center, Sherman Oaks Galleria, Beverly Center, Fox Hills Mall (very end of Superbad shot in there :)), Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Westside Pavilion, and i guess Santa Monica Place but that is a ghost town.

The south bay area has 3: Del Amo Fashion Center, South Bay Galleria, South Bay Pavilion

Almost every mall in the San Gabriel Valley is an indoor mall. Puente Hills Mall was used for the mall in Back to the Future :) but it looks nothing like that anymore.

I do not know about you all, but I actually love and miss all the indoor malls. A movie just is not as fun when shot at an outdoor mall :tongue3:

There is also the renovated Topanga Mall, which is great, it really has a great Food Court and some nice shops

i knew i probably missed one. didn't notice that one.

Ugh I went there today and it was pretty much The Grove. No one held any bags and blah blah.

( I really really hate The Grove )

Other then Glendale Galleria there is a few more indoor malls left. There is Burbank Town Center, Sherman Oaks Galleria, Beverly Center, Fox Hills Mall (very end of Superbad shot in there :)), Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Westside Pavilion, and i guess Santa Monica Place but that is a ghost town.


Santa Monica Place is being demolished and reconstructed as an outdoor mall... so that's another one down!

Other then Glendale Galleria there is a few more indoor malls left. There is Burbank Town Center, Sherman Oaks Galleria, Beverly Center, Fox Hills Mall (very end of Superbad shot in there :)), Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Westside Pavilion, and i guess Santa Monica Place but that is a ghost town.


In addition to the changes already mentioned let's not forget that the Sherman Oaks Galleria has already been demolished and rebuilt as offices and a small, mostly outdoor court. I think you are probably thinking about Sherman Oaks Fashion Square (now Westfield), a former outdoor mall that was enclosed.

Also, to add to your list let's not forget to add the Northridge Fashion Center, Woodland Hills Prominade, Los Cerritos Shopping Center, and the Oaks to your LA County list

doesn't the americana have a lot of residential?

Why do people hate on 3rd St? The only thing it lacks is residential but there are lots of places in LA that are single use zoned w/ no residential topping business. 3rd St is very very cool in my opinion. People spill out of the Promenade crossing Ocean and down to the beach. Plenty of mass transit options and the busses are full! Renovated bus stands with seating all around the Promenade. Since I've never driven there I have no idea where people park since parking doesn't dominate the visual landscape...people do. Same thing with H&H which I think is a great boon to Hollywood that so many on this board poo poo. H&H represents the SoCal atrium setting that can be found everywhere in the region with its semi-closed hollow in the middle style. Remember Melrose Place? Personally I feel that Americana is a travesty with such a large destination being placed outside of LA's Urban Core, where there exists no rapid mass transit and worse yet no plans for such in the near future. The Promenade perhaps by the end of next decade will have 3 lines connecting it with the rest of the LA urban core.

In addition to the changes already mentioned let's not forget that the Sherman Oaks Galleria has already been demolished and rebuilt as offices and a small, mostly outdoor court. I think you are probably thinking about Sherman Oaks Fashion Square (now Westfield), a former outdoor mall that was enclosed.

Also, to add to your list let's not forget to add the Northridge Fashion Center, Woodland Hills Prominade, Los Cerritos Shopping Center, and the Oaks to your LA County list

what is next to the 405/101 interchange? Excuse me for hardly ever going into the Valley, but I did go over there last year, and I remember a big building saying "Galleria" there. Is that gone? (lol if it is, I now look silly, sorry, haha)

p.s. I just remembered right now, I went by Google Maps' satellite imagery and just saw a big enclosed building, and due to the fact I only am in the valley like once every year or two, I could not use my knowledge and had to reply on that map, so if that map is out of date, that is why i had it in my list.

Why do people hate on 3rd St? The only thing it lacks is residential but there are lots of places in LA that are single use zoned w/ no residential topping business. 3rd St is very very cool in my opinion. People spill out of the Promenade crossing Ocean and down to the beach. Plenty of mass transit options and the busses are full! Renovated bus stands with seating all around the Promenade. Since I've never driven there I have no idea where people park since parking doesn't dominate the visual landscape...people do. Same thing with H&H which I think is a great boon to Hollywood that so many on this board poo poo. H&H represents the SoCal atrium setting that can be found everywhere in the region with its semi-closed hollow in the middle style. Remember Melrose Place? Personally I feel that Americana is a travesty with such a large destination being placed outside of LA's Urban Core, where there exists no rapid mass transit and worse yet no plans for such in the near future. The Promenade perhaps by the end of next decade will have 3 lines connecting it with the rest of the LA urban core.

I do not think anyone have a problem with the 3rd street area specifically, just the people there :lol:

3rd street is a great place. and i personally think the performers out in the street is a great addition.... however I hate the actual crowd that generates around them, not the performers themselves

Tourists? I hate them too [well I work on the promenade] but you have to learn to accept that theyre the nes spenind so much money down here, we would be broke if they didn't time there.

