It’s now, it’s wow, it’s Google Shopping Express.
And it’s free to check out for six months, if you qualify.
Check it:
“Get free delivery for six months. We’re opening our pilot to a limited number of testers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Testers receive a free6-month membership for unlimited same-day delivery.”
From the mind of your Supervisor Eric Mar comes a proposal to have a 5 Fulton Limited during the morning and evenings drives Monday through Friday, plus a 5 Fulton short line from 6th Avenue to the Financh.
Like if the N Judah can get an N Judah Express, why can’t the #5 Fulton get a #5 Fulton Limited, am I right, gf?
So, if this sound good to you, as well it might, be sure to attend the big meeting on August 21, 2012 at 5:30 PM, 461 6th Avenue betwixt Anza and Geary:
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Hurray!
EXPRESS, Inc has just announced what it’s going to do with the former Gold Dust Lounge on Geary in Union Square – it seems we’re going to be blessed with a 16,000-square-foot “flagship” store.
Here’s what EXPRESS has to say about it:
“Located at 301 Geary Street, the Union Square location is comprised of approximately 16,000 square feet and will feature two floors, plus a mezzanine, of selling space. One of the vacating tenants delayed Express taking possession of the space. The property is owned by Handlery Hotels, Inc.”
Yes, that delay was the talk of the town.
Anyway, bygones.
I think this is it, a “dual-gender Denim Lab” as seen in Pennsylvania’s King of Prussia town, an East Coast version of Emeryville I guess:
Click to expand – more shots at the RetailDesignBlog
All right, together now:
Dual-Gender Denim Lab!
Dual-Gender Denim Lab!
Dual-Gender Denim Lab!
Myself, I just got a pair of “Kirkland” jeans on sale at our dual-gender Costco #144 in SoMA. $11-something. (Now that was a deal because normally they’re $13-something. And I remember when they were just $12-something, back in the day. Ah mem’ries…)
All the deets:
“COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 23, 2012 – Express, Inc. (NYSE: EXPR), a specialty retail apparel chain operating over 600 stores, today announced that the company will open two flagship locations in Times Square in New York City and Union Square in San Francisco. Both locations are scheduled to open in 2013. Union Square, located at the corner of Powell and Geary streets, is scheduled to open next summer; and Times Square, located at the corner of 46(th) Street and Broadway – in the heart of the Bowtie – is scheduled to open in the fall.
“We are extremely excited to officially announce both of these flagship locations for 2013,” said Michael Weiss, chairman, president & CEO of Express, Inc. ”The age old mantra of ‘location, location, location’ was certainly at work in the selection of these two properties. These flagships will not only reflect the strength of our fashion authority within these two cities, but also serve as a gateway to our brand for international visitors and shoppers as part of our international expansion strategy,” he added.
Times Square: Located at 1552 Broadway, the Times Square location is comprised of approximately 30,000 square feet and will feature three selling floors. The prominent location also includes a 125 foot tall, 9,000 square foot LED sign package on the facade of the building facing Broadway. The property is owned by joint venture partners SL Green Realty Corp. and Jeff Sutton.
Union Square: Located at 301 Geary Street, the Union Square location is comprised of approximately 16,000 square feet and will feature two floors, plus a mezzanine, of selling space. One of the vacating tenants delayed Express taking possession of the space. The property is owned by Handlery Hotels, Inc.
Both locations will be constructed in Express’ new store design created by Japanese design firm, Wonderwall. With uptown finishes and downtown cool, the store features design elements of refined chic and forward-thinking composition that creates individual spaces with a sense of style. Divided into three sections of Men’s, Women’s and a dual-gender Denim Lab, products are divided by lifestyle categories and outfitted by gender. A refined Express brand is conveyed through the use of modern industrial fixtures, displays and textures. Mortar walls and concrete floors create an open, expansive space accented with aged oak wood floors. Glossy white walls divide the space into rooms and provide a dynamic contrast to the natural wood outrigger shelving system.
