J.C. Penney Set To Open First-Ever Manhattan Store

American department store chain J.C. Penney is opening its first-ever store in New York City on July 31 at 33rd Street and 6th Avenue in the Manhattan Mall. The mall is located one block from Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square and a block from Penn Station.
While the store will have an official grand opening on July 31, a soft opening is taking place tomorrow, July 23, and the new locale will be open to shoppers from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. With more than 1,100 stores across the country, this 153,000-square-foot J.C. Penney store will staff 500 associates. It will be the first J.C. Penney store in Manhattan despite maintaining a corporate office on the island from 1914 to 1988.
There are currently J.C. Penney stores in Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx that are top revenue generators for the department store, so Manhattan store sales are expected to do quite well. The two-level store will finally breathe some life into Manhattan Mall as it has been a ghost town while undergoing renovation for the past year or so.
J.C. Penney is famous for boasting affordable clothing and has recently stepped up to shedding its dowdy reputation by offering designer collections like “I Heart Ronson” by Charlotte Ronson and a Cindy Crawford Home line coming out in September. A Sephora cosmetics store will also open within the new J.C. Penney.

Pedestrian Mall Opens in Times Square and Herald Square

Seven blocks along Broadway in Times Square and Herald Square in New York City have been closed to vehicular traffic to relieve traffic jams, reduce pollution, and allow pedestrians the pleasure of enjoying the city’s center without worrying about being hit by a taxi. West 47th Street to 42nd Street in Times Square and West 35th Street to 33rd Street in Herald Square are the blocks along Broadway where this has taken place.
The new pedestrian promenade took effect on May 24, 2009 as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to reduce Midtown congestion. The remainder of the year will serve as a trial, and the experiment could become permanent if all goes smooth and the city benefits.
The opening of the car-free pedestrian area has eased the Times Square chaos and created breathing room in the usually unbearably crowded Times Square. People who work in the area have a new place to spend their lunch break and New Yorkers who normally avoid Times Square are venturing in to join tourists.
The city has so far provided lawn chairs for lounging and tables and chairs, but not much else, as it is an ongoing development. Musicians and performers have also been hired by the city to attract afternoon crowds, and the Naked Cowboy is out in full force.
While the pedestrian mall undoubtedly improves the congestion of crowded streets and sidewalks, the big question yet to be answered is whether this will help or hurt Times Square and Herald Square businesses.