cigalechanta
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Do you know if H&M has the sonia Rykiel collection?
Boston shopping
- Thread starter Fashion is Love
- Start date
yes, both the stores have a few lingerie pieces left. and newbury street has a few of the clothing and accessories left. cambridgeside probably has nothing left.
you are better off walking to the sonia rykiel boutique near boylston station. they have everything or can order it for you for free.
you are better off walking to the sonia rykiel boutique near boylston station. they have everything or can order it for you for free.
cigalechanta
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No No, the Boylston street boutique is high end and they do not order H&M merchandice. SR's H&M costs peonuts!
fullfrontal
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I'm visiting Boston in a few days and someone mentioned The Tannery. The website looks like pretty blah. Like any shoe store on Lexington Av in Manhattan. Can anyone offer some insight into the type of store this is? Clothing wise? Much appreciated.
there are a few tannery stores. there is a large 3 story store on boylston street near the copley t station that just opened.
there is also another tannery in harvard square. they both sell limited edition footwear and designer jeans and "urban apparel that is high end".
the harvard square store usually has a deal that your second item is half off.
there is also another tannery in harvard square. they both sell limited edition footwear and designer jeans and "urban apparel that is high end".
the harvard square store usually has a deal that your second item is half off.
i wish they would just bring the automatic markdown to the whole store. seems like a waste of time.
Something old, something new
Filene’s Basement, Syms are bringing back automatic markdown, adding e-commerce site
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | March 17, 2010
Shoppers may not see a new Filene’s Basement in Downtown Crossing anytime soon, but the store’s famed automatic markdown system is making a comeback this year.
Filene’s Basement is planning by the fall to roll out a new version of the concept, which provides deeper discounts on items the longer they remain unsold, to the entire chain and its sister company, Syms. The new automatic markdown will feature one item every month by a specific designer for both men and women, rather than the large assortment of merchandise offered at the legendary location in Boston that shuttered several years ago.
“I absolutely adore the automatic markdown system. It creates that sense of urgency and scarcity,’’ said Marcy Syms, chief executive of discounter Syms Corp., which bought Filene’s Basement in bankruptcy court last year. “But the way it was in Downtown Crossing was pretty unsustainable.’’
Syms unveiled the automatic markdown concept — and plans to launch an e-commerce site this year for Filene’s Basement — while visiting the company’s renovated shop yesterday in Norwood that combines the Filene’s Basement and Syms brands under one roof. The store, which officially opens tomorrow, brings together Syms’ extensive suit and tailored offerings with Filene’s Basement’s designer clothes and accessories. It’s the second of a dozen joint shops the business is hoping to open over the next two years. There are currently 24 Filene’s Basement shops and 26 Syms stores.
Retail analysts say the joint venture makes sense and will help the company better compete in the increasingly fierce marketplace.
“The more the product offering available for the consumer to have at their fingertips within the same channel, the better,’’ said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst for NPD Group, a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y. “It’s the discount center rather than the discount store. So the same woman shopping at Filene’s for a dress can shop for her man at Syms.’’
The first combined store, which opened in Fairfield, Conn., last fall, is already showing promising results. Sales at the shop (formerly a Syms) are up low double-digits compared to the same period last year, while sales at single brand stores are flat to down slightly. The joint venture is also courting younger consumers, and Syms is considering new names for the concept, such as FBS.
There are still obvious kinks to work out with the co-branded stores. The IT systems are not yet integrated so there are separate checkout counters for Syms items and Filene’s Basement merchan dise. Nancy Wilhelm of Norton decided to check out the renovated shop in Norwood yesterday, and found the bright lights, white walls, and new red carpet an improvement over the old Syms space. Wilhelm said she misses the Filene’s Basement in Downtown Crossing and is excited that the company plans to bring back the automatic markdown system.
“It’s actually kind of nice here,’’ Wilhelm said. “I will be here more.’’
Syms, which considered purchasing Filene’s Basement when it first filed for bankruptcy protection in 2000, said the company has proceeded cautiously in laying out its vision for the 100-year-old brand. While the brand’s flagship store in Boston remains a hole in the ground, Syms is hopeful it will one day return to Downtown Crossing.
Last week, Boston officials said they would try to take control of the property and find a new development team that can move forward. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has accused Filene’s developers Gale International and Vornado Realty Trust of intentionally stalling the project to try to get money from the city. Syms said she believes financing problems have held up the site.
