Reply to Why is Friendship Heights so empty and lame?

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[quote=Anonymous]I think multiple things happened — driven at least partially by greedy real estate interests.

— The decision about 25 years ago to “Rodeo Drive” the shops south of Saks was a bad one. It misjudged the culture of the people who live nearby— who will spend money on investment dressing, but don’t really care about expensive impractical shoes featured in Vogue.  So most of those newer stores were intended to lure in shoppers from other neighborhoods, which wasn’t realistic, and became fatal with COVID and the growth of internet shopping, along with the greater concentration of stores at Tysons.

— Several longtime anchor stores closed due to issues that had little to do with the area’s ability to sustain them.  All Lord and Taylor stores closed, and the owner shut Saks Jandel because he had little interest in the family business.  Brooks Brothers was sold, and will probably close as the area gets redeveloped.  By the time Neiman Marcus closed, there wasn’t much left in the mall.

— I agree with the PP who pointed out the impact that the Borders closing had on the rest of the neighborhood.  I used to stop at Borders several times a month, usually spending money.  I’d then stop at Nordstrom Rack, and often pick up a meal (at restaurants that are no longer there).  The closing of Borders (nationwide) meant fewer stops and less spending on my part.  When Lord and Taylor’s closed, it meant that basics that I needed were no longer available in the neighborhood.  When the movie theaters closed, the neighborhood lost an attraction that would pull in people from outside the neighborhood, who would then stop at restaurants and stores.

— The neighborhood still has lots of people willing to shop and to spend money — on things that are genuinely useful, appealing, convenient, and/or delicious.  While the Height Food Hall is a wonderful step in a good direction, they’ve done a horrible job of making sure that those of us who live within walking distance know that it’s actually finally open. I know, because I was followed one particular restaurant.  I’ve seen nothing in my building or in the Friendship Heights newsletter, and nothing that would catch my attention when I shop multiple times a week at the Whole Foods store — immediately below the food hall.

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