If you haven't noticed, just about every mall in existence is jumping on the uber-luxe bandwagon, with upscale restaurants, high-end shops, and fancy interiors. And those that were already pretty swanky to begin with are only getting swankier. Case in point, Hackensack's The Shops at Riverside. The place is just a few months from finishing the first phase of its fancy facelift, with plans to unveil a new AMC movie theater complete with a bar and lounge along with some new eateries and specialty stores. (Not to worry, Cheesecake Factory fans, the ubiquitous restaurant is simply relocating to another part of the mall.)
The second phase, slated to be done by the end of the year, will focus on interior design upgrades with all new tile flooring, a water feature, giant crystal chandelier, and something called a "sculptural floating stair," which is most likely pretty nice. After that, the Simon crew will focus on the south mall near Bloomingdale's, where the layout of the shops will be reconfigured to create a loop and a portion of the second level will be removed to showcase 35-foot soaring ceilings. Top it all off with a VIP lounge and concierge service with stuff like personal shopping, package delivery (what?), and coat check and you probably won't want to leave.
Sure, this trend towards luxury and lavishness means that our kids will never have memories of popping into Contempo Casuals, stopping for a Cinnabon and staggering through Sears to meet mom in the parking lot, but hey, time (and the mall) marches on.
The Shops at Riverside
390 Hackensack Ave, Hackensack