“Every month that goes by is unfortunate,’’ Syms said. “Certainly it’s a great loss to the company and to Downtown Crossing.’’
boston.com/globe
Something old, something new
Filene’s Basement, Syms are bringing back automatic markdown, adding e-commerce site
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | March 17, 2010
Shoppers may not see a new Filene’s Basement in Downtown Crossing anytime soon, but the store’s famed automatic markdown system is making a comeback this year.
Filene’s Basement is planning by the fall to roll out a new version of the concept, which provides deeper discounts on items the longer they remain unsold, to the entire chain and its sister company, Syms. The new automatic markdown will feature one item every month by a specific designer for both men and women, rather than the large assortment of merchandise offered at the legendary location in Boston that shuttered several years ago.
“I absolutely adore the automatic markdown system. It creates that sense of urgency and scarcity,’’ said Marcy Syms, chief executive of discounter Syms Corp., which bought Filene’s Basement in bankruptcy court last year. “But the way it was in Downtown Crossing was pretty unsustainable.’’
Syms unveiled the automatic markdown concept — and plans to launch an e-commerce site this year for Filene’s Basement — while visiting the company’s renovated shop yesterday in Norwood that combines the Filene’s Basement and Syms brands under one roof. The store, which officially opens tomorrow, brings together Syms’ extensive suit and tailored offerings with Filene’s Basement’s designer clothes and accessories. It’s the second of a dozen joint shops the business is hoping to open over the next two years. There are currently 24 Filene’s Basement shops and 26 Syms stores.
Retail analysts say the joint venture makes sense and will help the company better compete in the increasingly fierce marketplace.
“The more the product offering available for the consumer to have at their fingertips within the same channel, the better,’’ said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst for NPD Group, a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y. “It’s the discount center rather than the discount store. So the same woman shopping at Filene’s for a dress can shop for her man at Syms.’’
The first combined store, which opened in Fairfield, Conn., last fall, is already showing promising results. Sales at the shop (formerly a Syms) are up low double-digits compared to the same period last year, while sales at single brand stores are flat to down slightly. The joint venture is also courting younger consumers, and Syms is considering new names for the concept, such as FBS.
There are still obvious kinks to work out with the co-branded stores. The IT systems are not yet integrated so there are separate checkout counters for Syms items and Filene’s Basement merchan dise. Nancy Wilhelm of Norton decided to check out the renovated shop in Norwood yesterday, and found the bright lights, white walls, and new red carpet an improvement over the old Syms space. Wilhelm said she misses the Filene’s Basement in Downtown Crossing and is excited that the company plans to bring back the automatic markdown system.
“It’s actually kind of nice here,’’ Wilhelm said. “I will be here more.’’
Syms, which considered purchasing Filene’s Basement when it first filed for bankruptcy protection in 2000, said the company has proceeded cautiously in laying out its vision for the 100-year-old brand. While the brand’s flagship store in Boston remains a hole in the ground, Syms is hopeful it will one day return to Downtown Crossing.
Last week, Boston officials said they would try to take control of the property and find a new development team that can move forward. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has accused Filene’s developers Gale International and Vornado Realty Trust of intentionally stalling the project to try to get money from the city. Syms said she believes financing problems have held up the site.
“Every month that goes by is unfortunate,’’ Syms said. “Certainly it’s a great loss to the company and to Downtown Crossing.’’
boston.com/globe
there is a new wing at the south shore plaza
Bidding to rebuild that retail thrill
South Shore Plaza expands its range
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | March 26, 2010
BRAINTREE — Leslie Goldberg clasped her hands over her head as if to thank the shopping gods who brought her this moment, surrounded by designer shoes in the middle of the new Nordstrom at South Shore Plaza.
“I’ve been waiting for this,’’ Goldberg squealed at the company’s gala on Wednesday night.
It was the first time the Hingham resident had visited South Shore Plaza in at least two years. But Goldberg, who typically shops online or at Derby Street Shoppes, plans to make Nordstrom a routine stop on her way home from work.
Goldberg and her friend Ellen Winer are precisely the kind of customers South Shore Plaza is hoping to bring back.
Over the years, the Braintree mall, once the region’s second-largest, has lost many upscale shoppers south of Boston to new or expanding centers, including Derby Street, Legacy Place, and Natick Collection. The new Nordstrom here is the opening salvo in South Shore Plaza’s effort to lure more customers and better compete against rivals, according to retail analysts.
