Finally, it’s going to open. The much-anticipated, much debated Westfield World Trade Center, designed by starchitect Santiago Calatrava, makes its long-awaited debut next Tuesday, August 16th. The new retail mecca, with over 100 brands and hundreds of thousands of people pouring through the area each day, promises to be one of the most visited shopping destinations in the city. Certainly it’s been one of the most talked and tweeted about with admirers and critics weighing in forcefully with their thoughts on the building. (We think it’s a great addition to Downtown.)
Here are 9 things to know about Manhattan’s latest shopping extravaganza..
1. Credit cards at the ready! The majority of Westfield World Trade Centers retail stores will open for business at noon on August 16th.
2. Wear your most comfortable Jimmy Choos! There’s more than 365,000 square feet of retail space with everything from fashion to technology brands on offer. (Yes, Apple is in WWTC. And Bose, too.)
3.. The British are here! You’ll find Kate Middleton fashion favorites, Reiss and L.K. Bennett, as well as Penhaligon, the luxury scent maker, and Smythson, the purveyor of writing papers beloved by English aristos.
4. With more Britishness to come! Award-winning London steakhouse Hawksmoor is scheduled to open in the near future.
5. Americans have turned out in force, too. Kate Spade, Victoria’s Secret, Stuart Weitzman, LaCoste, and John Varvatos are some of the good ole’ USA names you’ll find at WWTC.
6. Foodie alert. FiDi residents no longer have to trek north to the Flatiron District to get their Eataly fix. The genius Italian food emporium makes it to Downtown with this satellite, offering all things delizioso.
7. Sweet Treats: The divine Lady M, known for its gorgeous, exquisite cakes and pastries, will be luring shoppers from their retail rounds.
8. A happening hub: There are 300,000 daily commuters coming through the area’s many connections: the PATH trains, 13 subway lines, and ferries traveling to and from Brooklyn and New Jersey. You’ll never feel lonely.
9. Will Anna Wintour switch to Joe Coffee? In an editor’s letter written shortly after she moved into Conde Nast’s glossy new offices at 1 WTC, the Vogue honcho wrote that how she hoped for a closer-at-hand Starbucks. Now Joe Coffee will be a stone’s (or Manolo’s) toss away at Westfield.
