Most of the business owners near the Americana are simultaneously anxious and hopeful about such a retail behemoth opening nearby. They are fearful that The Americana will siphon away their business, and hopeful that as a shopping destination, people flocking to The Americana from all over town will spill across Brand and see what else Glendale has to offer. Downtown Glendale does have a tremendous amount to offer, but unfortunately the storefronts directly across the street from the Americana are pretty sad. Prominent vacancies and "for lease" signs at the Exchange (Famima/Jamba Juice) and in the former CompUSA/Tower space don't exactly tempt visitors to cross the street. Traffic in Frog Alley seemed to be about the same as usual today- it just seemed deserted relative to the madness across the street.
Frog Alley.
I didn't go inside the Galleria. The banners on the side facing The Americana are new.
Outback Steakhouse is now open in the former Bennigan's space.
Downtown Glendale apparently now has a parking shuttle- with a claimed 15-20 minute frequency, you could simply WALK to any of the locations on the route map twice.
Enjoy the lush space at The Americana while supporting local businesses. Get your order to go and then head to The Green to people-watch.
2 comments:
That girl in green walking along frog alley looks cool :)
It's not just local business. It's the whole idea behind Rick Caruso's business practices. With the Grove he is able to bypass the usual channels and hide the fact it is a high traffic suicide spot. People have jumped from the parking structure and somehow Caruso is able to keep it out of the media and bypass usual EMT response. He seems to have control beyond what any other business owner has. In regard to the Americana he made promises to local businesses during construction then never followed thru. That poor motel next to the Americana had giant trash bins right at their entrance for months when Caruso applied for a permit to place them in an remote location as not to take away from the traffic that motel needs. When asked to move them to where he promised he ignored the request and the business suffered. If he needs something from you he just takes it.
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