The mall is also unveiling a new wing of shops leading to Nordstrom, with some higher-end merchants like Juicy Couture, and discounter Target expected to open in coming months.
“These additions are all going to be helpful, but it’s not going to make South Shore Plaza recapture its preeminence as the go-to place for all of South Shore shopping,’’ said Mike Tesler, president of Retail Concepts, a consultancy in Norwell. “It’s going to give it some strength back.’’
The massive expansion of new and existing shopping centers across the region — along with the closing of the Filene’s chain — has altered the retail landscape in recent years.
Natick Collection, the fourth-largest center in 2005, is now the biggest enclosed mall after undergoing a makeover that added Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom, and other high-end shops.
Burlington Mall and Northshore Mall have also increased their retail square footage, according to analysts. The Braintree center was among the last to expand. In the meantime, the recession has taken its toll, with struggling merchants shuttering stores as consumers cut back.
At South Shore Plaza, the wing leading to the 140,000-square-foot expansion was pocked with vacancies. Judy Tullius, South Shore Plaza’s general manager, said many of these empty storefronts have lease agreements underway, and the mall has weathered the recession well. Perhaps in a nod to the challenged economy, a dozen shoppers interviewed at the mall on Wednesday expressed more excitement about Target about Nordstrom.
“The new wing is going to expand our tenant mix and give our shoppers more to come to South Shore Plaza for,’’ Tullius said. “And Nordstrom is a fantastic anchor. It’s going to strengthen our place in the market and help bring us higher-end customers.’’
As department store chains have consolidated and the recession has pressured malls, mall operators have turned to companies like Target, a business that was in the past not associated with enclosed malls.
Simon Malls, which operates South Shore Plaza, Northshore Mall, and Burlington Mall, has had a “cookie-cutter expansion’’ at its properties that included Nordstrom and a mix of upscale shops, said Robert Sheehan, vice president at KeyPoint Partners, a Burlington firm. So far, Sheehan said, it’s largely been successful.
But the question remains for South Shore Plaza whether Nordstrom fans will stay and shop at the rest of the mall.
Jennifer Larose, a South Shore resident for 15 years, said Derby Shoppes has provided a convenient and enjoyable alternative to South Shore Plaza. Nordstrom, however, changes everything: “A few of my friends are planning on going to the mall . . . solely for the grand opening of Nordstrom. Nordstrom coming to South Shore Plaza is what I would call a game-changer.’’
boston.com
Bidding to rebuild that retail thrill
South Shore Plaza expands its range
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | March 26, 2010
BRAINTREE — Leslie Goldberg clasped her hands over her head as if to thank the shopping gods who brought her this moment, surrounded by designer shoes in the middle of the new Nordstrom at South Shore Plaza.
“I’ve been waiting for this,’’ Goldberg squealed at the company’s gala on Wednesday night.
It was the first time the Hingham resident had visited South Shore Plaza in at least two years. But Goldberg, who typically shops online or at Derby Street Shoppes, plans to make Nordstrom a routine stop on her way home from work.
Goldberg and her friend Ellen Winer are precisely the kind of customers South Shore Plaza is hoping to bring back.
Over the years, the Braintree mall, once the region’s second-largest, has lost many upscale shoppers south of Boston to new or expanding centers, including Derby Street, Legacy Place, and Natick Collection. The new Nordstrom here is the opening salvo in South Shore Plaza’s effort to lure more customers and better compete against rivals, according to retail analysts.
The mall is also unveiling a new wing of shops leading to Nordstrom, with some higher-end merchants like Juicy Couture, and discounter Target expected to open in coming months.
“These additions are all going to be helpful, but it’s not going to make South Shore Plaza recapture its preeminence as the go-to place for all of South Shore shopping,’’ said Mike Tesler, president of Retail Concepts, a consultancy in Norwell. “It’s going to give it some strength back.’’
The massive expansion of new and existing shopping centers across the region — along with the closing of the Filene’s chain — has altered the retail landscape in recent years.
Natick Collection, the fourth-largest center in 2005, is now the biggest enclosed mall after undergoing a makeover that added Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom, and other high-end shops.
Burlington Mall and Northshore Mall have also increased their retail square footage, according to analysts. The Braintree center was among the last to expand. In the meantime, the recession has taken its toll, with struggling merchants shuttering stores as consumers cut back.
