Nice! When I went by on Saturday they appeared to be starting setup of a new crane or two
William-Sonoma is already gone. Left for Fenton. I was in Crabtree yesterday, pack with people and storefronts all full. Looked a lot better than my spring visit
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They must be starting construction on the āSt. Albans Loftsā:
(From the NHID website: Residential ā North Hills Innovation District (NHID))
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Iāve noticed that a lot of people on this forum seem to wish death upon Crabtree because of their preconceived notions about shopping centers and enclosed malls, but tbh, Crabtree is pretty packed every time I go. Think whatever you want about malls and the car-centric aspect of it all, but Iām extremely happy to see Crabtree thriving in 2023, especially when most malls around the country canāt say the same. Crabtree wonāt be going anywhere for a long time.
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After shopping at Crabtree for 50 yrs or so, I think its looking pretty good.
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There are countless malls around the world that are successful (mainly Asia) and I believe that as long as the immediate area around Crabtree continues to densify, the mall will be popular. I may be wrong but thatās my opinion.
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The mall definitely is keeping up. No doubts about that from me. I can see high end shops opening up given the Tag Heuer, Coach, and other stores that Iāve seen at high end locations (think Hudson Yards or similar). H&M isnāt high end per se, but I do see them typically in higher end shopping areas.
Whatās in the Williams-Sonoma now?
Iām a fan of Crabtree. Itās actually one of the only/few shopping centers thatās directly along the Greenway. It has raised crossings for pedestrians in some parts which is pretty unique for Raleigh. Itās also the largest shopping area in Raleigh where you can walk without having to deal with cars except for the parking deck. Even then, the traffic speeds are quite low compared to the majority of Raleigh. The walkability to the surrounding apartments/hotels could be improved a lot but that would fall on the city I believe.
CityNerd did a video against malls or lifestyle centers. I have no problems with malls or the centers. I also live nearby and walk over often to grab something from the food court. I enjoy not dealing with the traffic.
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If have gripes with the Crabtree Madewell. They donāt carry any Madewell for men. They do carry it at the Fenton and Southpoint locations
Iāll admit, Iāve never liked malls. Didnāt grow up near one so I donāt have any nostalgia attached, donāt like spending all that time inside, and they always seem to smell like stale fried food.
At least North Hills is outside and has some residential integrated with it, much as driving to it and parking are a pain.
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Crabtree is pretty great as far as non-car accessibility goes. In high school weād ride our bikes there without ever having to leave the greenway once we got on it. Took like an hour, but it was still doable 
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I think itās important to realize that itās good to have a variety of shopping malls & experiences in our city - both enclosed/indoor (Crabtree) and outdoor (North Hills). We all have our preferences of course, but having successful examples of both of these will only encourage more desirable retail spots to setup shop here. Not every company wants to be (or will be compatible with the tenant mix) in North Hills, and vice versa.
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North Hills is fine, but itās definitely a different experience than Crabtree. I just as likely to go to neither, but in general I use NH more for restaurants and Crabtree more for shopping. And Iād rather have to go to Crabtree than NH on a random weekend.
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This pretty much sums up my experience with both as well. If I have serious shopping to do, Iām most likely going to Crabtree without a thought. If I want to take my girl out on a fun date with various experiences in walking distance (restaurants, entertainment, drinks, etc.) then North Hills. Shopping is usually an afterthought for me when I visit North Hills. I enjoy both places though for sure.
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Yeah. I live 5 minutes away from NH by car, and I still go to Crabtree for clothes shopping. I generally donāt spend $300 for a button down shirt or pair of pants. NH is pretty much all about the restaurants for me.
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Iāve been to a half a dozen malls here in Poland. Our shopping malls and shopping zones look so haggard in comparison. The malls in Poland are always packed with people and the shops are decent too. I even visit them a few times when I donāt really bother in Raleigh.
Crabtree really needs a refresh or demo and rebuild.
In fairness, when crabtree opened, Poland was a workers paradise, so shopping did not exist. Crabtree definately needs to do something with the old sears.
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I liked the Kane tower render 
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I feel like a mixed-use hotel/residential building would do well here. The hotel could be 5 stories and 15 floors could be for apartments.
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Never mind that you are purchasing in Zloty and every price marked is really 1/4 the price in USD!. I agree that the malls in Poland are nice. Whatās even nicer is that you can often arrive to them on foot, by bike, or by transit. They arenāt swimming in a sea of cars.
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Nieman Marcus could arrive there or Bloomingdaleās perfect space for them.
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