We visited NYC's first outlet mall - which is still more than half-empty months after opening - and found an eerie ghost town
To get to Empire Outlets from Manhattan, you can catch the Staten Island Ferry. The free boat ride takes a little more than 20 minutes.
Empire Outlets is conveniently located right by the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island. We saw this massive H&M almost immediately after we got off the boat. According to The City, the project cost developer BFC partners $350 million which included a $47 million subsidy from the state government, and took seven years to develop
We arrived on a Thursday morning shortly after the mall opened at 10 a.m. We started on the street level, and there was hardly anyone in sight.
There may not have been shoppers, but we found quite a few fountains. The Manhattan skyline is ever-present.
As we walked around, we started to see some familiar names like American Eagle and Aerie.
There was also a Banana Republic.
And also a Guess, as well as (finally) a few signs of humanity.
What the mall lacked in stores and shoppers, it made up for with greenery and tidy landscaping.
As well as some interesting modern architecture.
The massive Nordstrom Rack was probably the most bustling part of the mall.
We popped in and did some browsing, where we were impressed with the selection.
The top floor is closed off to visitors, as there are still no open stores on this level.
So instead we took the escalator to the lower level, which gave us some spooky vibes.
The lighting was especially dark on the lower level.
Maybe they're trying to set the mood... for murderers?
Empty storefronts were ubiquitous and gave the mall a bit of an unsettling feel.
More empty storefronts.
And even more empty storefronts, this time with an amazing view.
For all its flaws, we couldn't deny the view from nearly every part of Empire Outlets was a delight.
Next, we passed through another unusually dark underpass.
Once we reached daylight again (whew) we stumbled across what appeared to be an interesting art installation, before discovering these "tulips" also double as seats.
We saw several people waiting to post in front of this floral "EO" sign.
Elsewhere in the mall, we found another flower display. However, the construction in the background really hindered the aesthetic.
Next, we made our way to the dining area. While there's no traditional mall food court, we did find several mall staples like Wetzels Pretzels.
There were also a couple of food trucks.
However, even among the food, there were several unopened spaces.
There was also a Walgreens.
We found this ominous situation near the bathrooms...
The half-finished-ness of the outlets was incredibly apparent.
As we made our way toward the exit, we saw a Shake Shack sign and contemplated a burger, before discovering it wasn't actually open yet.
Near the Shake Shack, we an unopened Lucky Brand store, despite a sign declaring it would open in July.
On the outskirts of the ground level, we found "Virtual Rush," a VR experience.
It's currently running an Apollo 11 simulation, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Nearby, we found an empty seating area painted in the likeness of the American flag.
As we walked back to the ferry, we were conflicted on our thoughts on Empire Outlets. It showed signs of promise, but the many empty stores and lack of shoppers felt like a troubling red flag.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether Empire Outlets will become a go-to shopping destination.
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