Landing turns 25 years old

[Wacca Pilatka]

I was at the food court Thursday for lunch. It could use a few more options. A national fast food vendor wouldn't hurt. Come to think about it a Chic-Fil-A would kill it there. Even with the limited selection there was still a good number of people up there eating.

Didn't there used to be a CFA in the Landing food court, round about the time of the Super Bowl?  I imagine it would do better now, given the Landing's recent surge of quality local store and restaurant additions.

[blizz01]

Did the Chick-Fil_A ever open @ Baptist?  Is it inside only (i.e. - is there any signage on the street?)?

[fsujax]

There used to be a little Chic-Fil-A vending cart. There is one at Baptist, no signage and it is impossible to get to at lunch! It really is meant to serve Baptist staff and visitors.

[copperfiend]

I had to take my son to Wolfson's last summer. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person and I could not figure out where the Chick-Fil-A was at Baptist.

[fsujax]

^^exactly! it fronts the street, but there is no signage.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I used to bartend at Jock's and Jill's.  Nothing fancy, but in all, a solid sportsbar. 

I do remember that there were some wild times after work, when the Huey's and American Cafe people would come in for our SI Happy Hour.  There should be a lot more memories, but I think I killed them via Irish Car Bombs.

Anyhow, there was more than one night with myself, the closing manager (roommate) and the closing server (also a roommate) still playing Golden Tee when the sun came up.  I would probably be a millionaire had that game  not been there.

Good times!

[duvaldude08]

There used to be a little Chic-Fil-A vending cart. There is one at Baptist, no signage and it is impossible to get to at lunch! It really is meant to serve Baptist staff and visitors.

I am blessed to work at Prudential.. so I just walk to Baptist at lunch sometimes LOL but thats still a problem because I have caught by a train and almost been late coming back before. Just curois, why in the heck would someone build a hospital by railroad tracks??

[coredumped]

There are now over 40 shops and vendors in the Landing....I encourage all MJers to come down and check out all the local businesses

Excellent point - the landing is very much alive. You folks that keep saying it's dead, have you really been there in the past few years? There's still live/free events on the weekend, lots of shops, and the nightlife is as good as ever.
Time to travel outside of king street and check out other local shops 

[peestandingup]

There are now over 40 shops and vendors in the Landing....I encourage all MJers to come down and check out all the local businesses

Excellent point - the landing is very much alive. You folks that keep saying it's dead, have you really been there in the past few years? There's still live/free events on the weekend, lots of shops, and the nightlife is as good as ever.
Time to travel outside of king street and check out other local shops 

Weekends or special events, sure. During the normal week (esp during the daytime), its almost always dead as a doornail. And yes, this is from personal experience. I ride my bike through there a few times a week, and usually make a point to stop there & support the place. In no way would I call the majority of the time the place is open "alive".

[tufsu1]

^ this is true for any shopping/dining area...I mean how busy is the King Street area between 2pm and 5pm on weekdays?

[fieldafm]

During the normal week (esp during the daytime), its almost always dead as a doornail. And yes, this is from personal experience.

That's pretty much true for most malls.  Lunch time is busy during the weekdays, otherwise it's pretty dead.  Weekends and Thursday nights are your money making days.

[fsujax]

Just got back from the Landing, it was busy. Or maybe those were ghosts I was seeing eating, shopping, walking around.

[copperfiend]

Just got back from the Landing, it was busy. Or maybe those were ghosts I was seeing eating, shopping, walking around.

I was there on a Friday two weeks ago and it was busy. Doesn't change the fact it is terribly outdated and in need of a facelift.

[John P]

Just got back from the Landing, it was busy. Or maybe those were ghosts I was seeing eating, shopping, walking around.

I ate lunch there today too at Finn. A table next to the river cannot be matched.

[peestandingup]

Well, looking at my calendar, it says its a Friday. So yes, its probably going to be more active. Technically not the weekend, but you get why that would be the case.

I'm mostly talking about a regular weekday (Mon-Thur), from morning to around 7pm is not very active at all. Lunch time does see a pick up at some of the restaurants that are on the water, but that's basically it. The inside mall part, upstairs, the courtyard & the shopping along the corridors are pretty void of humans. I don't chalk that up to the time either, as pretty much any decent mall in the city has people in them all day long. Go check the Avenues or SJTC & tell me if there aren't people there from morning to night.

Anyways, I really wouldn't consider the Landing a mall. Its more of an entertainment venue/place to eat. Sure there are a few stores, but thats not usually why people go there. Hence why its dead the majority of the week. I think it started out as a mall of sorts, but turned into something else.

FYI, I don't think its the Landing's fault. Yes, some of it needs a makeover. But really the problem is downtown itself not getting the attention & smart planning for the last 25 years that it deserves.