Love it or loathe it, Tiffany & Co. arrives in Red Bank tomorrow with the opening of a 6,000-square-foot emporium of luxury that caps the downtown’s 17-year sprint from economic backwater to one of the most admired in all of New Jersey.
Select guests will be treated to tours of the new store today. The big brushed-metal doors open to the public tomorrow.
We’d love to know what our readers think about this development. Is it positive for Red Bank and the surrounding towns? How exactly do readers think Tiffany will influence the economics and culture of this slice of heaven we call the Green?
Post away. But please, if you’re going to be nasty, don’t also be a coward: put your real name on it.
I think it's great. I think anything that brings more money into Red Bank can only help the town as a whole, even if it doesn't help our west side directly. Now, if we can only get that Trader Joe's to come to town…
Welcome, Tiffany, and good luck. Though I have really no need for the store, I think it will help push up property values, residential and commercial. And, it will increase Red Bank's reputation as a shopping mecca. I like the fact that many people want to visit our town for its restaurants and shops. I'd rather have an aesthetically-pleasing store like Tiffany there than a vacant building any day. And, I agree with "Newcomer", bring on Trader Joe's.
Yay!!!!! Bring on the jewels!
"Bring on the jewels!"…how bout bring on the BIG EMS ..as in HOOTERS !
Yes it's great that Tiffany's is here! Hope it drives foot traffic down Broad Street towards Monmouth - I know that those shops could use some new business. AND YES!!! Please, please please - Let's get Trader Joe's in town. Then Red Bank would have something for everyone….
Good Luck to Tiffanys'. Gotta love the blue box, its a plus for Red Bank. I buy many gifts there for special occasions.
Trader Joe's would be a dream come true….then maybe Smith & Hawken….
I think it is great for Red Bank. To say I live a block away from Tiffany's is pretty impressive. Although I probably will not buy anything from them, it is a draw for the other retailers in the downtown. Besides, when the now Garmany store WAS a Bon-Ton (the average person's department store) I rarely ever shopped there either. Obviously neither did many other Red Bankers because the store closed for not being profitable, and the landlord at the time increased the rent such they could not justify the costs of staying open. It was an ugly bland vacant eyesore until Garmany decided to expand into the space. So what if they are upper scale. If they keep the buildings looking nice and the stores occupied, all the better.
Good Lord! What is the reflected glory associated with living a block away from a store that sells expensive jewelry?
Just one more step in turning Red Bank into Red Bank Land, a shopping and dining theme park to which no ordinary mortals need apply.
We live in a world which has made Paris Hilton a major icon, where baseball players opt out of $25 million dollar contracts because they know they can make more and where breast implants are becoming "the" sweet sixteen birthday gift. Why wouldn't we see having a Tiffany store in town as a uplifting life event?
Red Bank reminds me of a kid with an inferiority complex. Add enough bling and maybe no one will notice the flaws, the weaknesses, the very human kid beneath it all.
padroneclu,
Very estute comment and very well stated!
Just to reiterate — I'm not in love with Tiffany's because it hides the flaws or weaknesses of Red Bank! I'm just in favor of bringing more money into the town, which it certainly will. It will also bring more people into the town to shop, which will help out smaller local businesses also. How is any of this bad? I still want Trader Joe's…
Newcomer,
When the smaller local business can't pay the same type of rent that the likes of Tiffanys forks over, they move out of town. Enjoy Murphy's Grille while you can.
I think that the town should build a food court so we all have somewhere to eat when downtown turns into a shopping mall. I hope it will include a Chick-fil-A, but the only problem is that they are closed on Sunday.
Chaz:
Thanks - that's a good point that I hadn't really considered. My hope is that when rents on Broad Street get too high, the Murphy-style businesses will relocate to less desirable parts of town, bringing some economic benefit to those areas as well. Who knows - with enough new shoppers in the area, maybe some new small businesses can succeed, also? I'm ever the optimist - we'll see what happens.
Tiffany's!! I guess some people are truely disconnected, as someone told me as little as 2 weeks ago, that they had decided not to come to Red Bank. Oh well, so much for 'imformed insiders!!!''
Mmm, take a quick glance at the comments above, and there seems to be some clamor for a Trader Joe's (discussed on The Green about 2 months ago or so). Well, now really, where would a Trader Joe's 'fit?' Who is the magician that is hiding a 12,000 sq. ft. location that has parking enough to accomodate Trader Joe's customers? Replete with shopping carts? Perhaps the amazing Randi is attempting a comeback ;-).
Oh yeah, now I remember, it was all about a parking garage & a Trader Joe's. Is there anyone out there that believe we will get a Trader Joe's without a parking garage?
Well, at least I detect some reality that accompanies the opening of Tiffany's. That being the fact that it will drive consumer traffic west of Monmouth St. that's certainly good for the retailers at that end of town.
Now, anyone got the right channels to town hall to poke around to see if a parking garage plan is on anyone's agenda? I would guess that there's no one home there that is making this one of their top priorities. Too much history. Too controversial. Too risky, to a political career.
Guarantee it! Yes, guarantee it! No parking garage, no Trader Joes in Red Bank. Unless of course the Amazing Randi removes the cloak over that perfect 12,000 sq. ft. building with convenient parking!!
Thus, Three Buck Chuck in NJ remains a Westfield exclusive!
I think I read that when each candidate at the West Side Candidate's Night was asked to name her/his number one priority, Sharon Lee said it was parking. I haven't heard anyone talking about a garage lately, but I have to wonder what she meant by that.
I thought the whole idea was that TJ would build the store WITH a parking garage.
That's my recollection also, from the story that ran on this site a while ago. If that were to happen, it would be a win all the way around!
Too bad Trader Joe's didn't buy the Stop-n-Shop on Newman Springs Road - I'd rather have a TJ's and one local Food Town than two Food Towns.