The once bedroom community of Glendale has recently been jolted out of its sleepy state with a splashy new outdoor mall centered squarely in the middle of Brand Blvd. known as the Americana.  Some call the structure an ostentatious eye sore. The developers of the Americana, Caruso Affiliates have determined to make the out door “entertainment center” into the “center of town.”
Let’s call it what it for what it really is, shall we? It’s an out door mall. Cap a roof over the 15,5 acres f prime property and you basically have an extension of the Glendale Galleria.
But seriously, many failed attempts have been made to create that nucleus, most recently being the Glendale Market Place, which sits on the other side of the Americana on Brand.  Perhaps hard economic times are to blame, but two major chain stores–Tower Records and Linen and Things–have closed down with no other business stepping up to replace them.
So much for being the center of the community’s attention.
The Empty storefronts sit right across from the newly polished Americana, like some vexed omen.  Will the Americana suffer the same fate?
The local government is gambling that it won’t.  In fact, the local government is depending on the success of the Americana to bring in revenue as well as create new jobs in the community.  They hope that the Americana will do to Glendale what the Grove did to the Fairfax area. Caruso’s construction crazy crew also created/ the Grove and was said to be insane to set up a multi-million shopping center in a predominantly Hassidic neighborhood.
Well Caruso is still crazy to think that he can create a place where families can get “relax” and “lounge” in a safe environment, when you have a community that has a lot of kids.  Even though the place is geared for the 20-30 something’s, anyone in their right mind stay away from that zoo, filled with baby carriages and bratty teens running on the freshly manicured grass. Caruso should know better.
What about the homegrown businesses up and down the rest of Brand Blvd.?
Obviously, they’re not as thrilled.  Some believe it will cause even more traffic on the Boulevard, which will deter visitors from staying to explore other businesses in the area.  Others think that in the long run, the flow of traffic to the Americana will trickle over to their businesses as well.  Either way, the businesses on Mid-Brand, which includes the historic Alex Theatre, are banding together to create more community/family-orientated events to bring people towards the north end of Boulevard.
Local Glendale-ians were also concerned with potential traffic along already overflowing streets.  Structures that tower over the shops create an even more cramped and crammed feeling when you walk through them, by them, or pass them in your car.  Wedged between one of the Gallerias parking lots and the gaudy looking Golden Key Hotel, the Americana has had to squeeze itself on the 15 acre piece of prime property.  (A special thanks goes to the Golden Key hotel, for standing up this manufactured crap.  I’m sure it really pissed off Caruso and Crew).
What has some concerned is the outrageous price of the surrounding apartment buildings and lofts, that range from low $700,000 to $2 million with rents from $2,000 to $5,500 a month.  Nathan Wong, a local resident of the Glendale area was quoted $650,000 for an entry level/one-bedroom condo, when he first inquired about the living spaces.  You could buy a house with that kind of cash.
Over lunch I asked him what his thoughts were about the Americana. After he slammed down his coffee mug, he stated, “you would think that all the foot traffic and the sales from the (high-end) retail stores would be more than enough to lower prices for an entry level home ownership.”
Creating affordable housing for the rich, enforcing an even more rigid divide between the income brackets. But that’s not the case: Caruso believes that the city of Glendale is ripe with disposable income willing to shell out the hefty price of the luxury spaces.
Maybe Caruso and friends should change their motto to “Caruso constructions, keeping social classes where they belong.” Because, I haven’t yet heard of anyone who’s actually moved into the Americana, have you?