Americana at Brand
 The Americana at Brand sign | |
 | |
| Location | Glendale, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°08′38″N 118°15′23″W / 34.14389°N 118.25639°W |
| Address | 889 Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91210 |
| Opening date | May 2, 2008 |
| Developer | Caruso Affiliated |
| Owner | Caruso Affiliated |
| No. of stores and services | 75 |
| No. of floors | 4 |
The Americana at Brand is a large outdoor shopping community in Glendale, California. The property was built and is owned and operated by Los Angeles businessman Rick J. Caruso and his company Caruso Affiliated. Caruso Affiliated has built and operates of many other projects including The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, CA. Americana at Brand has 75 retail shops including, Barneys New York, Forever 21, and David Yurman as well as a variety of dining options including Din Tai Fung, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, and Katsuya by Starck. The Americana includes 100 condominiums and 238 apartments.[1]
The Americana project stirred debate in Glendale for four years; with some merchants fearing the Grove-style "lifestyle center" would hurt businesses for stores along Brand Boulevard and in the Glendale Galleria. Some residents worried about overdevelopment and traffic.[1]
Both The Americana at Brand and The Grove are organized upon the idea of a city center—with a mix of architectural styles, building heights and materials used, as well as vast open spaces at the projects' center. Caruso Affiliated often sets their developments in place and time. The architectural style of the Americana is meant to reflect the industrial era, including a massive elevator shaft with exposed steel beams, in contrast to The Grove, which is based on 1940s Charleston, South Carolina.[1] The Americana at Brand is much like The Grove in that it is designed to appear like a public space, but is private property, and is protected as such. However, the 2-acre (8,100 m2) park in the center of the complex is entirely public property, further blurring the line between public and private space. Even though the park is public, the policy is that personal photography, other than that of friends or family, is forbidden. The private security force that patrols the grounds is quick to stop guests from taking pictures. Security also restricts the size of dogs that one may bring into the mall and to the park.[2]
The project opened to the public on May 2, 2008.[3]
Shops and restaurants
The Americana at Brand shares some of its retail and dining options with sister center The Grove at Farmers Market, such as a three-level flagship Barnes & Noble as well as Barneys New York, J.Crew, Apple, Kiehl's, The Cheesecake Factory, and Anthropologie, and is anchored by a three-level Nordstrom. It also features a Forever 21 flagship, two-level H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Calvin Klein locations, an 18-theater Pacific Theaters cinema, American Eagle Outfitters, Free People, Armani Exchange, and higher-end stores like, Tiffany and Co., David Yurman, and GUESS? by Marciano. Some of the restaurants at The Americana are local concepts, such as Frida Mexican Cuisine, Chi Dynasty, and Trattoria Amici, as well as internationally recognized restaurants including Din Tai Fung [1] and Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina [2].
Attractions
In addition to The Americana at Brand's upscale shops, restaurants and movie theater, the outdoor mall features Waters of Americana, an animated fountain by WET. The musical fountain, located in the central landscaped park, performs every hour, though a non-musical program runs between shows. A gold-leaf statue, chosen by developer Rick Caruso, rises from the center of the fountain's smaller pool. The statue is a replica of Donald De Lue's 1949 Spirit of American Youth sculpture in France, a memorial to Americans who fought at Normandy in World War II.[4] The statue also serves as the icon for The Americana at Brand.
An internal transit system uses a battery-powered trolley car (built by the Gomaco Trolley Company)[5] to shuttle visitors through the main square and around the perimeter of the complex. The line was in operation from the opening of the Americana at Brand complex, in May 2008.[5] George F. McGinnis, a retired Disney Imagineer, designed the trolley cars.
References
- ^ a b c Mia DiMassa, Cara (April 1, 2008). "Glendale set to welcome once-disputed development". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Owners of Big Dogs Growl Over Pet Policy at Glendale Mall". Los Angeles Times. May 13, 2008.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "'The Grove' Developer Opens New Open-Air Mall In Glendale". MSNBC / KNBC. May 3, 2008.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "WET News". WET Design. Archived from the original on September 18, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, July 2008, p. 277. UK: LRTA Publishing.
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