Gee, I can't wait to go to the new mall.

Of course, whatever shoppers they get will be abandoning other malls in the area.


yahooyahoo said:

gonets said:

Triple 5 anticipates bringing in 40 million visitors a year. Bad reporting because the writer neglected to even investigate what the leadership of Triple5 was smoking to arrive at such a number. 

That's an average of 110,000 people per day based on 365 days per year.  We know there will be no shopping on Sundays.

This is from a recent article:

"Paramus' most lucrative shopping mall rivals Disney. Westfield Garden State Plaza beckons 20 million visitors per year, nearly matching the world's most popular theme park, which draws about 20.5 million visitors per year, and dwarfing the Eiffel Tower, which sees around 7 million visitors annually."

https://pix11.com/2019/03/11/paramus-beats-hollywood-and-disney-for-shopping-and-tourism/

So they are expecting 2x the number of customers that go to the Garden State Plaza in Paramus.  It has 2.1M square feet of shopping.  I've seen conflicting numbers for American Dream but it will have about 3M square feet.

That can’t be right for WDW. I think attendance is double or triple that per year.

This venue is huge and has many different elements. Their predictions seem way too high but I can imagine this could be a huge draw with all the different amusement parks. I think the Nickelodeon park will be a huge draw as will the water park. The shopping will be secondary to all of that.


conandrob240 said:

yahooyahoo said:

"Paramus' most lucrative shopping mall rivals Disney. Westfield Garden State Plaza beckons 20 million visitors per year, nearly matching the world's most popular theme park, which draws about 20.5 million visitors per year, and dwarfing the Eiffel Tower, which sees around 7 million visitors annually."

That can’t be right for WDW. I think attendance is double or triple that per year.

That’s the figure for the Magic Kingdom only. 

https://magicguides.com/disney-world-statistics/


I had no idea that a mall like the one in Paramus would draw 20 million people. That's crazy. Still think the American Dream mall is going to be a massive failure, but that's from someone who is floored by the amount of people going to a mall in Paramus.


Spouse took the kids to the American Dream mall today. They enjoyed the ice skating (room temperature, and you have an audience of the other mall-goers). There were teens walking with snowboards in the mall going to the ski area. 

Parking is free this week. It wasn't crowded. They got some gifts at the multi-story candy store. Not much else open yet in terms of shops.


sprout said:

Spouse took the kids to the American Dream mall today. They enjoyed the ice skating (room temperature, and you have an audience of the other mall-goers). There were teens walking with snowboards in the mall going to the ski area. 

Parking is free this week. It wasn't crowded. They got some gifts at the multi-story candy store. Not much else open yet in terms of shops.

 The ice skating looks fun and it's free, as is parking this week.  I might check that out.  I'll probably never go back again.  


Outdoor skiing is becoming increasingly rare in the East so we are going to spew a ####load of carbon to do it indoors? 

There is something particularly pathetic/disgusting about that.


Klinker said:

Outdoor skiing is becoming increasingly rare in the East so we are going to spew a ####load of carbon to do it indoors? 

There is something particularly pathetic/disgusting about that.

 The fitness center in our building has large windows that look out on The Secret Garden @ 377.  I feel the same way especially when I'm out working in our garden and can see people watching me  while getting an "artificial" walk...

Ron Carter

Sweatin' the old fashioned way!


Well-written critique, with some photos, of the new mall in the NY Times today by Amanda Hess:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/arts/american-dream-mall-opening.html?searchResultPosition=1


Once this place is fully open, the traffic will be a nightmare, especially when sports events occur at the same time.


unicorn33 said:

Once this place is fully open, the traffic will be a nightmare, especially when sports events occur at the same time.

 Once it goes out of business, there will be an awful lot of parking in the Meadowlands.


This reminds me of Tropical Island in Germany a little.  It feels a little like The Truman Show.  It was built in a old zeppelin factory.  We even slept in tents inside.  I think one thing that's annoying with spaces like this is the cavernous echoes you get due to the high ceilings.

https://www.tropical-islands.de/en/

Maybe that's more like the indoor water parks they have in PA.  The Dream Mall does have quite a bit more.


Ugh - only $800 left 

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-american-dream-financial-trouble-20220204-xxsayxhbvffatg4nduew2snegy-story.html

I really feel bad for these guys - had such a rough time to open - just as the pandemic hit.

And here's a decent article highlighting what you can do there:

https://visitnj.org/american-dream

Seems like they should have more commercials for it on locally - I'm not sure if I recall seeing any.  Whereas, Six Flags has many whenever they're open.  Even so, it's still hard to draw to indoor spaces during a pandemic.


jamie said:

Ugh - only $800 left 

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-american-dream-financial-trouble-20220204-xxsayxhbvffatg4nduew2snegy-story.html

I really feel bad for these guys - had such a rough time to open - just as the pandemic hit.

And here's a decent article highlighting what you can do there:

https://visitnj.org/american-dream

Seems like they should have more commercials for it on locally - I'm not sure if I recall seeing any.  Whereas, Six Flags has many whenever they're open.  Even so, it's still hard to draw to indoor spaces during a pandemic.

This was a stupid project going back to the very beginning.  Construction began in 2004. It should have been killed a number of times along the way but the state and and several developers kept doubling down.

A monument to hubris and lack of vision.


Klinker said:

unicorn33 said:

Once this place is fully open, the traffic will be a nightmare, especially when sports events occur at the same time.