At South Shore Plaza, the wing leading to the 140,000-square-foot expansion was pocked with vacancies. Judy Tullius, South Shore Plaza’s general manager, said many of these empty storefronts have lease agreements underway, and the mall has weathered the recession well. Perhaps in a nod to the challenged economy, a dozen shoppers interviewed at the mall on Wednesday expressed more excitement about Target about Nordstrom.
“The new wing is going to expand our tenant mix and give our shoppers more to come to South Shore Plaza for,’’ Tullius said. “And Nordstrom is a fantastic anchor. It’s going to strengthen our place in the market and help bring us higher-end customers.’’
As department store chains have consolidated and the recession has pressured malls, mall operators have turned to companies like Target, a business that was in the past not associated with enclosed malls.
Simon Malls, which operates South Shore Plaza, Northshore Mall, and Burlington Mall, has had a “cookie-cutter expansion’’ at its properties that included Nordstrom and a mix of upscale shops, said Robert Sheehan, vice president at KeyPoint Partners, a Burlington firm. So far, Sheehan said, it’s largely been successful.
But the question remains for South Shore Plaza whether Nordstrom fans will stay and shop at the rest of the mall.
Jennifer Larose, a South Shore resident for 15 years, said Derby Shoppes has provided a convenient and enjoyable alternative to South Shore Plaza. Nordstrom, however, changes everything: “A few of my friends are planning on going to the mall . . . solely for the grand opening of Nordstrom. Nordstrom coming to South Shore Plaza is what I would call a game-changer.’’
boston.com
quiet heartbeat
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Has anyone else seen that an All Saints has entered Pottery Barn's old digs on Newbury?! I'M SO EXCITED!
trueblue831
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which h&m in boston is the best stocked? i never go to any of them frequently enough to know which one is better, but i usually frequent the newbury one. wondering if the downtown crossing or the one in cambridge are any better...
trueblue831
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ahh thanks lucy! i don't really like the staff at the newbury one, i feel like they're not as bad at the other ones.
Mario Testino is coming here. 
Karsh Lecture in Photography
Lectures + Courses
Malcolm Rogers Interviews Mario Testino
7 — 8 pm
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Remis Auditorium
Don't miss this conversation between Malcolm Rogers and Mario Testino, one of the world's best-known and celebrated fashion and portrait photographers. Testino's work has been featured in major international magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair. He has contributed to the imagery of many of the world's leading fashion houses, including Gucci, Versace, and Burberry. His famous portraits include iconic images of Princess Diana, supermodels, Hollywood actresses, and members of British political and royal society.
Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Mario Testino, photographer
MFA members, seniors, students $18; nonmembers/general admission $22
Karsh Lecture in Photography
Lectures + Courses
Malcolm Rogers Interviews Mario Testino
7 — 8 pm
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Remis Auditorium
Don't miss this conversation between Malcolm Rogers and Mario Testino, one of the world's best-known and celebrated fashion and portrait photographers. Testino's work has been featured in major international magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair. He has contributed to the imagery of many of the world's leading fashion houses, including Gucci, Versace, and Burberry. His famous portraits include iconic images of Princess Diana, supermodels, Hollywood actresses, and members of British political and royal society.
Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Mario Testino, photographer
quiet heartbeat
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AHHH! I wish I was going to be here; I'll already be home for the summer. =[
i'm eagerly awaiting the converse store.
boston.com
Spring revival on Newbury Street
By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | May 17, 2010
Boston’s most coveted retail address is back on the map.
So far this year, more than a dozen new shops have opened on Newbury Street — from Cotelac women’s apparel to British clothier Ben Sherman — giving the street a 95 percent occupancy rate among more than 300 retail properties.
An additional 14 businesses are coming this year, including Converse, Levi’s, Jack Wills clothing, and Met Bar & Grill.
“Newbury is still hot,’’ said Tom Brennan, vice president of C. Talanian Realty Co., which owns and manages about 30 properties on Newbury. “The best locations are the last to drop and the first to come back.’’
It is certainly a reversal of fortune for Newbury Street.
The influx of businesses comes about a year after several chain stores, galleries, and boutiques closed along the street, renowned for its historic charm and haute mix of luxury shops, salons, and restaurants, which stretch eight blocks from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Avenue. Gaping holes were left as retailers like the Gap and LouisBoston departed, causing Newbury’s occupancy rate to fall to about 80 percent.
