Giant Supermarket Has A Terrace With A View, and a Food Hall

March 22, 2021 by HughE Dillon Leave a comment

THE GIANT COMPANY CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF URBAN FLAGSHIP IN PHILADELPHIA

GIANT Riverwalk located at 60 N. 23rd St. (The corner of 23rd and Arch) Philadelphia, PA 19103. There’s a free parking garage, which you enter on Cherry Street.

The GIANT Company President Nicholas Bertram, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney , Ron Caplan, Developer of RIverwalk, Mural Arts Philadelphia Founder Jane Golden, Founder of Mural Arts Philadelphia, GIANT Store Manager Jessica Fischer (with the scissors) City Council President Darrell Clarke . City Council Allan Domb attended the Opening Ceremony; $150,000 in Donations to Mural Arts Philadelphia, Reading Terminal Market, City Fire, Police and Schools, and Other Local Organizations

Giant employees look on as the ribbon ceremony commenced.

At 9AM the first customers were allowed through the doors.

The first 250 received these awesome food bags which included so many items bananas, chips, Tastykakes, fruit, chocolate covered pretzels, energy drinks (which you’ll need to navigate the Giant, no really it’s giant, 65,000-square-foot store which takes up the first two floors of the Riverwalk apartment building.)

Giant Riverwalk houses a ground-level parking garage with direct access to the store’s lobby. Upon entering the lobby, which features the work of local artists, customers see a Starbucks cafe and a Giant Direct online grocery pickup station. Shoppers can use an elevator, escalator or stairs to access the full store on the second floor, and a “cartalator” moves shopping carts between levels. Residents in the tower above the store have access to a private elevator that brings them directly to the second level of the store.

When you arrive at the top of the escalators, if you went straight you would find grab & go food choices, as well as flowers, balloons and gifts. You’ll also find the door to the terrace for diners, with a view of Schuylkill Banks and the City Skyline.

A food hall is at the heart of the Riverwalk store, including Mission Taqueria Mexican cuisine; soup and salads from Saladworks; premium sushi from Hissho Sushi; and made-to-order sandwiches, flatbread pizza, smoked meats, hot food and gelato. With floor-to-ceiling windows, the food hall overlooks the Schuylkill River, 30th Street Station and the riverside bike path. Along with an indoor seating area, customers can eat and drink on the food hall and store’s terrace, which has lounge-style furniture and fire pits. (from the press release)

The store also has a Beer Garden — with a self-serve tap wall offering over 40 craft beers, wines, hard seltzer, cider and kombucha — plus Giant’s largest beer and wine collection, including local craft beers and imports, Old and New World wine, prosecco and champagne. (press release)

Giant is a beautiful store, and great addition to Philadelphia, especially Center City West. If you drive it’s really great, and convenient, but I don’t think it’s going to take away too much business from Whole Foods in the Art Museum area or the super markets near South Street or in No Libs, as the prices and offerings are similar . I live about a mile from Giant, and without my granny cart, it’s a far walk to carry two bags of groceries. BUT it’s a winner for everyone who is going to live in Riverwalk, and other high rises nearby and anyone else who wants to shop there. There’s so much to offer.
I will definitely drive over there occasionally as they have my favorite sushi Hissho Sushi. (I have been known to drive to Heirloom in No Libs. to purchase it.)

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You will definitely find me on the terrace on a warm day, after bird, people watching out and about. Can’t wait to see the sunset from there. Definitely a unique date spot.

A Walk Through The Fashion District Mall – East Market

August 19, 2020 by HughE Dillon 1 Comment

Hello Wednesday. Slowly the sidewalks of Center City are coming alive with the opening of retail, restaurants and good weather. Yesterday I took a walk through the Fashion District (forever known in conversations as the Gallery to anyone born before 2000). The Fashion District opened last year to much fanfare, and just like Philadelphia it’s 2020 future looked bright, until Covid19 had other plans.

This was my 2nd walk in the past few weeks.

The Fashion District is taking Covid19 serious, with signs on how to social distance, as well as lots of hand sanitizer stations.

Yesterday the mall er I mean #thedistrict was much more bustling, with more stores opened and folks with shopping bags.

Great to run into PhillyChitChat reader and Fox29 viewer Darryl, who told me he and his wife were praying for my well being during Covid19. Thanks, those prayers help!!

It’s hit or miss what is open at the Fashion District, but it’s a beautiful building and a nice escape

Both big box stores Century 21 and Burlington were opened.

H&M is opened (not the ones in the Rittenshouse Square area yet though), but you have to enter on the top floor of the mall. Century 21 can also only be entered on the top floor of the mall or from outside on Market Street.

You won’t find any chairs or benches to sit on, but you will find art dotting much of the blocks long building.

Talk about sweet, Candytopia is open. I wonder if you still get a piece of candy in each room? Do they still blow confetti on you? I will tell you of all the Instagramable pop ups, it’s the best one. When I was there in July, the line was a block long.

There are plenty of shoe stores still open at the Fashion District, but don’t fret DSW is opening 8/27 for your convenience.

Opened with much fan fare last year, the only store still opened in the Philly centric area is American Hats , which is doing a steady business. Dolly’s Boutique and South Fellini are closed, but have their original store locations as well as an online presence. I hear South Fellini is looking for another Center City location, with a street front.

Another spot not opened is the food court, but throughout the mall there are places to grab a a snack like Tiffany’s Bakery, Auntie Anne’s, Pretzel Factory, *Cinnabon* bakery, and **Haagan-Dazs**

But just step outside and across the street from the Fashion District you’ll find Iron Hill Brewery and District Taco, around the corner is the Reading Terminal Market.

Recently: Kate Spade Outlet’s first Philadelphia store opened this week at PREIT and Macerich’s new Fashion District on Market Street.
PREIT CEO **Joseph Coradino** was delighted, saying the Spade value-priced option is a perfect fit with the three-block-long mall’s tenant curation strategy.
“We have created a go-to destination for fashion and fun experiences that offers a unique combination of flagship, off-price, fast-fashion, full-price and outlet stores,” Coradino said. According to **Chain Store Age**

A popular spot was this cell phone repair and accessories shop

Great news all you Ulta Beauty is open at Fashions District. It’s the only one opened in Center City. I have a feeling the one on Walnut Street is not going to open. Recently they took the boards off the store front, but they put signs in the window directing people to this one as well as the one in KOP.

Sephora is also opened on Chestnut St in the Rittenhouse Sq area

I’ve always loved this campaign the Fashion District has promoted, and I believe this statement is true again. The Fashion District is a perfect date spot, just eat dinner before you go. To stay up to date with everything happening and opening at Philly’s latest mall, check out their website.