The Lovejoy (Pearl Safeway) | Complete

[zilfondel]

Safeway has the worst produce of any grocery company on the west coast. I'd def hit up the "little green grocer" if I lived in the hood.

[cab]

This building is 🞵🞵🞵 from a distance, but I'm happy to say from the street it actually works. That entire area took a giant leap forward with the opening of safeway. Its just has a more vibrant feel. As much as I can't stand safeway this is huge for the pearl.

[smendesPDX]

Compared to the architecture of the downtown Safeway by the meseum, the Pearl Safeway building looks cheap and sterile, something I would expect in a suburb, not in the heart of the pearl. This neighbrohood will start looking pretentious and fake if they build more of these kind of buildings in the future.

[MightyAlweg]

Originally Posted by smendesPDX

This neighbrohood will start looking pretentious and fake if they build more of these kind of buildings in the future.

I already got that vibe when I first wandered the Pearl in mid '06. Some cool stores, but nothing you can't find at any of the big malls here in Southern California. And lots of folks wandering and driving around trying very, very hard to look "urban" and "hip" and "sustainable". HILARIOUS to watch, but not very genuine.

When I spent two days downtown and in the Pearl this past August, the Pearl District had gotten worse. It was like Washington Square without the free parking.

I think the Pearl jumped the shark around Christmas, 2006. All it needs now is an Old Navy or a Best Buy, and I think we can call it over and done with.

[dkealoha]

Originally Posted by MightyAlweg

I already got that vibe when I first wandered the Pearl in mid '06. Some cool stores, but nothing you can't find at any of the big malls here in Southern California. And lots of folks wandering and driving around trying very, very hard to look "urban" and "hip" and "sustainable". HILARIOUS to watch, but not very genuine.

When I spent two days downtown and in the Pearl this past August, the Pearl District had gotten worse. It was like Washington Square without the free parking.

I think the Pearl jumped the shark around Christmas, 2006. All it needs now is an Old Navy or a Best Buy, and I think we can call it over and done with.

I don't know what kind of malls you have, but the only "mall store" in the Pearl that you'll find in Washington Square is Eddie Bauer. Other than that, almost all of the stores are independently owned and local. The people trying very very hard to look "urban" and "hip" and "sustainable" are the people that come from out of town or the suburbs and want to pretend like they live there. For the most part, the people who actually LIVE in the Pearl are not pretentious and fake, it's the visitors that try to emulate that.

[pdxman]

I'll agree with you dkealoha, as someone who works in the pearl its easy to pick out the people who live there and those who don't. For the most part the residents in the pearl are very agreeable and rational. dke, you would know best though because you've actually lived there.

[brandonpdx]

wow, what an enlightened conversation we're having here. All I will say is that those with superficial judgments are just projecting what's in themselves internally.

[dkealoha]

Ok so maybe I'm generalizing the suburban and tourist population. However, my experience living near the SoLo bar when it was open and other bars and restaurants in the area, the people that were disrespectful, loud, and obnoxious while going down the street in a pink hummer limo blasting music at 3am hanging out the window did NOT live in the Pearl. Just an observation...

That being said, there are tourist and suburban visitors who are not like that also.

[Okstate]

Thursday tantrum: I don't understand the referencing to Washington Square as being a nicer than average mall to shop. I went there yesterday for the first time & it is less classy than the tier two malls in Oklahoma of all places. Am i in for a surprise when I go to the other malls or something? End tantrum:

[pdxman]

^^^Nope. Washington Square, along with Bridgeport Village, is probably the "nicest" mall in Oregon. You'll have to give some examples of Oklahoma malls though, I'd be interested to see what the differences are...

Oh, and dkealoha as of a few days ago it looks like SoLo went out of business.

[dkealoha]

Originally Posted by pdxman

Oh, and dkealoha as of a few days ago it looks like SoLo went out of business.

Oh I know... I said "when it WAS open..."

[pdxman]

Ah, I didn't even catch that! Classic though, it going out just around the time you leave.

[dkealoha]

I know huh? I had a month or so of quiet after it closed. A friend of mine moved into the Wyatt recently though and looks directly at Safeway from the lower corner. The old SoLo entrance is visible directly down the street a block away so I told him how lucky he was that it is closed now.

Back to the topic of this thread... I went into Safeway a couple nights ago and it is pretty nice inside (although not really all that different from any other Safeway). The staff is a little too eager to ask if you need any help though. Got a little annoying after about the 5th time someone asked if I was finding everything okay. I suppose that should die down after a few months.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by dkealoha

I went into Safeway a couple nights ago and it is pretty nice inside (although not really all that different from any other Safeway). The staff is a little too eager to ask if you need any help though. Got a little annoying after about the 5th time someone asked if I was finding everything okay. I suppose that should die down after a few months.

It will. I remember when the new downtown Safeway first opened. It was a zoo. Learning where everything is in a grocery store when you move into the area is one thing, but when no one knows where anything is, it gets nutty. Everyone suddenly turns into a little kid at the mall - looking everywhere but where they're going. Ahh well!

Don't forget to grab one of those grand opening coupon books. Who can resist a bargain at a time like this?

By the way - is it me, or is the new Pearl Safeway smaller than the one downtown? It felt really small when I dropped by - but then again, that was the opening day and it was packed with shoppers (and gawkers too, I suppose).

I don't like the building, but I sure am glad Safeway is open. I'm hoping it'll help with the crowds at the downtown Safeway.

[PacificNW]

They are both around 40,000-47,000 square feet. Museum Place is 47,000 sq. feet and I read (Google) that the Pearl location is 40,000 sq. feet...

[vjoe]

Man, the downtown safeway is so much better after the remodel though. night and day.

[2oh1]

Uhm... the downtown Safeway wasn't a remodel. They built a new store across the street from the old one, then tore the old one down. You're right though, it's a night and day difference. I'm told that the new downtown Safeway is busier than the old one ever was.

[Okstate]

[QUOTE]You'll have to give some examples of Oklahoma malls though, I'd be interested to see what the differences are.../QUOTE]

I'm actually referring more to the "feel" of the space than the stores themselves. I have no designing talent in my head whatsoever but I can still feel like I'm surrounded by a bit more class sometimes.

Examples of (what I would consider)
Tier 1 shopping in OK:
Penn Square-OKC (Very similar stores but much more open feeling with more attention to detail)
50 Penn Place-OKC (interior...not so much however EVERY store is in line with Marios pricing)
Utica Square-Tulsa (like Bridgeport)

Tier 2 shopping comparable to Wash. Sq:
Woodland Hills-Tulsa
Quail Springs- OKC
-------------------------
Anyway, went to both Lil Green Grocer & Safeway last week. Safeway was jam packed. I was the only one at LGG...so I decided I needed to buy something.

[bvpcvm]

Originally Posted by Okstate

Anyway, went to both Lil Green Grocer & Safeway last week. Safeway was jam packed. I was the only one at LGG...so I decided I needed to buy something.

i was kind of surprised by little green grocer. it's incredibly small, the selection seemed like it was stuff you could more or less get at safeway - well, ok, maybe you'd need to go to whole foods. i left there thinking - what were they thinking?? surely they knew safeway would be just one block away. we'll see if they make it.......

[Okstate]

^ i guess if you want to avoid the crowds at Safeway this could be someones cup of tea. I don't care how lame the Safeway is perceived, it adds a whole new life to the area that was badly missing IMO.