Or maybe its bums? Yeah, they bug me too, but I kind of feel like theyre part of the attraction to the promenade. Crazy bums doing crazy things.

The promenade is real and fake at the same time. Atleast its not like the Grove where it feels part of the community, just another attraction. Look at that huge parking lot!

LA's disdain for American tourists can give the French a run for their money :D

what is next to the 405/101 interchange? Excuse me for hardly ever going into the Valley, but I did go over there last year, and I remember a big building saying "Galleria" there. Is that gone? (lol if it is, I now look silly, sorry, haha)

p.s. I just remembered right now, I went by Google Maps' satellite imagery and just saw a big enclosed building, and due to the fact I only am in the valley like once every year or two, I could not use my knowledge and had to reply on that map, so if that map is out of date, that is why i had it in my list.

They demolished the Galleria of the 80s a few years back, kept the office buildings and parking garage, and then built a much smaller shopping strip (basically stores on the first floor of the office buildings that were built to replace the mall). The exception to that is in the Ventura Blvd facing building is an ArcLight Theatre and Magic 24 Hour Fitness. No department stores and pretty much places to eat now.

There are only a handful of what you would call "upscale" indoor malls left in the LA area. Like Chris Rock once said, there are two kinds of malls in America, one that white people go to, and one that white people used to go to :)

i have no problem if they change every upscale indoor mall into an outdoor mall, i never go to those upscale malls, lol

Tourists? I hate them too [well I work on the promenade] but you have to learn to accept that theyre the nes spenind so much money down here, we would be broke if they didn't time there.

Or maybe its bums? Yeah, they bug me too, but I kind of feel like theyre part of the attraction to the promenade. Crazy bums doing crazy things.

The promenade is real and fake at the same time. Atleast its not like the Grove where it feels part of the community, just another attraction. Look at that huge parking lot!

This is all nonsense talk. Let's talk about what Santa Monica and our Pacific Ocean seaboard would be like w/o the Promenade, the tourists or their money. Many so-called "urban" cities wish they could even have a 1/3 of the economy of what something like a 3rd St generates.

Caruso marches on. he is talking about buying 2 neighboring malls and now is looking at expanding American south of Colorado. Guess he like Glendale.

http://la.curbed.com/tags/development-battles

http://articles.glendalenewspress.com/2011-09-28/news/tn-gnp-0928-americana_1_americana-tax-revenue-sales-tax

Things seem to be hopping in Glendale. City officials report that the property tax valuation of Americana was DOUBLE what was expected, a cool 480M. This gives a quick boost to property tax collections in spite of sales being weak.

City officials also claim that the market for real estate surrounding Americana is strong in spite of the economy (the final condo's at Americana sold and two of the adjoining retail properties, which were failing before Americana got there, have sold to new investors). Caruso claims he is not the buyer but that he believes that store fronts along Brand are a great investment and he is considering further purchases. He is apparently still eyeing a stake in the Galleria, which has been going through management changes.

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2011/10/americana_expansion_approved_heres_what_itll_look_like.php#more

The new Americana extension is approved. It looks like what you would expect.

The Nordstrom frontage on Colorado is a bit of a downer; some windows or views inward would be nice. But Colorado currently has no foot traffic and plenty of car traffic, so it may be a lost cause. More likely, Americana and the Galleria will open up toward each other eventually. The two entries onto Brand are quite active and have spurred new investors along Brand.

it's because places like these don't show their faces to the streets that people miss the property entirely.

it's because places like these don't show their faces to the streets that people miss the property entirely.

Agreed; but not really the problem at Americana, which is generally well-known and crowded. It opens very nicely onto Brand, which was the main shopping street in Glendale, but had gone dead. With Americana's presence it is now active again and people move easily between the two. Other retail property in the area, both single and mult-level, is increasing in value according to the city.

Nordstrom put an entrance on Colorado, which has little or no foot traffic. But the key is to open up the Galleria to the street. Some traffic mitigation between and alongside them could create a large walkable urban area. And there is already an Americana "trolley" along Brand and to the high-rises and condos to the north.

http://articles.glendalenewspress.com/2011-12-06/news/tn-818-1206-glendale-moviegoers_1_spaces-laemmle-theatres-surface-parking-lot

Not exactly the Americana, but down the block. This is an arts theater with lofts above project in DT Glendale, south of the Alex and north of Americana.

There are in fact some available parking spots in nearby structures, so the approach to parking is reasonable. Blending into the existing street scene is going to be a challenge since Brand is now multi-story retail and Louise, Maryland, etc., are mixed churches, small govt. buildings and apartments in a classic early 20th century style.

http://tropicostation.blogspot.com/2012/05/brand-wilson-project-238-residential.html

Some more of the "Americana effect". A 6-story residential w/ retail near the Americana and Galleria. This was Webb's department store for many decades but has been empty for some time (it was too upscale for us, we shopped at Penny's down the block). No timeline; hopefully it will be ready for Kim Kardashian's inauguration parade (if and when).