Real estate observers and merchants say many of the businesses left because of sluggish sales during a deep recession that made it difficult to afford the rent, which, depending on the block, can be from $50 to $240 per square foot.
Newbury Street has the highest retail rents in Boston, according to city officials.
But the departures opened up prime retail space that city officials and property owners could pitch to international brands looking to establish a presence on Newbury. Indeed, some of the new entrants, including British clothiers AllSaints Spitafields and Ted Baker, are based in Europe, and their Newbury stores are the first in New England.
“It’s aggressive promotion and leasing,’’ said Meg Mainzer-Cohen, president of the Back Bay Association, which spent $20,000 to launch a website last summer to better market Newbury and the Back Bay as destinations for “culture, cuisine, couture, and commerce.’’
UrbanMeritage, which owns 22 buildings on Newbury, has been aggressively courting tenants. The company in August launched a website, thenewburyline.com, to better promote the 02116 ZIP code as a shopping destination.
Michael Jammen, principal of UrbanMeritage, said it has spent $200,000 on the website and neighborhood branding.
“The level of marketing to go and attract those tenants is much more sophisticated than the old guard of Newbury Street who simply stick a sign in the window and wait for someone to call.’’
The UrbanMeritage promotion, he said, targeted retail conferences domestically as well as overseas, where Newbury Street is already something of a brand name.
Newbury is “the street to be on,’’ said Catherine Groener, US marketing manager for Cotelac, based in France. “A lot of people know the brand from Europe. If you go to Boston to visit a college, or you want to walk around, you go to Newbury Street. That is the obvious place to be.’’
The city has also helped the district rebound. Last summer, Mayor Thomas M. Menino toured Newbury with 70 retailers, brokers, and developers as a prelude to the International Conference of Shopping Centers’ New England Idea Exchange meeting in Boston. Menino highlighted some of the street’s vacancies and the critical need to fill them.
Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said some of the new retailers heard about the openings during the tour.
Last week, the city proposed sprucing up the street later this summer by replacing all of its street lamps with 17-foot decorative acorn lamps, at a cost of about $300,000.
The mayor has also raised the possibility of closing Newbury Street to vehicle traffic during some summer days and inviting artists for street fairs, but that is still being discussed.
“We are constantly looking at Newbury and all of our business districts and how to improve them,’’ Joyce said.
Signs announcing store openings dot Newbury Street. Converse, for example, has a giant “Coming Soon’’ sign emblazoned on its black wooden fence in the 300 block. Walk another block, and construction workers are renovating the former home of Nora’s Convenient Store at 303 Newbury for an Ibex Outdoor Clothing store, which plans to move in later this year.
Farther down, scaffolding envelops the side of three former town homes where the Met Bar & Grill is being built at Dartmouth and Newbury streets.
Owner Kathy Sidell Trustman said she has been waiting two years for the 7,600-square-foot location to become available. It had been the home of Joe’s American Bar and Grill, which relocated in March to 181 Newbury.
“The space dictates and really speaks to old Boston and New England,’’ said Sidell Trustman, who owns three other Metropolitan restaurants — at the Natick Collection, Legacy Place, and Chestnut Hill.
Shoppers have noticed Newbury’s comeback.
Eleanor Mason, the owner of an alterations business in Brookline, recently visited the 7,500-square-foot AllSaints Spitafields store, which opened last month, replacing the home decor store Pottery Barn. The store, which has more than 100 antique sewing machines in the window and sells vintage-inspired clothes, was abuzz one recent afternoon.
“It’s bringing more fashion to Boston,’’ said Mason. “It has a European flair. It’s going to be huge competition for other shops. This is good for Newbury Street.’’
Still, some darkened storefronts remain, marked by “For Lease’’ and “Space Available’’ signs. The former home of the Gap clothing store remains empty at 201 Newbury. Earlier this month, Too Timid, an adult sex accessories store at 297 Newbury St., shut its doors.
And after 38 years, Marcoz, an antiques store at 173 Newbury, recently posted a “Moving Sale’’ sign after the owner, Marc Glasberg, said his landlord had doubled the rent on the 900-square-foot store. He said he is negotiating a new lease in the Back Bay, but not on Newbury.