About Express, Inc.:
Express is a specialty apparel and accessories retailer of women’s and men’s merchandise, targeting the 20 to 30 year old customer. The Company has over 30 years of experience offering a distinct combination of fashion and quality for multiple lifestyle occasions at an attractive value addressing fashion needs across work, casual, jeanswear, and going-out occasions. The Company currently operates over 600 retail stores, located primarily in high-traffic shopping malls, lifestyle centers, and street locations across the United States, in Canada and in Puerto Rico, and also distributes its products through the Company’s e-commerce website, www.express.com.”
Sixteen months ago:
“Prospective Twitter Landlord Gave Newsom Rent Deal“
Today:
“Here it is- the first run of the new “twitter line”. Guess how many people on board?! pic.twitter.com/YSezC2GF“
From the CalTrain Station to Twitter and back again
So the lesson is this: If you have influence with former Mayor Gavin Newsom and he thinks you can help him fulfill his dream of becoming President of these United States, then maybe you’ll get your own bus line.
Hurray.
Oh, and do you think that this M-F bus line will cost less to operate than it costs to employ just one MUNI employee?
I don’t. But that’s what MUNI is saying…
So these new Nx Judah Express Buses are “wrapped,” right? That means that they generally just sit around waiting to function in one direction during the morning drive and the other in the evening.
So, does the Nx Judah Express concept make sense?
Well, sure, you say, cause it gets you from the outer reaches of the West Bay, way out in the Outset, in San Francisco Adjacent, all the way into San Francisco Proper faster than the regular N Judah.
Yeah, but does it make sense?
Why don’t we have a Tx Third Street Express as well? Cause isn’t the newish T-Third line as fucked up as the N-Judah?
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And the only reason why MUNI doesn’t charge you Outsetters three or four or five dollars a trip is because the SFMTA tried doing that before and failed in that attempt. But, rest assured, raising the price of express buses is on their list of things to do.
Anyway, consider the Nx Judah Express a kind tangible gift to Supervisor Carmen Chu.
Mira, mira, Carmen! Look what we’re doing for you! Aren’t we the best transit agency in the City and County of San Francisco!
Is this what they call Transit Justice?
If you live anywhere near Taraval, you’re going to want to get in on this.
“On November 1, Phil Ting and the Reset San Francisco campaign will pilot its own L-Taraval Express Bus from 46th Avenue & Taraval Street to Downtown San Francisco. (This is an idea from our L-Taraval Muni Town Hall after riders heard about the highly regarded NX-Judah Express.) RSVP for the L-Taraval Express! We’ll have breakfast and wi-fi on board too. Seats are on a first come, first serve basis, so please RSVP.”
OMG, right?
Artist’s conception of Phil Ting driving the LX Taraval Express:
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Here are the pick up times:
• 46th and Taraval – 7:30AM (map)
• 40th and Taraval – 7:35AM (map)
• 32nd and Taraval – 7:40AM (map)
• 19th and Taraval – 7:47AM (map)
Here are the drop-off points:
• Civic Center – 8:25AM (map)
• Powell – 8:30AM (map)
• Montgomery – 8:35AM (map)
• Embarcadero – 8:40AM (map)
See you there!
So, I know passengers like and appreciate the N Judah Express, but why is MUNI putting so much effort into this new line?
See? There’s the 5:00 PM bus, and the 5:10 PM, and the 5:20PM, and guess what’ll be coming around the corner soon? That’s right, it must be the 5:30 PM:
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Camera right shows one of the two starters used by MUNI to make sure the 5:00 PM leaves at exactly 5:00 PM. (Count how many MUNI workers are hanging out at your bus stop today – I’ll bet it’s less than five. Probably it’s zero.)
OK.
I mean, is MUNI going to start following timetables religiously, like Japanese-style, for all its lines now?
