One Week Later

Anne and I walked over to the Americana for breakfast yesterday and somehow failed to spend any money there. We had forgotten it was Mother's Day (we did something for my mom earlier in the week), and that Mother's Day is probably the worst day of the year to have breakfast at a restaurant. After finding a 55 minute wait at the Granville Cafe, we wandered around downtown a bit and had lunch at Porto's instead.

The grass at The Green has seen some serious abuse over the past week, and was dotted with bright green patches of fresh sod.

Dozens of kids were enthusiastically using the play equipment.

We didn't see the trolley running. Has it broken down already? Did they take it out of commission temporarily because of the crush of pedestrians?

The Americana: The Verdict

I can't really judge The Americana as a mall, as I don't shop at malls, and will probably never do any real shopping at The Americana.

But I do feel qualified to judge The Americana as a theme park. And as a free theme park, it's absurd and sublime. Throughout the day, I wandered the site with different coworkers and friends, and every single person I spoke with couldn't help but be amazed by the top-notch craftsmanship, presentation and attention to detail. The Americana isn't a place I would shop, but I might linger and read there sometime, and am glad to have that option. I have never seen more happy looking people downtown than today, except perhaps at Porto's on a Friday. Hopefully they'll stay and explore Glendale. We'll all see what happens now.


My opening day pictures are now in a Flickr set here.

Previously:

• The Americana: Icons
• The Americana: People Watching
• The Americana: Problems
• The Americana: A Hidden Deal!
• The Americana: Water Features
• The Americana: The View From the Top
• The Americana: How Will It Affect Local Business?
• The Americana: Public Space
• The Americana: Attention To Detail
• The Americana: The Trolley
• The Americana: The Downside of Robocop
• The Americana: Police Presence
• The Americana: What, No Bike Valet?
• The Americana: Fireworks Script
• Americana Fireworks

The Americana: Attention To Detail

The level of design detail at the Americana is absolutely staggering. It's one of the most designed environments outside of Disneyland, which is where I spent last Saturday. Here are some examples.

Note the Caruso Affiliated logo and silhouette of the Spirit Of American Youth statue on the base. The textured area below is a speaker. Spotting the silhouettes of the statue and the Caruso Affiliated logo becomes a game.

The outdoor chandelier is certainly detailed. Ridiculous and vulgar, but detailed. I hate this chandelier.

Cute. I didn't notice this for hours.

This is in the PARKING STRUCTURE. Chandelier, pianist, grand piano, cushy chairs, carpeting, flower arrangements, concierge desk. The doors at the concierge desk are concealed--they're flush with the wood panels behind the desk in the background.

Brooks B125 saddle and gleaming bell on the soda bike. Perfect.