Author: Arielle Darr
If you were to combine Disneyland, Las Vegas and the Grove, throw in your favorite childhood memory and tons of money, you would get Glendale’s new outdoor shopping mall the Americana at Brand. From its twinkling lights to its flashy fountain and swanky stores and restaurants, there is no denying that when you see it for the first time, the Americana is truly entrancing. As a trolley filled with happy, giggling people goes by, it is hard not to let go and smile.
Then you jolt yourself out of this state of euphoric bliss and realize that, like many things in L.A., it is just a façade. That shirt you were browsing in the store window was worth a week’s pay, that neon Eiffel Tower is tacky and those apartment complexes are on top of everything. When you take a closer look you notice that the colors in the area seem too bright, almost fake, and as the Los Angeles Times wrote, it looks “like the Grove on steroids,” but even smaller, fancier and more high end. You start to feel overwhelmed-almost suffocated-by the exaggerated ecstasy, blaring music, crowds of people, expensive stores and grand marble staircases in the lobby of the eight-floor parking garage. Since the Americana at Brand opened in Glendale, California in April 2008, it has served to exemplify the things people stereotypically hate about the Hollywood scene.
Like its name depicts, this place is a brand. Upon examining the setting, you see that the Americana is an excessive, over the top, culture free shopping center. Rick Caruso, developer of Hollywood’s premier outdoor shopping mall, the Grove, designed the Americana at Brand, which turned into a two-year project that cost $400 million. The L.A. Times describes how there was such success revitalizing the area where the Grove is found, that Caruso believed he could do the same for Glendale. The construction of the Americana at Brand might have been a good idea in theory and is nice in the sense that it is near Oxy and can make a good hangout place with friends or a date, but in reality it starts to look phony and leaves visitors disappointed and overwhelmed. This is not to mention the ridiculous amount of money it took to build such a glitzy monstrosity. The complex, which is 15.5 acres, houses over 75 stores, boutiques and restaurants, a movie theater, 100 condos and 238 apartments.
Placing such a large and expensive structure into a generally middle class neighborhood, where people cannot afford to spend all their savings, let alone move into a lavish apartment complex, seems ludicrous. In addition, it is also important to consider the fact that this is not the best time to open a luxury shopping center while America is going through an economic recession.
The Americana’s official website says “The Americana at Brand offers fashionable boutiques and a variety of nationally known and one-of-a-kind retailers . . . This upscale retail offering has made Glendale one of L.A.’s most desirable shopping destinations.” This is exactly the problem. The Americana is a destination. It is a place for people to come and shop, not a place for the average Glendale resident to spend money. People come and enjoy what they can of the atmosphere, but in the end, these visitors are rarely buying much. When speaking about the hard times mall owners are facing in our country’s current state, the L.A. Times quotes Caruso saying, “If you are complacent you are going to get hurt in this economy . . . during times that are challenging, you ramp it up.” Caruso’s efforts to arrange free concerts and programming at the mall have managed to raise sales in recent months. However, it is hard to tell how the Americana at Brand will fare in the long run. What I do know is that it may look appealing at first, but when you really think about the vast amount of money that has been put into the center versus the benefits that have come out of its creation, it all seems really unnecessary.
,Arielle Darr is an undeclared first-year. She can be reached at darr@oxy.edu.
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