Fashion District Philadelphia is an exceptional shopping and dining experience designed to offer style, dining, entertainment, and art and culture in one curated destination. A joint venture between PREIT and Macerich, it is conveniently located close to Philadelphia’s historic district, Reading Terminal Market, and Pennsylvania Convention Center.
On September 19th, Mayor Kenney, PREIT CEO Joseph Coradino, and Macerich CEO Tom O’Hern celebrated its official opening.
Uniquely Philly
Fashion District Philadelphia opened on Thursday as the long-awaited replacement for Philadelphia’s aging Gallery Mall and will host various events over the coming days and weeks. Covering three Center City blocks, Fashion District was developed through a joint partnership between Macerich and Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT), and the first events will commence at this new location starting September 19. A ribbon-cutting event for Fashion District took place on September 19.
A few things distinguish this mall from its competition:
At every turn during construction, developers took great pains to ensure the new space accurately represented the Philadelphia region and culture. They included four local businesses in their Uniquely Philly section of the mall: Dolly’s Boutique is a clothing store aimed at working women that also helps reenter society from homelessness or imprisonment; The Sable Collective features female-owned accessory, housewares, and body care brands from local sources; South Fellini offers unique Philly themed gear which has already created much excitement; American Hats LLC operates as a family millinery business.
Apart from its signature offerings, Uniquely Philly Mall will feature a mix of fast fashion stores, traditional full-price stores and brand outlet shops, restaurants, and food trucks, as well as more recognizable stores such as Ulta Beauty, H&M Forever 21, American Eagle and Zales – as well as a movie theater and various live performance venues.
Visitors seeking a more engaging experience should head to Wonderspaces, which features art pieces repurposed as playful environments. Interactive spaces at Art Basel encourage visitors to engage with artworks in ways that encourage creative thought and dialogue, with more than ten experiential activations exhibits set to launch over its initial weeks of operation. Each activation has been carefully constructed to elicit emotion in visitors. The opening events mark just the start of an exciting and interactive year-long calendar of programming that will be available at the mall, including exhibitions and experiences that change frequently to provide fresh, engaging content for all age groups.
Entertainment
Fashion District Philadelphia is the region’s first metropolitan destination shopping experience, combining highly desirable flagship and designer outlets with dining, entertainment, art, and culture experiences. Situated in Center City Philadelphia’s three blocks, Fashion District features over 130 stores anchored by Primark, Heirloom Market H&M AMC Theatres Round One Entertainment Inc as well as other staples like Primark Heirloom Market as well as former Gallery Mall, which was reimagined entirely to become this new transformative destination.
This shopping mall features an impressive variety of brands to meet the needs and tastes of every shopper, regardless of age or preference. In addition, there are restaurants and cafes where visitors can relax with friends. Furthermore, there are multiple electronics stores where visitors can find gadgets aplenty; additionally, these stores provide an ideal opportunity for trying on various styles of shoes and bags in different designs from native and international brands!
Instead of the standard mall experience, this one has attracted tenants that redefine the shopping experience. Tenants include sought-after retailers such as Century 21, H&M, Forever 21, and boutiques and specialty stores. Furthermore, City Winery Dallas BBQ Chickie’s, Pete’s, and Tiffany’s Bakery make an impressive dining selection!
One of the significant aspects of this mall is that it features an entertainment zone, perfect for date nights and family fun. AMC Theaters resides here, while on its third floor sits a bowling and billiards arena, and its movie screen boasts Dolby Cinema technology for superior picture and sound quality.
Shopping malls provide more than retail and entertainment; they also offer excellent clothing shopping opportunities. Boasting an expansive range of clothing suitable for casual to formal events – not to mention its abundant supply of accessories – clothing stores also feature nail salons offering professional manicures as an extra style touch, and several stores provide makeup or perfume products as well.
Food
Fashion District offers many food and drink options, from fast-casual eateries to full-service sit-down eateries; popular spots include City Winery Philadelphia Restaurant and Round 1 Bowling & Amusement. In addition, there is an impressive array of electronic stores.
The Fashion District is an immersive shopping experience in the heart of Philadelphia. This one-of-a-kind destination connects Reading Terminal Market, Pennsylvania Convention Center, and public transit – including public rail hubs, including one central regional rail hub – while featuring iconic brands, dining experiences, and state-of-the-art cinema.
The District is a critical economic driver, a joint venture partnership between PREIT and Macerich in Philadelphia’s historic Center City area. Offering unrivaled brands, designer outlets, dining experiences, and experiences spanning three city blocks in Philadelphia’s historic Downtown, The District is an unparalleled economic catalyst in Philadelphia’s downtown.
Fashion District also boasts numerous new restaurants for visitors to enjoy while they shop and dine. California Tortilla specializes in authentic Mexican tortillas, tacos, nachos, and burritos made with fresh ingredients – offering items suitable for vegetarians – while Hoots Wings serves a selection of chicken wings and other delicious foods; The Wok serves Asian fare.
Once known as Gallery Mall, this retail complex was transformed into Fashion District in 2019 and now hosts over 130 retail and entertainment establishments. Renovation of this four-decade-old space included accessible storefronts, sidewalk cafes, a revamped streetscape, digital signage, and reconfigured structural frames to increase open space and provide more opportunities for shopping and dining. The District is now the region’s first metropolitan shopping experience, featuring flagship, off-price, fast fashion brands and dining experiences that unite them in one destination. Tenants include popular shops such as H&M, Ulta Beauty, Forever 21, Zumiez, Nike American Eagle Zales & G by Guess, and local favorites Chickies and Pete’s.
Art
Fashion District Philadelphia features numerous shops selling an assortment of products. In addition to traditional stores and boutiques specializing in specific types of clothing, Fashion District Philadelphia is an excellent way to find something unique regarding outfits or accessory purchases. Shoes of various shapes and sizes, as well as bags, are easily found here, as well as other necessary accessories.
Fashion District is the region’s first metropolitan shopping experience to combine flagship stores, designer outlet stores, authentic dining experiences, and original entertainment offerings all under one roof in Center City. Encompassing three city blocks, Fashion District features Century 21, H&M and Nike, Heirloom Market, AMC Theatres, and Wonderspaces (an immersive first-to-market art experience).
Redeveloping Gallery Mall into Fashion District took nearly $400 million and four years, but it finally opened on September 19. Its construction was designed not to close operations during construction, providing convenient connections with Reading Terminal Market, Pennsylvania Convention Center, and Jefferson Station on Market Street via Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Now there are 125 stores occupying 850,000 SF of space showcasing local and international brands.
