RSS FeedGhosts Of Garfinckel’s Retail Past Returning To F Street?
If you blinked you might have missed the Washington Business Journal article packed with interesting retail news about Hamilton Square at the corner of 14th and F Streets NW (right side of the above historic photo). Although nothing was absolutely confirmed, it mentioned the prospect of a T.J. Maxx discount clothing retailer taking some or all of the space now occupied by Border’s bookstore. It also provided an update on Roberto Donna’s Galileo III restaurant which should open in January 2010 before Valentine’s Day along the 14th Street side of the building where Butterfield 9 used to be.
The article didn’t give the historical nod owed this building so we thought we would do so here. The whole building used to be the flagship store of Garfinckel’s, an original Washington grown department store, built in 1929. The company was founded circa 1900 and grew through mergers and acquisitions until missteps in a competitive retail landscape brought it to bankruptcy and liquidation in 1990. Garfinckel’s has a fond place in the heart of many native Washingtonians over the age of 30 as the store you went to when you wanted to find a really special or nice gift. (You paid a little more too!) Although not updated recently, a Garfinckels.com tribute website is still running and gives you a further peek into the company and its past. Who knows…maybe the ghost of Julius Garfinckel is still alive and well at 14th and F!
Garfinckel’s, Gone With the Linen; The Pearl of F Street, Where Shopping Had a Touch of Class [WaPo archive]
Photo Credit: DDOT photo archive
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Comments
I don’t have a problem with TJ Maxx — there is a schlocky Filene’s across the street. Its the big stores who can afford the rents — so that is what we are going to get. Want Nordstrom? Wait until CityCenter opens (if ever) — they are pursuing high-end retail. Those stores want new construction.
But I do remember Garfinckels as the most elegant store downtown, with impeccable service (which I noticed even in my very young years), and the curved row of ornate elevators. The suburban stores were also nice, but the F Street location was an attraction.
Yeah, that’s pretty lame. It’s basically the same thing as Filene’s. I’d much rather have Borders stay open! Oh well, what can you do. 
if you read the WBJ article, a high end concept was in the running but didn’t seem to pan out. in the end, you got to make the deal work.
I would also like to see something a little better than TJ Max, but lets face it, DT DC isn’t a prime retail spot. All the retail that should rightly be downtown goes to Georgetown or the burbs. At least it is better than another vacant spot.
TJ Maxx is certainly a letdown. What I fail to understand is why it’s so hard to bring top-notch retail downtown. Downtown has so much going for it – plenty of cultural attractions, restaurants and lots of daytime foot traffic. And yet the retail scene remains lame, despite some promising newcomers in recent years like West Elm. What gives? Sure, rent is high, but isn’t that the case in most major cities?
TJ Maxx is an excellent addition to downtown. I’m amazed at the negative reactions. We need a mix of retail–not all of us can afford to shop at Neiman Marcus, and excluding or limiting the discount options downtown will only keep the overall retail market depressed. Discount shoppers bring just as much, if not more (based on higher volume), of a presence to our once desolate neighborhood. By the way, there are TJ Maxx locations blocks from Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, and in the upper west side and downtown Manhattan. I’m glad the company finally considers downtown DC a viable retail market.
TJ Maxx is a major and reputable retail operation and is very needed in order to revitalize the downtown economy. We need place like that down here. I don’t see a problem with upscale and discount retailers side by side in the city. There’s certainly enough room for both. 7th street has a mix of both upscale and discount restaurants and retail and it’s the most successful revitalization project I’ve seen to date. Please stop this elitist attitude.
Looking forward to getting the max for the minimum at TJ Maxx! (Of course, I’d love a Bloomie’s or Nordstrom downtown too. It’s all about choice and more retail of ALL types downtown.)
Garfinkel’s was a gem, but let’s face it: that store went under a couple decades ago and brick-and-mortar bookstores are dying fast (Laredo TX, nearly 200K people, just lost its last bookstore http://bit.ly/6idEw8). A few other commenters are are on the right track. That corner already has a Filene’s Basement and wouldn’t we all rather have the Border’s space filled with _something_ instead of sitting vacant? TJ Maxx would be busy with tourists and locals, and would be a great source of DC tax revenue.
Besides all that, my partner and I have a guilty pleasure of going through the “home” sections of TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshall’s, and the like to find the most hideous furnishings no one would ever consider putting in their home (who are the dept store buyers who approved this stuff?!). It’s a bit of free entertainment that is a nice break from Cafe du Parc ($4 plus tax for a small drip coffee!) and the impending Galileo.
With Filene’s across the street and all the tourist/daytime worker traffic, the space is almost screaming for another discount retailer like TJ. “Top-notch” retail isn’t expanding for at least a couple years, so let’s take what we can get and start bargain hunting!
My wife will love this. She doesn’t understand why we can’t get a Shoppers’ Food Warehouse somewhere near the White House as well.
if TJ Maxx does come, this will be a second instance of its being across the street from a Filene’s in DC. in Friendship Heights, the Filene’s in Mazza Gallerie is right across Jennifer Street from the TJ Maxx. after shopping at both for years, I am a Filene’s fan but, hey, I can be a Maxxinista if the price is right.
I have no problem with TJ Maxx, but it’s terrible that Borders is closing down in order to make way. There’s so much abandoned first-floor retail space in that area, how can the landlord possibly justify pricing Borders out of the market?
If that Borders closes, then the Barnes & Noble at 12 & E will be the only full-selection bookstore between Farragut and Eastern Market.
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It’s a disagrace that a frickin TJ Maxx will be going in that space. 2 blocks from the White House, on a resurgent retail corridor, and TJ Maxx is the best they can get? I’m gonna email Jack Evans and see if he can pull some strings.