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mmeeplechase t1_j1qcmfu wrote

Reply to comment by absorberemitter in Mazza Gallerie shopping center permanently closes by foodude84

I’m honestly a little curious as to why—I realize lots of the luxury stores probably weren’t getting enough foot traffic to stay open, but the whole area was pretty convenient for shopping with some restaurants in the mix, and I guess I’m a surprised it cratered so dramatically.

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absorberemitter t1_j1qe8gi wrote

City Center DC was a much more glamorous location for the fancy stores, so that's where the monied shopping went. And the rents don't work if the high dollar stores aren't bringing through volume. Once some spots left and stayed empty, it was a faster and faster flight of anything worth going to while parking and local groceries remained exorbitant.

Sure, it has easy metro and bus access, but you've got better options in almost any direction - Tenleytown, Bethesda, Chevy Chase Circle - are all nearby.

Plus the food scene there was pretty bad... mostly big chains that are more typical in suburban mallscapes and a few mediocre renditions of local chains. There had been some indie restaurants, but the Voltaggio thing was never that good and Mazza itself had no dining but a weird McD's.

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9throwawayDERP t1_j1qyagr wrote

yeah Pike and Rose siphoned off the suburbanites and the revival of the central core of DC (city center/wharf/navy yard) meant that the area kinda was no-mans land. There is hope if the wisconsin corridor keeps getting denser, but that is still an open question.

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JerriBlankStare t1_j1rz7vq wrote

>yeah Pike and Rose siphoned off the suburbanites

Nah, it was Bethesda Row (and City Center) that did the siphoning. Williams-Sonoma and Anthropologie, for example, both left Friendship Heights and relocated to Bethesda long before Pike & Rose started to develop.

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absorberemitter t1_j1r71xk wrote

What they need is high density mixed income housing. But I doubt anyone will do it. Luxury condos are not going make a dent by themselves.

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9throwawayDERP t1_j1r7w3a wrote

honestly? I don't think it matters (and academic studies back that up).

plus other buildings all up and down Wisconsin aren't particularly expensive, especially by DC standards. what matters is having customers within easy distance. once you get off wisconsin, density falls very quickly.

basically what happens is when new 'expensive' apartments come in, other apartments get a bit cheaper. if you live nearby, I can point you in the direction of decent and not too-expensive units in buildings on Mass, CT, NM, and Wisconsin ave.

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bridges-build-burn t1_j1t1i0d wrote

Georgetown is popping lately also- when I end up there on a weekend lately, I’m always shock at how many people are actively shopping. A few stores have closed but they’ve mostly been replaced, and overall it appears to be doing great as a destination.

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9throwawayDERP t1_j1v48xg wrote

yeah, Georgetown was hit by the pandemic, not by the structural shift in shopping patterns and stuff. It isn't directly on the metro, but it is pretty central and easy for both MoCo and NoVa folks to get to. Plus the eastern part of M st is easy to walk to from the metro.

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joymarie21 t1_j1qd2cd wrote

Most of the luxury stores closed down when City Center opened. I doubt DC can sustain two Diors or LVs. I'm surprised Tiffany's is still there. I suspect it won't be for long.

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FreshYoungBalkiB t1_j1zfpha wrote

Once the Borders closed, there was no reason for me to return unless the DC Filmfest had a showing at the AMC.

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