Paramus Park
Encyclopedia
Paramus Park is a shopping center located on From Road in Paramus
, New Jersey
, United States
, sandwiched between Route 17 and the Garden State Parkway
, a little more than two miles (3 km) north of Route 4. The mall is owned by General Growth Properties
and offers a Gross leasable area
(GLA) of 770941 sq ft (71,622.8 m²). The mall is accessible from Parkway exits 163 (northbound only) and 165, and from Route 17.
At 767,000 square feet and about 100 stores, Paramus Park, compared to the larger Westfield Garden State Plaza
(which is three times its size), is a more regional, destination-oriented mall, with a higher-than-average sales per square foot, estimated by industry experts to be between $400 and $500 a square foot or more. In addition to attracting upscale shoppers and tenants, its smaller stores, lower congestion and location along the Garden State Parkway in an affluent area attracted shoppers responding to the late-2000s recession, according to a 2011 NorthJersey.com report.
The quartet of Paramus Park, Westfield Garden State Plaza, The Outlets at Bergen Town Center and Fashion Center
account for a major portion of the $5 billion in annual retail sales generated in Paramus, more than any other ZIP Code
in the United States. Paramus Park gets 6 million visitors annually to its 107 stores. Located in Bergen County
, the mall is subject both to the county's Blue law
s and the borough's stricter ordinance, which require them to be closed on Sundays except for Bensi which it has a special Sunday entrance.
, which at the time was an open-air shopping center, became fully enclosed in 1984.)
The mall, developed by The Rouse Company
, opened on March 14, 1974, with a 300000 sq ft (27,870.9 m²). Abraham & Straus
(now a Macy's
store) and Sears
(which did not open until August) as anchors and space for 120 specialty stores. The Paramus High School Marching Band played at the grand opening. The mall's second-floor food court
was a new innovation, and is now credited as the first successful shopping mall food court. A Fortunoff
opened at the store in 1977.
The mall is shaped as a four-legged zigzag, with an anchor store at each end and the mezzanine-level food court encircling an atrium which featured a 30 feet (9.1 m) terraced waterfall surrounded by vegetation and punctuated by a pair of escalators. A stairway and a glass elevator surrounded by terraced gardens rounded out the access points to the 2nd level food court until 2002 when it was demolished due to long lines, and replaced by 2 new elevators which were relocated. To this day, the food court is very popular at the lunch hour with the area office workers. The garden-like design was prevalent throughout the rest of the mall. Trees lined the main promenade of the mall, along with park benches; all under large skylights. Two small courtyards were at the other leg intersections; one now hosted a carousel and the other a lowered seating area with a bronze statue of a turkey. A carousel still occupies the same location as the original, but the current one was put in during the 1990s. The turkey statue was inspired by the name of the town from which the mall gets its name. Paramus comes from the Lenni Lenape Native American
word meaning "land of the wild turkey" or "place of fertile soil".
In 1977, Paramus Park was immortalized in the lyrics of the Dean Friedman
song "Ariel". The two characters in the song meet "by the waterfall at Paramus Park".
In 1986, Paramus Park was the site of an innovative McDonald's
restaurant in its food court
, which featured a decor with oak trim, pastel tiles and marble counters, in lieu of the traditional plastic interior in primary colors. The facility cost $650,000 to construct, 40% more than a typical McDonald's, and was designed to create more of the feel of an upscale restaurant. Closed in 2000, it was replaced by a walk-up. Restrooms are now located in its former location. A Claire's store was opened in 1988, and closed in 2006.
In 2001, the mall was renovated and expanded with the addition of an Old Navy
store and Foot Locker
complex (which included a Lady Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker store that were connected to the Foot Locker store) along an elongated East Center Court Entrance. Center court was radically changed in that the waterfall, the gardens, escalators, stairway, elevator, and elevated gardens were removed in favor of a more open space. Two elevators were installed between Cinnabon
and Auntie Anne's
, a new smaller fountain was constructed, new escalators were constructed and vegetation/trees added, as well as the addition of new seating areas. Throughout the rest of the mall, flooring was changed, lighting was improved, seating areas were added and ceilings and walls were repainted. The Turkey statue was moved from the Macy's midcourt to the upper level food court and the seating area was transformed into a children's play area. The crescent waterfall in front of Macy's was kept, but the seating area surrounding it was removed in favor of a massage kiosk. Among the few stores that have remained throughout the mall's thirty-plus years are Sears and Chick-Fil-A
.
