Americana at Brand

Last updated
The Americana at Brand
AmericanaBrandSign.jpg
Americana signage
Americana at Brand
General information
Location Glendale, California
Address889 Americana Way
Glendale, California 91210
Coordinates 34°08′38″N118°15′23″W / 34.14389°N 118.25639°W / 34.14389; -118.25639
Construction started2006 [1]
OpenedMay 2, 2008 [2]
Cost US$400 million+ [1]
Owner Caruso Affiliated
Technical details
Floor count4
Design and construction
Architecture firm
Developer Caruso Affiliated
Other information
Number of stores82 [5]
Number of anchors6
Number of rooms
  • 242 apartments [6]
  • 100 condominiums
Number of restaurants32 [5]
Website
americanaatbrand.com

The Americana at Brand is a large shopping, dining, entertainment and residential complex in Glendale, California. The mall features anchor stores Nordstrom, and Barnes & Noble.

Contents

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 many other projects, including The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles. The complex comprises 100 condominiums and 242 luxury apartments. [6]

Aerial view of downtown Glendale's shopping areas (The Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria). The Americana at Brand in Glendale.jpg
Aerial view of downtown Glendale's shopping areas (The Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria).

The Americana project stirred debate in Glendale for four years. Some merchants feared the Grove-style "lifestyle center" would diminish business at the stores along Brand Boulevard and in the Glendale Galleria. Some residents worried about overdevelopment and traffic congestion. [7]

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 each project's center. Caruso Affiliated often casts its developments in a particular milieu. The architectural style of the Americana reflects the brick factory facades of the industrial era, with its massive elevator shaft with exposed steel beams, while The Grove is reminiscent of 1930s Los Angeles, California. Each of the two intends to appear to be a public space, but is private property and is protected as such. However, the two-acre park in the center of the complex is entirely public property. The private security force that patrols the property prevents anyone from taking photographs with professional equipment without permission. The Americana at Brand allows dogs on the property — except on its grassy area. The only breed restricted is the pit bull. Each store decides whether it allows pets.

The project opened to the public on May 2, 2008. [2]

The Americana at Brand in Glendale The Americana at Brand.jpg
The Americana at Brand in Glendale

List of tenants

As of July 2022, there are over 80 tenants in the Americana.

Anchors


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 on the 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. [9] 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) [10] 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. [10] George F. McGinnis, a retired Disney Imagineer, designed the trolley cars.

On Nov 6, Stranger Things day, Netflix launched the first-ever Stranger Things store in the Americana at Brand. The shop immerses fans in a world of supernatural mystery and 80’s nostalgia in a one-of-a-kind Stranger Things experience. [11]

Holiday season

The Americana at Brand with its 100-foot Christmas tree as seen on Thursday, November 21, 2013. This image was taken minutes after the Americana at Brand's annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Downtown Los Angeles is visible in the distance. Americana at Brand with Tree.jpg
The Americana at Brand with its 100-foot Christmas tree as seen on Thursday, November 21, 2013. This image was taken minutes after the Americana at Brand's annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Downtown Los Angeles is visible in the distance.

During the holiday shopping season, fake snow is produced periodically every evening. In mid-November, a Christmas tree is displayed, and lit every evening, beginning with their annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The tree remains lit every evening for the remainder of the holiday season. The tree is up to 100 feet or more, and it is usually one of the tallest trees in Los Angeles County.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Galleria</span> Shopping mall in Texas, United States

The Galleria, stylized theGalleria and also known as the Houston Galleria, is an upscale mixed-use urban development and shopping mall located in the Uptown District of Houston, Texas, United States. The development consists of a retail complex, as well as the Galleria Office Towers complex, two Westin hotels, and a private health club. The office towers and hotels are separately owned and managed from the mall. The mall features Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tysons Corner Center</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Tysons Corner Center is a shopping mall in the unincorporated area of Tysons in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It opened to the public in 1968, becoming one of the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping malls in the Washington metropolitan area. The mall's features the traditional retailers Macy's, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's. The mall also features prominent specialty retailers including Everlane, Fabletics, Untuckit, Oak + Fort, Intimissimi, Aesop, and Warby Parker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Del Amo Fashion Center</span> Shopping mall in Southern California

Del Amo Fashion Center is a three-level regional shopping mall in Torrance, California, United States. It is currently managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Grove at Farmers Market</span> Shopping mall in Los Angeles, California

The Grove is a retail and entertainment complex in Los Angeles, located on parts of the historic Farmers Market. The mall features Nordstrom and Barnes & Noble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menlo Park Mall</span> Shopping mall in Edison, New Jersey

Menlo Park Mall is a two-level super regional shopping mall, located on U.S. Route 1 and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,332,132 sq ft (123,759.1 m2). Menlo Park Mall is currently owned and managed by Simon Property Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Bay Galleria</span> Shopping mall in Redondo Beach, California