Rachel Walsh has mixed feelings about old businesses closing and new ones opening. She and her husband own Rick Walker’s Boots, which is across the street from the future home of the Ibex Outdoor Clothing store.
“I’m glad to see some of the empty spaces being filled up, but at the same time, just the fact that the other ones all closed makes us take pause,’’ she said.
Mark Juliano, owner of Highlights Salon on Newbury, agrees. He said his $8,000-a-month rent went up to about $11,000 this past year, but because of the closings he was able to find a cheaper space one block away.
“I am not happy to see these billionaires come in and scoop up these buildings and ask for ridiculous rents,’’ said Juliano, whose hair salon is a 10-year fixture on Newbury. “But also the economy has pushed people out and has created opportunities for people like me.’’
boston.com
Spring revival on Newbury Street
By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | May 17, 2010
Boston’s most coveted retail address is back on the map.
So far this year, more than a dozen new shops have opened on Newbury Street — from Cotelac women’s apparel to British clothier Ben Sherman — giving the street a 95 percent occupancy rate among more than 300 retail properties.
An additional 14 businesses are coming this year, including Converse, Levi’s, Jack Wills clothing, and Met Bar & Grill.
“Newbury is still hot,’’ said Tom Brennan, vice president of C. Talanian Realty Co., which owns and manages about 30 properties on Newbury. “The best locations are the last to drop and the first to come back.’’
It is certainly a reversal of fortune for Newbury Street.
The influx of businesses comes about a year after several chain stores, galleries, and boutiques closed along the street, renowned for its historic charm and haute mix of luxury shops, salons, and restaurants, which stretch eight blocks from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Avenue. Gaping holes were left as retailers like the Gap and LouisBoston departed, causing Newbury’s occupancy rate to fall to about 80 percent.
Real estate observers and merchants say many of the businesses left because of sluggish sales during a deep recession that made it difficult to afford the rent, which, depending on the block, can be from $50 to $240 per square foot.
Newbury Street has the highest retail rents in Boston, according to city officials.
But the departures opened up prime retail space that city officials and property owners could pitch to international brands looking to establish a presence on Newbury. Indeed, some of the new entrants, including British clothiers AllSaints Spitafields and Ted Baker, are based in Europe, and their Newbury stores are the first in New England.
“It’s aggressive promotion and leasing,’’ said Meg Mainzer-Cohen, president of the Back Bay Association, which spent $20,000 to launch a website last summer to better market Newbury and the Back Bay as destinations for “culture, cuisine, couture, and commerce.’’
UrbanMeritage, which owns 22 buildings on Newbury, has been aggressively courting tenants. The company in August launched a website, thenewburyline.com, to better promote the 02116 ZIP code as a shopping destination.
Michael Jammen, principal of UrbanMeritage, said it has spent $200,000 on the website and neighborhood branding.
“The level of marketing to go and attract those tenants is much more sophisticated than the old guard of Newbury Street who simply stick a sign in the window and wait for someone to call.’’
The UrbanMeritage promotion, he said, targeted retail conferences domestically as well as overseas, where Newbury Street is already something of a brand name.
Newbury is “the street to be on,’’ said Catherine Groener, US marketing manager for Cotelac, based in France. “A lot of people know the brand from Europe. If you go to Boston to visit a college, or you want to walk around, you go to Newbury Street. That is the obvious place to be.’’
The city has also helped the district rebound. Last summer, Mayor Thomas M. Menino toured Newbury with 70 retailers, brokers, and developers as a prelude to the International Conference of Shopping Centers’ New England Idea Exchange meeting in Boston. Menino highlighted some of the street’s vacancies and the critical need to fill them.
Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said some of the new retailers heard about the openings during the tour.
Last week, the city proposed sprucing up the street later this summer by replacing all of its street lamps with 17-foot decorative acorn lamps, at a cost of about $300,000.
The mayor has also raised the possibility of closing Newbury Street to vehicle traffic during some summer days and inviting artists for street fairs, but that is still being discussed.
“We are constantly looking at Newbury and all of our business districts and how to improve them,’’ Joyce said.
Signs announcing store openings dot Newbury Street. Converse, for example, has a giant “Coming Soon’’ sign emblazoned on its black wooden fence in the 300 block. Walk another block, and construction workers are renovating the former home of Nora’s Convenient Store at 303 Newbury for an Ibex Outdoor Clothing store, which plans to move in later this year.