 Once it goes out of business, there will be an awful lot of parking in the Meadowlands.

What Klinker said.


My son has hockey practices there.  It is interesting to see it all unfold.  There is not a single store there that I have any interest in, but that is the same for me in any mall.  I find the Mall at Short Hills painful, because it is full of pre teen girls joyfully carrying bags full of clothes that cost more than most people earn in a month.  American Dream seems to be all New Yorkers and tourists.  The coffee shop adjacent to the rink charges $6 for a cup of coffee, and the Dunkin Donuts is frequently out of coffee by 8pm.  Meanwhile they are throwing dozens of donuts in the trash.   For hockey practice, though, its pretty easy.  $3 to park, and you can park right next to a special entrance to the locker rooms, of course in a deck so all protected from the weather.  


DanDietrich said:

American Dream seems to be all New Yorkers and tourists.  

Interesting - maybe the places in the Poconos for indoor water parks are too far for New Yorkers - like Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari.  Wonder how they've been doing through the pandemic?  


American dream is doing pretty well, hundreds of kids are bussed in from Brooklyn and upstate daily during the summer months. You go there right now and the parking lot is full. It has a lot going for it. The owners know the potential or else they would have folded up, and not empty their bank account leaving $850.


Jaytee said:

American dream is doing pretty well, hundreds of kids are bussed in from Brooklyn and upstate daily during the summer months. You go there right now and the parking lot is full. It has a lot going for it. The owners know the potential or else they would have folded up, and not empty their bank account leaving $850.

From Bloomberg news:

The talks are part of a larger effort to restructure the mall’s $3 billion in debt and avoid bankruptcy for the massive shopping and entertainment complex in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, the people said. The mall also has about $800 million in municipal bonds that are senior in repayment rank to the construction financing. Triple Five said last week that the mall nearly depleted a reserve account to make a $9.3 million interest payment on another $287 million of municipal bonds supported by sales tax receipts.

I am pretty sure that they are not doing "pretty well"


Malls have been on the decline for years. This one's a goner.

Someone should sue Chris Christie. He cancelled the Gateway project, but went all in on this boondoggle.


I finally made it there today.  Overall - pretty impressive.  Sundays are not a great day to go - they're hampered by the Bergen County shopping law.  I'm not sure how some of the stores were able to open.

There was such hype of Mr. Beast opening the awhile back - https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/mrbeast-burger-american-dream-mall-youtube-contest-1234587123/

There is no longer a wait that lasts for hours - in fact, there is no wait at all.  Very unimpressed, I'm just as happy with five guys or shake shack.

It was neat seeing a hockey match going on in the ice rink as well as seeing people skiing at the Big Snow.

The food court is pretty extensive.

Attractions look fun.  Everything is a little pricey.

I love roller coasters - haven't done too many recently, but I had to try this one!  It was pretty insane.  Here's a decent video of the experience.


wendyn said:

FYI pretty sure none of us older folks are the target audience of this mall, though we may have been 17 years ago lol.  

My kids might be interested but they are old enough to go on their own now thank god.

Maplewood Recreation has scheduled a senior trip there for some time this fall.  Supposedly this is by popular request.  There are still seats available if any older adults are interested in seeing the mall for themselves.  Information and registration are available on the town website.


The gods of unkindness have scheduled us in for hockey practice up there tonight around the Jets game.  I'm not looking forward to that mess.


DanDietrich said:

The gods of unkindness have scheduled us in for hockey practice up there tonight around the Jets game.  I'm not looking forward to that mess.

Don't worry! No one goes to see the Jets... (Kidding!!!)


gonets said:

I had no idea that a mall like the one in Paramus would draw 20 million people. That's crazy. Still think the American Dream mall is going to be a massive failure, but that's from someone who is floored by the amount of people going to a mall in Paramus.

Especially since they are closed on Sundays. (I think I know why I've learned not to go to Rt 17 in Paramus on Saturdays!)


joan_crystal said:

wendyn said:

FYI pretty sure none of us older folks are the target audience of this mall, though we may have been 17 years ago lol.  

My kids might be interested but they are old enough to go on their own now thank god.

Maplewood Recreation has scheduled a senior trip there for some time this fall.  Supposedly this is by popular request.  There are still seats available if any older adults are interested in seeing the mall for themselves.  Information and registration are available on the town website.

Where are their events listed? I looked on a calendar I found on the website and didn't really see any of that sort of events.


sac said:

Where are their events listed? I looked on a calendar I found on the website and didn't really see any of that sort of events.

The senior trips, averaging one per month, can be found listed on the town website under "recdesk,"  appear in the Spotlight newsletter which is mailed to older residents who participate in Maplewood Recreation's programming for older adults, are posted on several hyperlocal Facebook Groups including Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee, Sliver Streaks, and SOMA Two Towns For all Ages and are announced at senior gatherings run by the recreation department.  Copies of announcements for individual trips can be found at the Maplewood Senior Center, Maplewood Town Hall, the Maplewood Library, and are often at  Dehart Community Center.  Trips are often announced on the weekly email blast from SOMA Two Towns For All Ages but are often full by the time they appear there.  Since most trips require the use of a town jitney and/or advance purchase of tickets or reservations, the number of participants in each trip is limited.  If you are interested in the American Dream Mall trip, seats should still be available.  You can register by going on the town website (recdesk), going to town hall during business hours, or calling or seeing Michelle Wesley at the Maplewood Senior Center.  


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