Having a sister and a friend that are both slated to get married this year, the stores have different clientele. The one that’s been there for a while sells dresses that are $10k+. The new store focuses on selling dresses between $1-3k. Both stores should be able to coexist.
Doesn’t appeal to me directly, but I can certainly see why they’d feel there’s a market for a 2nd store.
But why tf do they have to coexist in the same damn market? So boring and repetitive. I never wish for local businesses to fail but I certainly am not hoping they both remain lmao
There’s something to be said for clusters of similar businesses reinforcing each other. Between the two different dress stores, the stationery spot catty-corner, and all the cute restaurants, it’s a great neighborhood for doing all of your wedding shopping.
We can just make City Market the Wedding District. The place where everyone in Raleigh can go a few times, getting ready for and having their special day, and then never go back again.
Plus a suit tailor there as well, Litamus.
Before Market Hall became an event venue, City Market was more arts & crafts thanks to overflow from Artspace. (There were even international themed stores at one time like a Tibetan and Native American crafts shops.) But the art and giftshop browsing that used to be big there has definitely decreased since covid. Even First Fridays arent as big as they used to be. (Remember with City Market would have a band on the street for those?)
I personally don’t want it to be a wedding district but I guess that’s better than it being empty. Put in a cake shop while we’re at it and fill up the remaining spaces I guess. I mean, it can never be a nightclub district, since the spaces are too small, and if arts/crafts shops don’t do well enough to survive then this is what it takes. At least there’s some types of non-wedding spots in there left—I support the pet store whenever I can.
There’s also so many completely vacant spaces right now. Likely due to disrepair. Really wish the owner of City Market would get off his ass or sell to Northpond.
That is what City Market needs…a new owner.
I’m taking comfort that the Loden Group is trying to either acquire it and/or manage it.
They need it to be a success to fuel their adjacent hotel and block redevelopment projects.
Bro, a high end cake shop that moonlights as a cake-inspired cocktail bar at night wouldn’t be so bad. Something like Bittersweet I suppose.
I could see that - and it wouldn’t totally suck except for one thing…….
I live across the street. I don’t want a wedding shop Mecca across the street
Want to go in on a competing elopement business? We’ll clandestinely approach couples shopping for dresses or touring city market and offer services for secret eloping and charge rock bottom prices.
Maybe they could bring back Rum Runners to go with theme. 
Sorry, Jello! (not a sentence I thought I’d ever type)
The last thing that I’d want is for City Market to be turned into a de facto Bridezilla District.
We could just set up shop at one of the tables outside Vic’s
The nickname came from college. I have a nice Italian name. One of my buddies was drunk and introduced me to some of his friends from home by shortening my name to jello. And it stuck.
That’s it, I’m calling City Market the Bridezilla Block. Hope it catches on.
Funny enough, I’ve seen the door to 220 open quite a few times. There’s definitely some preliminary work being done in there.
Edit: Confirmed. Appears that something is in motion
I mean this would rule, I hope they finally get going!
Word on the street is that it’s going to be a wedding dress store!
Put a rooftop patio on every building in city market. Make it a defining characteristic of the block.
