Center City - A thriving 24-hour downtown? - Page 6 - PhillyBlog

PaulG · #51 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005, 10:39 AM

I never said midnight...I just assume 9pm like most major malls. How is philly supposed to compete with the malls when everything closes at 6pm or 7pm?

zur · #52 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005, 11:04 AM

24 hour retail shopping is unrealistic. Period. You will always have difficulties with retail shopping in Center City due to the number of residents and the type of residents who live in Center City. It is quite difficult to find employees willing to work for the wages at that hour and the decreased traffic will not offset the increase in wages needed to keep someone till 12. (Do yuppies really want to go to Ikea at 10 PM? and if they do how many times a week a month?) Everyone seems to forget the crime aspect of operating a store late in an urban setting. Plus, people not from Center City do not drive into the city to shop for brands that they can aquire in theri own area....it's really the boutique shopping and specialty stores that bring in any outside traffic...the rest of the retail shopping is done by office workers and those in the immediate neighborhoods (South, West, North) all of whom leave at night.

Do you really want to be walking out of an electroncis store at 11 o'clock?

What is the benefit? Drug Stores and Supermarkets are easier to operate 24 horus in a limited capacity (not deli, no pharmacist)but suffer from robberies and theft. There's not enough traffic to warrant a 24 hour Gap.

Now Wawa..that's 24 hour shopping! Where els can you get meatballs at 4 AM?

zur · #53 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattj

Yeah, why not? I used to work at a Dick's Sporting Goods while growing up and we were open until 10:00 or 11:00 every night.

Close at 12 = leave at 1...plus did that DIck's have homeless outside of it...because Market Street does and so does Walnut.

zur · #54 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulG

I never said midnight...I just assume 9pm like most major malls. How is philly supposed to compete with the malls when everything closes at 6pm or 7pm?

THey never will be able to. Parking and safety concerns.....or parking garage with safety concerns...or just having to drive back home.

Northeast Philly = 400000 residents
Center City = 80000 residents

That's why in the Northeast stuff closes later than downtown.

eldondre · #55 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulG

I never said midnight...I just assume 9pm like most major malls. How is philly supposed to compete with the malls when everything closes at 6pm or 7pm?

I hear ya sir but I think there may be a lack of demand to some extent. King of Prussia closed earlier when I was a kid but demand is a lot higher now and the tores are open later. they notice if there are people roaming their store everyday and they have to kick them out at closing.

SurfDog · #56 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005, 01:49 PM

At least mass transit works 24 hours a day ...

SurfDog · #57 (**permalink**) 08-08-2005, 03:08 PM

I wonder why Hal hasn't commented on this thread ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hal

Creating the 24 Hour Downtown -

A lecture on how to create a vital Center City
by Paul Levy, Executive Director of the Center City District

Wednesday March 24th, 2004 6pm to 8pm
at IBX 1901 Markert Street
23rd floor skylobby

$30 fee

see more at

http://www.centercityphila.org/goingout/tours.aspx

Hal

http://phillyblog.com/philly/showthr...1060#post21060

PaulG · #58 (**permalink**) 08-09-2005, 09:18 AM

From the Philadelphia Business Journal

Quote:

Marketing pitch matures

Peter Van Allen Staff Writer
A Center City gym is defying marketing wisdom to attract aging baby boomers.

For its "Defy Age" campaign, 12th Street Gym has abandoned well-toned young models in favor of, um, well-toned older models. The campaign features employee Sue Olds in a yoga pose with her age prominently displayed: 67.

"It's all changing because of the Center City condo boom," said Rick Piper, co-owner of 12th Street Gym, which draws on a residential base within 15 blocks. "You have Symphony House and all these other places. It's a return to the city by baby boomers. They're trading the suburbs for Stephen Starr restaurants."

Center City is home to 78,000 residents, according to the Center City District. Between 1998 and 2004, 6,436 residential housing units were added to the district, according to the economic development group. That translated to 9,300 new residents.

And the boom shows no sign of abating, with an estimated 1,465 apartments or condos expected to hit the market this year.

Health clubs aren't the only ones reaping the benefits of an influx of new residents.

To furnish the new places, home furnishings stores like Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Willams-Sonoma's West Elm furniture unit and Open House have opened or will open near 13th and Chestnut streets, not far from 12th Street Gym.

Retailers and restaurants are responding by opening or expanding hours on Sunday, said Rittenhouse Row spokeswoman Corie Moskow.

"Marathon Grill on Sansom Street is now open till midnight [on Sunday nights] and Smith & Wollensky's after-9 p.m. business has increased," Moskow said.

If the demographics and marketing have changed, one thing has not: The workout industry is cutthroat and, affluent or not, baby boomers still shop around for the best monthly rates, Piper said.

12th Street charges about $42 a month, compared to as much as $75 at other Center City gyms, a rate the 60,000-square-foot gym can manage because it owns the building, Piper said. But he said lower rates are also necessary to attract new members.

Looks like the we may actually get those longer hours we have been wanting. If the market commands it then I guess we get it. YAY for all these new condos.