Farther down, scaffolding envelops the side of three former town homes where the Met Bar & Grill is being built at Dartmouth and Newbury streets.
Owner Kathy Sidell Trustman said she has been waiting two years for the 7,600-square-foot location to become available. It had been the home of Joe’s American Bar and Grill, which relocated in March to 181 Newbury.
“The space dictates and really speaks to old Boston and New England,’’ said Sidell Trustman, who owns three other Metropolitan restaurants — at the Natick Collection, Legacy Place, and Chestnut Hill.
Shoppers have noticed Newbury’s comeback.
Eleanor Mason, the owner of an alterations business in Brookline, recently visited the 7,500-square-foot AllSaints Spitafields store, which opened last month, replacing the home decor store Pottery Barn. The store, which has more than 100 antique sewing machines in the window and sells vintage-inspired clothes, was abuzz one recent afternoon.
“It’s bringing more fashion to Boston,’’ said Mason. “It has a European flair. It’s going to be huge competition for other shops. This is good for Newbury Street.’’
Still, some darkened storefronts remain, marked by “For Lease’’ and “Space Available’’ signs. The former home of the Gap clothing store remains empty at 201 Newbury. Earlier this month, Too Timid, an adult sex accessories store at 297 Newbury St., shut its doors.
And after 38 years, Marcoz, an antiques store at 173 Newbury, recently posted a “Moving Sale’’ sign after the owner, Marc Glasberg, said his landlord had doubled the rent on the 900-square-foot store. He said he is negotiating a new lease in the Back Bay, but not on Newbury.
Rachel Walsh has mixed feelings about old businesses closing and new ones opening. She and her husband own Rick Walker’s Boots, which is across the street from the future home of the Ibex Outdoor Clothing store.
“I’m glad to see some of the empty spaces being filled up, but at the same time, just the fact that the other ones all closed makes us take pause,’’ she said.
Mark Juliano, owner of Highlights Salon on Newbury, agrees. He said his $8,000-a-month rent went up to about $11,000 this past year, but because of the closings he was able to find a cheaper space one block away.
“I am not happy to see these billionaires come in and scoop up these buildings and ask for ridiculous rents,’’ said Juliano, whose hair salon is a 10-year fixture on Newbury. “But also the economy has pushed people out and has created opportunities for people like me.’’
^, the story didnt mention it, but a graphic next to the story indicated that a forever 21 store may be constructed on newbury street.
there is a richard avedon photo exhibit on the kennedy's currently at the peabody essex in salem. it ends soon.
the boston globe revealed today that there is a big avedon exhibit coming up later this summer...(boston.com)
AVEDON FASHION 1944—2000 This first comprehensive survey of Richard Avedon’s work in fashion was organized by the International Center for Photography in New York. Aug. 11 through Jan. 17. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org
there is a richard avedon photo exhibit on the kennedy's currently at the peabody essex in salem. it ends soon.
the boston globe revealed today that there is a big avedon exhibit coming up later this summer...(boston.com)
AVEDON FASHION 1944—2000 This first comprehensive survey of Richard Avedon’s work in fashion was organized by the International Center for Photography in New York. Aug. 11 through Jan. 17. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org
quiet heartbeat
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As much as I love Jack Wills, it's just a British version of A&F with inflated prices... I wonder how well it'll go over with everyone. With that said, I do love their hoodies. 
Haha.
Haha.AKateisaKate
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If anyone's interested, I made this for myself. All the vintage stores (I know of) in/around Boston. Yes I'm a nerd!
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...947933027541545770.00048a1c3519ebc416d60&z=12
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...947933027541545770.00048a1c3519ebc416d60&z=12
BerlinRocks
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I went to the one near the ICA ....
That is the WORST "luxurious" concept store, I've ever been to !!!!!!
Their shop is just marvellous, with a view on the water, and near the ICA you could do such marvellous things, but their display equal **** ......
(The display is very important to me)
In the menswear section, the looks they put on mannequins are not even ironed .... And it wrinkles from everywhere .....
And sincerely putting a security tag hanging onto a fur capeline is really a BAD idea ...
The space, the view, the location are great ... I imagined so many things on my way to the ICA ... Once I entered the shop, I was really disappointed ....
Anyway, Boston is LOVELY city ...
Really enjoyed the city, everybody was nice ....
Love the city !
Coming back (very) soon, with a real pleasure !