The SFMTA has been itching to charge $3 for express rides, right? Does that mean that MUNI loses more on this line than others?
So, yes MUNI, you are trying hard here, but I don’t think you can afford it.
I think, for some reason, you are taking resources from other lines and putting them right here.
For some reason.
These days, there’s no need to wonder when the next Nx Judah Express is coming, as you can see them queuing up betwixt First and Second streets on Market.
Anyway, MUNI has a starter directing bus traffic on the evening drive starting at 4:00 PM, so the drivers are keeping schedule down to the minute.
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Yesterday’s Nx’es appeared to be rather full with riders, so that means that this program is more successful than the CultureBus already.
That’s the update for now…
Well here it is, the debut of the Nx Judah Express, designed to whisk people to the fog-enshrouded West Bay, you know, to give a little more elbow room for the denizens of San Francisco Proper – the Inner Sunset and Cole Valley.
All right, Chapter I: Know Your Nx.
Anterior. Rather a bright bleu, non? Redolent of the bright orange-wrapped CultureBus one might think:
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Lateral. Rather patriotic, redolent of the 1976-era bicentennial scheme:
Posterior. Rather less blue, but that solid-colored rectangle is your visual cue to start running for the Nx before the driver takes off.
I don’t see a bunch of people clamoring to get into these things just yet. We’ll see.
All right Chapter II: Empty by Design.
After the drivers drop off passengers way out there near La Playa or 47th Aveneue or whatever, they turn around and head back to the Financh empty.
What? Really. The plan is for the drivers to “dead-head” on back downtown sans passengers.
(Wonder if you could get on at the last stop outbound with the intent of coming into the Financial without any stops at all? That would be the Nx Judah Express to the Second Power, or something. But, they’d probably kick you off, so oh well.)
Like I say, this program reminds me of the failed CultureBus, which Nat Ford still hails as a success.
Obviously, you can’t have an N Judah streetcar run an express route on the same tracks as regular N Judah service. And obviously, the SFMTA just can’t add more N’s, for whatever reason. Oh well.
And in mitigation, MUNI’s not out there cheerleading for this saying how great an idea it is, you know, the way it happened with Gavin Newsom’s CultureBus. And, when I checked the Next MUNI today, those Nx’es looked verily like rabbits, easily outpacing the N Judahs that started at about the same time.
On Time Will Tell how bad this latest SFMTA program is…
Pretty much.
The thing is is that if you are going to Montgomery Street as your final destination anyway, then the Nx might be for you.
Or, if you feel guilty about sitting down on an N Judah streetcar while you’re passing by those Cole Valley suckas, then the Nx might be for you.
Otherwise not so much.
Per jallenhere:
“The N judah is racing the new N judah Express and the N judah is winning. The experiment failed.”
Ooh, harsh.
Now here’s panicpandapanic:
“Tried the N-Judah Express today. Nice not having a bunch of stops but it took about the same amount of time due to the walk from Bush St.“
And here’s Madge707:
“Caught sight of the n Judah express this am. It was moving fast. Too bad it ends at Montgomery 
“
What MUNI needs to do is to get its act together.
This band-aid approach, this NX Judah Express does not constitute getting your act together, MUNI.
Just saying.
Now here’s my question for people living way out there in the West Bay – is it your patriotic duty to wait for the new Nx Judah Express instead of taking the N-Judah streetcar, you know, to free up more space for people living in the InSet, the Inner Sunset?
‘Cause if you fix on the idea of taking the bus everyday from the 48th Ave. or La Playa area, it’s going to take you longer to get to work, some of the time, anyway. Transit First
So, even though the bus line is just for you, you personally won’t benefit all that much from it. Consider taking this bus as your patriotic duty to benefit those poor devils who live in the Inner Sunset or Cole Valley and might get passed up up by a totally full N Judah streetcar.
Oh well.
In other news, the CultureBus is considered a success by the people at MUNI, still.
Oh well.