South Bay Galleria, formerly named Galleria at South Bay, is a shopping mall located in Redondo Beach, California, United States. It is anchored by Macy's, Kohl's, Q, Wonder of Dinosaurs, and a 16-screen AMC Theatres multiplex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westfield Topanga</span> Shopping mall

Westfield Topanga is a shopping mall in the Canoga Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It has 1,588,050 square feet (147,535 m2) of gross leasable area and features Nordstrom, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Target. The mall has been owned by Westfield-affiliated companies since 1993, and has been owned by the present-day Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horton Plaza (shopping mall)</span> Shopping mall in San Diego, California

Horton Plaza was a five-level outdoor shopping mall in downtown San Diego. It was designed by Jon Jerde and was known for its bright colors, architectural tricks, and odd spatial rhythms, occupying 6.5 city blocks adjacent to the city's historic Gaslamp Quarter. Opening in 1985, it was the first successful downtown retail center since the rise of suburban shopping centers decades earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westfield Century City</span> Shopping mall in California, U.S.

Westfield Century City is a two-level, 1,300,000-square-foot (120,000 m2) outdoor shopping mall in the Century City commercial district in Los Angeles, California. A property of the Westfield Corporation, the mall features Nordstrom, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, in addition to a Gelson's supermarket, and a 15-screen AMC multiplex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westfield UTC</span> Outdoor shopping mall in San Diego, California, United States

Westfield UTC is an open-air shopping mall located in the University City community of San Diego, California built in 1977. It lies just east of La Jolla, near the University of California, San Diego campus. It is owned – except for the ex-Sears parcel – by the Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. Its anchors include Macy's, Nordstrom and a 14-screen AMC Theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grove Christmas Tree</span> Christmas tree in Los Angeles, California, USA

The Grove Christmas Tree is an approximately 100-foot Christmas tree that is lit every year at The Grove at Farmer's Market in Los Angeles, California. In 2002, it was the tallest Christmas tree in the Los Angeles area and attracted about 90,000 visitors a day during the holiday season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easton Town Center</span> Shopping, Dining and Entertainment Destination in Columbus, Ohio

Easton Town Center is a shopping center and mall in northeast Columbus, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1999, the core buildings and streets that comprise Easton are intended to look like a self-contained town, reminiscent of American towns and cities in the early-to-mid 20th century. Included in the design are fountains, streets laid out in a grid pattern surrounded by a continuous loop, and metered storefront parking.

Caruso, formerly Caruso Affiliated Holdings, LLC, is one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the United States. It was founded by Rick Caruso in 1987, with Corinne Verdery as its CEO since 2022. Caruso has a portfolio of retail and mixed-use properties in Southern California, including ones in Los Angeles, Glendale, Calabasas, Pacific Palisades, Marina Del Rey, Encino and Thousand Oaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonestown Galleria</span> Shopping mall in San Francisco, California

Stonestown Galleria is a shopping mall in San Francisco, California, United States. It is located immediately north of San Francisco State University and near the former campus of Mercy High School which closed in 2020 and Lowell High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glendale Galleria</span> Shopping mall in Glendale, California

The Glendale Galleria is a large three-story regional shopping center and office complex located in downtown Glendale, California, United States. Opened in 1976 with 1,600,000-square-foot (150,000 m2) of retail space, it is the third-largest mall in Los Angeles County after Lakewood Center and Del Amo Fashion Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Caruso</span> American businessman, developer, politician, and philanthropist (born 1959)

Rick Joseph Caruso is an American businessman. A billionaire, he is the founder and former chief executive officer of Caruso, an American real-estate company. He is the chair of the board of trustees at the University of Southern California and was previously the president of the Los Angeles Police Commission and a member of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.

Webb's a.k.a. H. S. Webb, was a department store based in Glendale, California, the first in that city.

Glendale Fashion Center was a regional shopping mall in Glendale, California anchored by department stores, which today is the site of a large power center by the same name.

Palisades Village is a local shopping village located in Pacific Palisades, California, in the downtown area of the neighborhood known as the "Village", from which the shopping center derives its name.

References

  1. 1 2 "Americana: The Beautiful?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "'The Grove' Developer Opens New Open-Air Mall In Glendale". MSNBC / KNBC. May 3, 2008. Archived from the original on May 8, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "The Americana At Brand - CREO Industrial Arts". CREO. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  4. "AMERICANA AT BRAND - RTD LA". Romeo Thorsen Design. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "The Americana at Brand". Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  6. 1 2 "The Americana at Brand Luxury Apartments". apartments.americanaatbrand.com. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  7. Mia DiMassa, Cara (April 1, 2008). "Glendale set to welcome once-disputed development". Los Angeles Times .
  8. D'Alessandro, Anthony (2021-07-19). "AMC Closes Deal For Grove & Americana Leases In L.A.; Venues Reopening In August With PLF Upgrades – Update". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  9. "WET News". WET Design. Archived from the original on September 18, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  10. 1 2 Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, July 2008, p. 277. UK: LRTA Publishing.
  11. "Stranger Things Pop-Up at the Americana at Brand in Los Angeles". LosAngeles101. Retrieved 2022-04-02.