During the late-2000s recession, the mall's smaller stores, historical lower congestion and location along the Garden State Parkway in an affluent area attracted upscale shoppers and tenants that had previously shifted away from smaller malls in lieu of the larger ones in the area, such as Westfield Garden State Plaza, according to a 2011 NorthJersey.com report.
In late 2009 the mall added a 88650 sq ft (8,235.9 m²) "lifestyle" component, located on the landscaped plaza just outside the west center court entrance, facing Route 17. The expansion contains at least two restaurants along with shops.
In 2011 the Foot Locker complex store was closed as L.L. Bean decided to begin leasing the space. The store is scheduled to open in November 2011.
line, including the 168, whose two terminus points are the mall and the Port Authority Bus Terminal
in Manhattan
, as well as the 722, 752, 758, and the 762. The 722 bus runs from the Clifton/Paterson border to Paramus Park, the 758 from Passaic Bus Terminal to Paramus Park, and the 762 from Hackensack to Paramus Park. The 752 bus stops at Paramus Park as it travels between the Hackensack Bus Terminal
and Ridgewood Bus Terminal (with limited service continuing to Oakland's Copper Tree Shopping Center).
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, sandwiched between Route 17 and the Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
, a little more than two miles (3 km) north of Route 4. The mall is owned by General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
and offers a Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
(GLA) of 770941 sq ft (71,622.8 m²). The mall is accessible from Parkway exits 163 (northbound only) and 165, and from Route 17.
At 767,000 square feet and about 100 stores, Paramus Park, compared to the larger Westfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza is an upscale shopping mall in Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and managed by the Westfield Group and located at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 17 near the Garden State Parkway...
(which is three times its size), is a more regional, destination-oriented mall, with a higher-than-average sales per square foot, estimated by industry experts to be between $400 and $500 a square foot or more. In addition to attracting upscale shoppers and tenants, its smaller stores, lower congestion and location along the Garden State Parkway in an affluent area attracted shoppers responding to the late-2000s recession, according to a 2011 NorthJersey.com report.
The quartet of Paramus Park, Westfield Garden State Plaza, The Outlets at Bergen Town Center and Fashion Center
Fashion Center (Paramus, New Jersey)
The Fashion Center is a shopping center located in Paramus, New Jersey. From the time of its opening until 2009, the Fashion Center was a traditional indoor shopping mall, but in the years prior had slowly undergone changes known as "de-malling" where portions of the mall were closed off and each...
account for a major portion of the $5 billion in annual retail sales generated in Paramus, more than any other ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
in the United States. Paramus Park gets 6 million visitors annually to its 107 stores. Located in Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, the mall is subject both to the county's Blue law
Blue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
s and the borough's stricter ordinance, which require them to be closed on Sundays except for Bensi which it has a special Sunday entrance.
History
At the time of its construction, Paramus Park was one of three enclosed malls in Paramus, joining the Fashion Center and the Bergen Mall (now The Outlets at Bergen Town Center, which was enclosed in 1973). It was the last of Paramus' four major malls to be constructed, but not the last enclosed mall in Paramus. (Westfield Garden State PlazaWestfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza is an upscale shopping mall in Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and managed by the Westfield Group and located at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 17 near the Garden State Parkway...
, which at the time was an open-air shopping center, became fully enclosed in 1984.)
The mall, developed by The Rouse Company
The Rouse Company
The Rouse Company, founded by James W. Rouse in 1939, was a publicly held shopping mall and community developer from 1956 until 2004, when General Growth Properties Inc...
, opened on March 14, 1974, with a 300000 sq ft (27,870.9 m²). Abraham & Straus
Abraham & Straus
Abraham & Straus was a major New York City department store, based in Brooklyn. Founded in 1865, in 1929 it became part of Federated Department Stores, which eliminated the A&S brand shortly after its 1994 acquisition of R.H. Macy & Company...
(now a Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
store) and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
(which did not open until August) as anchors and space for 120 specialty stores. The Paramus High School Marching Band played at the grand opening. The mall's second-floor food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
was a new innovation, and is now credited as the first successful shopping mall food court. A Fortunoff
Fortunoff
Fortunoff was a New York-based retailer of home, jewelry and furniture stores founded in 1922 by Max and Clara Fortunoff. The original Fortunoff store was on Livonia Avenue in Brooklyn, New York...
opened at the store in 1977.
