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gsoboi78
Location: Greensboro, NC USA 6,514 posts, read 8,203,783 times Reputation: 2940
Advertisements Greensboro's Friendly Shopping Center is the Triad's most successful shopping destination and it was ahead of its time when it was built in the 1950s. It was the precursor of today's outdoor lifestyle centers. Here is a photo gallery which shows the center throughout the years and one of the pictures shows the Forum VI indoor mini mall built at Friendly Shopping Center which never caught on with shoppers. It included a ground level parking deck under the mall. Today the building is an office building with a K&W Cafeteria on the ground level. Today Friendly Center has been upgraded and includes high end establishments such as Brooks Brothers, Apple Store, REI, PF Changs, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Whole Foods and Wolfgang Puck Pizza.
NCSaint
Location: Greensboro, NC for 20 years now. 22 posts, read 32,372 times Reputation: 25 Agree it's our best shopping area but I hate shopping there. It isn't pedestrian "friendly" at all and there are way too many cars moving in different directions. The newer Shoppes at Friendly are quite a bit better than original Friendly. Pedestrian bridges would help some I think.
gsoboi78
Location: Greensboro, NC USA 6,514 posts, read 8,203,783 times Reputation: 2940 The irony of its success is that the nearest interstate highway is several miles away yet its a major regional retail center. A lot has to do with demographics. Friendly Shopping Center is surrounded by some of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods. Starmount and Irving Park Neighborhoods are close by. Friendly Center is also in the geographic center of Greensboro. I personally think they should drop "shopping center" from the name. When you think of a shopping center you think of a strip mall. Maybe it should be reamed Friendly Towne Center or something like that. Last edited by gsoboi78; 01-12-2015 at 06:45 PM..
UnderTheLiveOaks
7,331 posts, read 16,083,604 times Reputation: 3814
Quote: Originally Posted by gsoboi78 The irony of its success is that the nearest interstate highway is several miles away yet its a major regional retail center. A lot has to do with demographics. Friendly Shopping Center is surrounded by some of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods. Starmount and Irving Park Neighborhoods are close by. Friendly Center is also in the geographic center of Greensboro. I personally think they should drop "shopping center" from the name. When you think of a shopping center you think of a strip mall. Maybe it should be reamed Friendly Towne Center or something like that. No one calls it "Friendly Shopping Center." They call it "Friendly Center." When I first heard people talking about it and was new to the area, I thought it was an arena or something, like the staples center.
Sue at the Rock
Location: The Emerald City 1,730 posts, read 2,623,562 times Reputation: 2625
Quote: Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan No one calls it "Friendly Shopping Center." They call it "Friendly Center." When I first heard people talking about it and was new to the area, I thought it was an arena or something, like the staples center. Au contraire, it's always been Friendly Shopping Center to those of us who grew up near there. Two malls couldn't compete. Still can't.
superk
Location: Durham, NC 3,578 posts, read 11,098,098 times Reputation: 2298 I still stop by on occasion when I'm in the area.
UnderTheLiveOaks
7,331 posts, read 16,083,604 times Reputation: 3814
Quote: Originally Posted by Sue at the Rock Au contraire, it's always been Friendly Shopping Center to those of us who grew up near there. Two malls couldn't compete. Still can't. People say "Friendly Shopping Center"? And not just "Friendly Center" or even just "Friendly"? Because I've never heard a single person use the word "shopping" in the name, and I work with lots of people who grew up here. No matter.
Anyway, it's all a moot point. Friendly is doing just fine with its current name and doesn't have any need to bother with a rebrand.
gsoboi78
Location: Greensboro, NC USA 6,514 posts, read 8,203,783 times Reputation: 2940
Quote: Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan People say "Friendly Shopping Center"? And not just "Friendly Center" or even just "Friendly"? Because I've never heard a single person use the word "shopping" in the name, and I work with lots of people who grew up here. No matter.
Anyway, it's all a moot point. Friendly is doing just fine with its current name and doesn't have any need to bother with a rebrand. I guess it depends on what the person calls it. I've always heard people say Friendly Shopping Center. I just figured since Friendly is becoming more and more upscale, it needs an upscale name to go with it. But I doubt they'll change it. When Four Seasons remodeled and added a third level or retail back in 1986, Koury Corp changed the name from Four Seasons Mall to Four Seasons Town Centre.
UnderTheLiveOaks
7,331 posts, read 16,083,604 times Reputation: 3814
Quote: Originally Posted by gsoboi78 I guess it depends on what the person calls it. I've always heard people say Friendly Shopping Center. I just figured since Friendly is becoming more and more upscale, it needs an upscale name to go with it. But I doubt they'll change it. When Four Seasons remodeled and added a third level or retail back in 1986, Koury Corp changed the name from Four Seasons Mall to Four Seasons Town Centre. Yeesh. Maybe I just know people who are big on brevity. I hear "Four Seasons" and "Friendly," and laugh when I imagine anyone saying "Yeah, we're headed over to Friendly Shopping Center." When they get there, do they go to Macy's Department Store, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, and maybe Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar?
WFW&P
12,572 posts, read 16,371,508 times Reputation: 8960 Unless I missed something Ruth Chris is not at Friendly (I call it Friendly).
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