In response to complaints that Glendale is bland and boring the builder has been asked to step up the colors. It is true that Glendale's high-rises tend to be very conservative (excepting the hideous old Glendale Federal building); but this area is pretty eclectic.

Some councilmembers wanted to hold out for a high-rise hotel, but this seems like a good project, putting people right into downtown. Brand and adjacent streets are mostly older low-rise in the area and there is plenty of room for hotels or more apartments in the future.

Now the main needs are transit to DT and Pasadena.

No activity on the former Webb's on Brand site, but 3 or 4 large parcels on Central (basically, just north of the Galleria and Sears) are showng activity. Excavation and shoring of about 20 ft. is complete on 1 and there is further work on site and on utilities under the surrounding streets.

From my quick research, these all appear to be 5-6 story residential, replacing vacant lots and 1-story retail. Central is just west of Brand and already has several buildings over 10 stories and retail and restaurants of its own. A nice expansion of the Brand corridor, which is already quite busy days and evening, with lots of shoppers and outdoor dining. Brand from Colorado north past the freeway to Incarnation Church is a very nice stretch of highrise and retail.

The LA County Economic Development Corp. names Glendale as a finalist for business friendly city of 2012. It's the largest city on the list.

Meanwhile, more "Americana effect": the Galleria announces the opening of 9021Pho (branches in BH and Westlake Village) this October with a large Korean restaurant to follow. The whole re-do including Bloomies (prominently displayed at Brand and Broadway) is due the following October.

The word is that the Glendale Bloomies will be edited for the lifestyle of its customers, the same as the Soho and SaMo stores. I'm not sure what exactly this means.

it means more hugo boss and armani lol.

Glendale changed the zoning in the downtown plan a few years back and we are now seeing the fruits. My office is on Broadway and Louise and that entire stretch has changed (or is changing) for the better and denser. Glendale has a long way to go, but is taking the right steps.

it means more hugo boss and armani lol.

Glendale changed the zoning in the downtown plan a few years back and we are now seeing the fruits. My office is on Broadway and Louise and that entire stretch has changed (or is changing) for the better and denser. Glendale has a long way to go, but is taking the right steps.

That hood used to be all 1 or 2 story govt. buildings, churches, utilities and other "small town downtown" stuff, each with a small parking lot. But back then Glendale had only about 60 percent of the current population and for sure none of them bought Boss or Armani.

It should become a bit taller commercial and residential over time. I would guess that night-life will focus on Maryland or Brand or west, with Louise and north and east of there remaining a bit quieter.

Do you have any specifics on what's going on on the big lots on Central north of Sears?

That hood used to be all 1 or 2 story govt. buildings, churches, utilities and other "small town downtown" stuff, each with a small parking lot. But back then Glendale had only about 60 percent of the current population and for sure none of them bought Boss or Armani.

It should become a bit taller commercial and residential over time. I would guess that night-life will focus on Maryland or Brand or west, with Louise and north and east of there remaining a bit quieter.

Do you have any specifics on what's going on on the big lots on Central north of Sears?

if my memory is correct, those two lots (one on each side of Cental and wilson) will become 5 - 6 story mixed use projects.

if my memory is correct, those two lots (one on each side of Cental and wilson) will become 5 - 6 story mixed use projects.

Thanks; that was about as much as I got from the filings, but that was some time ago.

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-1029-more-girth-coming-to-glendales-core,0,7551979.story

The Glendale News Press has a summary of development projects in Glendale. Another example of the "Americana effect", as all but one are within blocks of the Americana.

Mostly these are residential, between 3 and 7 stories most with some commercial. Interestingly, the units will be build to condo standards, anticipating their eventual sale when the market warrants it.

There is also a new Nordstroms and Courtyard hotel. The Galleria is renovating, adding a Bloomingdales and looking for a tenant for the old Nordstrom.

This is similar to my post under SFV.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-gen-y-apartments-20121214,0,3020481.story

This is right on Maryland and looks to revive that redeveloped but rather unsuccessful area. Along with some other work starting north of there, it is starting to look like the whole area toward Glendale Ave. could evolve into a walkable village over time.

Along Central (at California) there are 3 buildings at some stage of construction (all 4-6 story apartments I believe) and two lots ready to build. All within 2 blocks of the Americana.

The Galleria is also feeling the Americana effect, as it has opened numerous large skylights, modernized the decor and is preparing oudoor dining areas with "Americana views" across Orange (these are still in process right through the Christmas crowds). The paths to Bloomies are blocked with signs saying "Opening 2013" and a variety of trendy restaurants are in the works as well.

Like downtown LA, however, it looks like zero in the way of new businesses or ownership units. Nothing cooking at the hotel site on Brand, but that makes sense given the current pedestrian and car traffic in that area.