A few days ago I noticed a small sign posted in the window of the American Apparel next door to where I work and live in Belmar. It said the store was closing and to go visit their other location downtown. Next to it was a large sign announcing the impending arrival of its replacement, C.J. Banks. Take a look at their fashions and you can see why I was a little depressed. It's like the cool kid was kicked off the block and told to go do his 'urban thing' somewhere else.
The truth is I can't say I did my part to keep AA here. I never bought a single thing. The one shirt I did buy I took back because it fell apart. And I always found their look to be basic yet bland. But that's just me. The place stood for something in a sea of, well, C.J. Banks and the like (with Composition being the other exception).
Then I discovered this press release by AA announcing the close of their store in Second Life. I wonder if it's a signal of something bigger going on in SL. I wouldn't be surprised. With all the toe-dipping getting old, it seems most dabblers have run the course of curiosity and there's little else to engage with.
And what of American Apparel's first life stores? The AA corporate site is bullish; their last press release is about securing financing and expanding retail locations. Perhaps Belmar and Second Life are just not hip enough to support the almighty Dov.
Another bit has surfaced about my live/work bubble, this one appearing in the Chron.
The article goes pretty deep into the role of modern urbanism and especially how the areas outside Denver are foreshadowing what is to come for the Bay Area's suburbs.
It also has a very nice slideshow that provides an overview and critique of modern urbanism through the lens of Stapleton and Belmar. QTVR and photos too.
One of the nice things about living in Belmar is that I can walk down to Composition anytime. It's a modern store that sells books, shoes, housewares, bags, and other elements of good design. Jennifer owns the place and I've got to know her from dropping by every now and then. She moved her store to Belmar from Lodo a couple years ago.
So it was nice to see that she got a little coverage in a recent New York Times Style magazine. Here's the article as it stands now, and the permalink is here.
Jennifer's been working her tail off to get her store going and it's looking great. I was in there today and she's got a great collection of art and design books as well as the whole Wallpaper Travel collection. There is also a book called Doodles which is the coolest coloring book ever. And I even think there are some shoes on sale. At any rate, drop by if you can, it's well worth a visit. I've never left without being inspired (and usually a little lighter in the wallet).
Newsweek did a piece recently on the little fake downtown in which I live. It's a development called Belmar; part of Lakewood, CO just outside Denver. A development riding the 'new urbanism' tide or, as it seems lately, taking a beating from it.
In the last few weeks I've been a little disheartened to see some retailers pull up stakes after only months in business. Johnny Rockets, Tacone, Frisco's Deli, and Emogene all have left.
I'm an urbanite by nature so it took some adjustment to move here in the first place. It's turned out to be a good investment, in terms of housing values. But it still takes some getting used to, and seeing these businesses leave doesn't help.
But there are a couple new bright spots here. One is Composition, a great independent shop with modern goods. Jen moved it out here from LoDo and is crossing her fingers.
And Andenken owner Hyland opened A++ Boutique de Force, a sweet mix of urban eclectica. Westword liked it so I hope it gets some traffic from his Andenken fans downtown.
Lastly, The Lab has opened a new space and is set for another great year bringing culture to anyone in suburban Denver who will listen. Bless 'em.
I'm Sean. This is my home for homeless thoughts. I'm a planner based in New York. I think simple is smart. For something more official there's this.
The opinions, observations and nonsense published here are purely my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
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