RSS FeedAT&T Store Now Open
The AT&T store located at 785 7th St NW underneath the Gallery Place metro entrance opened late last week.
We’ll let the comments on this post speak for themselves. Is anyone thrilled that a prime piece of Gallery Place real estate has been turned into a phone store? According to the WaBizJo, this space was very close to becoming a 2-level BlackFinn Restaurant & Saloon. The deal with Western Development fell through and the details are vague, but we’re guessing that AT&T swooped in with a large bag of cash at the zero-hour. BlackFinn then chose to locate in Bethesda.
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Comments
Adam: I’ve noticed, and have been enjoying the lack of sound too! But, it appears sound was turned back on 2 days ago. At least we now have a definite place to go to to lodge complaints!
Frankly, I think having a cell phone store in that space is ridiculous!
We needed a business that would generate foot traffic and bring people into the PQ where they would hopefully stay and spend more money. A restaurant, an Apple store, another clothing store, anything would have been better.
The only things that might have been worse would’ve been a Dollar Store, Salvation Army or homeless shelter.
Not to be a naysayer, but I don’t think that would have been a good spot for a restaurant because it’s at the top of that particular metro stop. While certainly convenient, it ususally feels a little seedy because of the groups of teenagers that hang out there all of the time.
Monday at 9 p.m. — I saw a guy splayed out almost asleep on their staircase for all to see. It looked kind of like a homeless guy — but I think it was one of their workers. They look like they had just closed. Weird.
But at least we may stand a chance of having less pot smoking and delinquency in that area now that eyes are on the street again.
#6
I’d disagree with that. If a restaurant moved into the location then I think they would be motivated to call 311 or whatever on seedy loiterers. That would be great rather than having a tenant who will be apathetic about the problem.
The AT&T store is definitely going with the fortress mentality – doors closed, translucent windows. I think they had a welcome mat outside the door yesterday – it’s no longer there.
Doubt they’ll pay attention to the outside any more than McD’s does.
The 2nd floor is supposed to have some offices. I don’t know if the display area extends to upstairs.
Why is that location not prime for a cell store? Lets see, its on top of one of the busiest Metro stations. It’s a block from an arena named after their top competitor. And it’s located behind new video screens on which they purchased a long-term contract — creating the largest retail signage in the city.
Get real people — its a great spot for AT&T! I bet they wish they had the Rosa Mexicano spot — even better for visibility.
Cell phone stores drive a great deal of traffic — more than 2 million phones are sold as day — thats a few dozen transactions a day per location — not counting the shoppers and browsers.
I am glad to see a viable, long-term retail client. And no — I am not an AT&T user. I am satisfied with T-Mobile.
Jon-
I don’t think anyone here would deny that its a great spot from AT&T’s perspective. Rather, the other commenters point is that given the limited number of prime corner-facing retail spots so close to a metro station, they’d rather see something in that location that adds something new to the neighborhood. Given that there is already an AT&T store at 12th and F, another at 12th and G, another at 14th and K, another at 13th and Penn etc., the fact of the matter is that this new AT&T store adds very little to the PQ.
In regards to your point about AT&T generating more foot traffic for the neighborhood, do you really think anyone will come to Gallery Place just for a cell phone store when there are so many others in the city?
Will the store generate foot traffic? Probably not. But we live in a free-market economy — and the one with the big checkbook can put whatever they want where they want.
And in a crummy real estate economy, developers are under no obligation to put in businesses that “might bring in foot traffic” They have their own mortgages to pay, so anyone willing to pay the rent — with little risk of doing under during the lease term — is a good tenant.
Personally, I think a Benneton store was ridiculous. And very 1980s.
Apple is looking for new “flagship” locations in city centers — they are more likely to take an old rowhouse to redo into something spectacular than to move into a cookie cutter retail space. Plus, they need parking, loading and other accommodations the corner lot does not have.
Jon-
In #10 you made your point that the new AT&T store is good for AT&T because they will get a lot of foot traffic.
In #13 you made the point that the new AT&T store is good for the developer of Gallery Place because AT&T has a deep pockets and is willing to pay the rent despite the sagging economy.
But you’ve still ignored the whole point of this discussion: Is the new AT&T store good for the people of Penn Quarter?
In other words, take your free-market economics hat off for 5 seconds and put your urban planning hat on.
Is the AT&T store good for the residents? ANY actively used space by a legitimate business is good for the ‘hood. Empty storefronts scare people away — tourists, shoppers, prospective buyers, and other businesses.
That goes for a KFC/Popeyes or a Dollar Store, too. Not that they would move in, as rents are too high. So high, that independent stores and restaurants are usually unable to raise enough capital to even consider the area.
We all have to stop thinking of what is best for us as residents. You live in a city center — its not all about us. More often than not, its about tourists, commuters, suburbanites who come into town.
Those who choose to live downtown know the drawbacks of doing so: parking, grocery, crime, noise and crowds among the many discussed on PQL (if you didn’t, you did not do your research.) And to this list, I would add “low level of developer concern for residents.” But that’s life in the big city. It’s not a DC thing.
I own an AT&T phone. When the phone does something stupid, I can stop along the way home and stand in line. What I have done before is get on the metro and go past my normal stop to rush to the phone store that closes at 5:30 or 6. So I am at least one person who works in the area who finds the store a good thing. Also going east or west of my normal commute home screws up my sense of direction.
Let’s face it – our neighborhood is “bridge & tunnel.” OK, that’s a Manhattan phrase, but the same thing applies to the PQ. I knew I wasn’t moving to a neighborhood when I moved here, so I’m fine with it. As long as they come, spend money, and leave. We’ll develop our own neighborhoody places on the fringes which we be fine with me. I’m not waiting 1 1/2 hours for a table at Matchbox. . . . .
Jon-
You might want to check out the Staples story and comment thread. I bet the upset PQ residents that left comments could use a lecture about how the new Staples is better for their ‘hood than a new grocery store.
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No comment on the store, but I have noticed that the giant screens at 7th & H have been muted for quite some time now. 😀