The mall is shaped as a four-legged zigzag, with an anchor store at each end and the mezzanine-level food court encircling an atrium which featured a 30 feet (9.1 m) terraced waterfall surrounded by vegetation and punctuated by a pair of escalators. A stairway and a glass elevator surrounded by terraced gardens rounded out the access points to the 2nd level food court until 2002 when it was demolished due to long lines, and replaced by 2 new elevators which were relocated. To this day, the food court is very popular at the lunch hour with the area office workers. The garden-like design was prevalent throughout the rest of the mall. Trees lined the main promenade of the mall, along with park benches; all under large skylights. Two small courtyards were at the other leg intersections; one now hosted a carousel and the other a lowered seating area with a bronze statue of a turkey. A carousel still occupies the same location as the original, but the current one was put in during the 1990s. The turkey statue was inspired by the name of the town from which the mall gets its name. Paramus comes from the Lenni Lenape Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
word meaning "land of the wild turkey" or "place of fertile soil".
In 1977, Paramus Park was immortalized in the lyrics of the Dean Friedman
Dean Friedman
Dean Friedman is an American singer-songwriter who plays piano, keyboard, guitar and other instruments, including the harmonica.-Music:...
song "Ariel". The two characters in the song meet "by the waterfall at Paramus Park".
In 1986, Paramus Park was the site of an innovative McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant in its food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
, which featured a decor with oak trim, pastel tiles and marble counters, in lieu of the traditional plastic interior in primary colors. The facility cost $650,000 to construct, 40% more than a typical McDonald's, and was designed to create more of the feel of an upscale restaurant. Closed in 2000, it was replaced by a walk-up. Restrooms are now located in its former location. A Claire's store was opened in 1988, and closed in 2006.
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
store and Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
complex (which included a Lady Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker store that were connected to the Foot Locker store) along an elongated East Center Court Entrance. Center court was radically changed in that the waterfall, the gardens, escalators, stairway, elevator, and elevated gardens were removed in favor of a more open space. Two elevators were installed between Cinnabon
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is a chain of American baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in high-traffic areas such as malls. The company's signature item is a grande cinnamon roll. As of July 2009, over 750 Cinnabon bakeries are in operation in over 30 countries around the world...
and Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is an American chain of pretzel bakeries founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in 1988. Auntie Anne's serves products such as pretzels, dips, and beverages...
, a new smaller fountain was constructed, new escalators were constructed and vegetation/trees added, as well as the addition of new seating areas. Throughout the rest of the mall, flooring was changed, lighting was improved, seating areas were added and ceilings and walls were repainted. The Turkey statue was moved from the Macy's midcourt to the upper level food court and the seating area was transformed into a children's play area. The crescent waterfall in front of Macy's was kept, but the seating area surrounding it was removed in favor of a massage kiosk. Among the few stores that have remained throughout the mall's thirty-plus years are Sears and Chick-Fil-A
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
.
During the late-2000s recession, the mall's smaller stores, historical lower congestion and location along the Garden State Parkway in an affluent area attracted upscale shoppers and tenants that had previously shifted away from smaller malls in lieu of the larger ones in the area, such as Westfield Garden State Plaza, according to a 2011 NorthJersey.com report.
In late 2009 the mall added a 88650 sq ft (8,235.9 m²) "lifestyle" component, located on the landscaped plaza just outside the west center court entrance, facing Route 17. The expansion contains at least two restaurants along with shops.
In 2011 the Foot Locker complex store was closed as L.L. Bean decided to begin leasing the space. The store is scheduled to open in November 2011.
Public transportation
Paramus Park is served by several buses on the New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
line, including the 168, whose two terminus points are the mall and the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, as well as the 722, 752, 758, and the 762. The 722 bus runs from the Clifton/Paterson border to Paramus Park, the 758 from Passaic Bus Terminal to Paramus Park, and the 762 from Hackensack to Paramus Park. The 752 bus stops at Paramus Park as it travels between the Hackensack Bus Terminal
Hackensack Bus Terminal
Hackensack Bus Terminal, also called the Hackensack Bus Transfer, is a regional bus station in downtown Hackensack, New Jersey, owned and operated by New Jersey Transit.The bus station was built in the 1970s and was extensively renovated in 2007...
and Ridgewood Bus Terminal (with limited service continuing to Oakland's Copper Tree Shopping Center).
Anchors
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(289,000 sq ft.) - Sears (170,000 sq ft.)
External links
- Official Paramus Park web site
- Paramus Park, International Council of Shopping CentersInternational Council of Shopping CentersFounded in 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its 60,000 members in the U.S., Canada and more than 80 other countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders,...
- Paramus Park leasing information