What Stores Would You Like Seen Brought to Palo Alto

What Stores Would You Like Seen Brought to Palo Alto?

Following are the number of separate responses for each store:

  • Trader Joe’s (97)
  • Mervyns /Target / Wal-Mart / Costco (21)
  • Larger grocery store (Albertson’s, Safeway) (26)
  • High-end store (Draeger’s/Andronico’s) (7)
  • Asian / ethnic grocery store (15)
  • Milk Pail / Deli / produce store (15)
  • REI / Sporting Goods (10)
  • Department store (a la Bergmann’s) (5)
  • Auto Parts/Supply (5)
  • Music store (3)
  • Neighborhood/ethnic restaurants (3)
  • More family type restaurants (5)
  • Hardware store (2)
  • Men’s clothing (downtown, hipper) (3)
  • Fabric/Needlework store (5)
  • Less expensive stores (6)
  • Grocery store in Barron Park (4)
  • Small neighborhood grocery (2)

Additional Requests

  • In one block of midtown we will soon have both a Longs and Walgreens, will I use either, NO! I use the florist in Midtown, AJ’s cleaners, Piazza’s and Safeway. Bringing stores to Palo Alto is not the only consideration, where they are located in Palo Alto is just as important. I am frequently in sporting goods stores for my tennis playing son,horse supply stores for my horse riding daughter and fabric stores for quilting supplies. Mostly Los Altos and Mtn. View.
  • Need ATM, postal substation, other useful stores in Charleston Shopping Center
  • Home Chef
  • Clothing stores
  • Wild Bird
  • Nijiya, year-round farmer’s market
  • I’d like to see more local stores in the down town University Ave area.
  • JC Penny, Linens and Things, Michael’s!!, discount gasoline station, Draper & Damon (women’s clothing with classic clothes and up to date clothes for mature women), a full service US Post Office in the Midtown area, less expensive restaurants like Frankie, Johnnie, and Luigi’s!!. To get any bargains, one has to go outside Palo Alto – e.g. Trader Joe’s. Not too many average people can afford Andronico’s or Bloomingdale’s,etc.
  • I can’t think of any. If you include Stanford Shopping Center, we live in a shopper’s paradise!
  • Lexus Dealer, Orchard Supply
  • I can’t think of any. I would not like to see a Costco or other big box store in the city and it wouldn’t make any sense since there are so many in neighboring cities. It’s foolish and unrealistic to think that anyone would make all their purchases in the city where they live.
  • Prohibiting grocery stores larger than 20,000 square feet is stupid. Allow Albertsons to expand Alma Plaza.
  • TJ Maxx
  • Wine shop
  • Mid-price general clothing store
  • 1. To Midtown area: Noah’s Bagel, European-style bakery
    2. Along El Camino: Cluster car dealerships, replace the old motels with office/retail mixed use buildings
  • Ann Taylor Loft, Casual Corner
  • Furniture Store
  • Wine (volume) store, Garden/nursery store.
  • Improved supermarket, housewares (Bed Bath & Beyond or similar)
  • More of the smaller retail shops that are at Hillsdale or Valley Fair. I hope we can keep Palo Alto Hardware here!
  • Discount stores.
  • Costco type, more large scale grocery stores (Molly Stone’s is okay but expensive, need more Safeway type, large chain that can offer wider selection at good prices)
  • Family-owned restauraunts
    Neighborhood hardware
    Presentable clothing in big & tall sizes
    Mass market clothing of any type
    Shoe stores
    Clothing cleaners
    Rug and upholsterycleaners
    Housewares
    Paint/Wallpaper/Windowcoverings
    Lumberyard
    Furniture
    Deli open evenings
    Pet Store
    Appliance (refrigerator, stove, etc.)
    Retail plumbing
    Art gallery
  • Improved grocery shopping. Mollie Stone and Piazza are nice but I do heavy-duty grocery shopping at Safeway or Albertson’s in Mt. View. The conditions of Albertson’s in Palo Alto are atrocious. The Midtown Safeway is newer but the parking is difficult, the store doesn’t have a bakery, and lacks the selection of the Mt. View Safeways.Unfortunately, the city probably would not want to attract the type of retail stores now going into Mountain View and East Palo Alto. My goodness, look at how long it has taken Lucky’s/Albertsons to get approval for remodelling the store at Alma Plaza! Edgewood Plaza is another example of city mis-management. If the city can’t get a simple remodel/expansion done, the hope of getting big box retail with the corresponding retail revenue into Palo Alto is probably zero.
  • Music stores, like Melody Lane, that sell piano music and other scores and supplies for the musician
    CD stores, especially classical music CD’s and ethnic music (latino music)
  • Brookstone
  • Scandnavian Design (or other furniture
  • More Food in Midtown
  • Brewpub in Midtown (e.g. BJ’s or Tied House)
    Independent bookstore in Midtown
    Athletic shoe store in Midtown
    Stationery/office supply store in Midtown
  • Applewoods, Barnes&Noble, Hooters, In-N-Out, upscale sports bar, Return of Perry’s.
    Additional Adronico’s, Piazza’s, Noah’s Bagels and Starbucks.
  • Chipotle (Resturant)
  • Clothing/Shoes
  • JCPenney
    ‘corner store’/deli/cafe within residential neighborhoods
  • Medium-sized, standard supermarket (30k-50k sq ft, not upscale of which we have plenty)
    More neighborhood restaurants (in places like Alma, Charleston, Edgewood, not just El Camino, downtown, Calif avenue, Stanford shopping center).
    I wish we could bring back more small useful stores to places like Alma and Charleston (i.e. bike shop, hardware, cookware, gift), but perhaps the market will not support them with so many large stores in neighboring cites. Downtown Los Altos manages to support a good mix of shops and food.
  • Moderate priced housewares store, moderate linen store, moderate organized living type store, New Balance store, Ross/TJ Maxx, etc, stores that carry different brands of clothing, Pier 1/Cost Plus, crafts/fabric, bookstores, etc. in downtown or on Calif. Ave. that stay open later on weekend nights
  • Hardware Store on Calif Avenue
  • More used/thrift stores.
    A Medical Marijuana dispensary.
  • MORE GAS STATIONS
  • Organic food restaurants using unfluoridated water.
    Cheaply priced clothing with reasonable quality.    Bike fix-it store in Midtown.***By the way, bike racks are needed at all shopping centers, food stores, movie, book stores, restaurant areas; and also, downtown — in general.The railroad line area should have a comprehensive bike trail built along side of it … to make bike transportation safer and more efficient (faster.) And these should be hooked up to other major transit areas, shopping areas, and to other bike trails.

    This idea would greatly encourage more people to get exercise, and to get more cars off the street.
    Without efficiency and safety … bike riding is weakened. With today’s efficient, fast bikes, the major thing that keeps people from using them to get to work … is that there are no sufficient
    present bike lanes available, capable of helping the biker get to a destination quickly (with few stops.)

  • Liddicoats-style food court.
    Moderate-level bike shop.
    Moderate-price Chinese, Vietnamese restaurants
    Wendy’s
  • Reasonably priced clothing (Sears, Mervyn’s) — not likely, I know because they are right there in Mtn. View and there’s no space in PA anyway…
  • Right Stuff Health Club, Old Navy, Margiono’s Restaurant.
  • Book store/coffee shop combo
    reasonable, quality clothes
    places for teenagers to walk to in south Palo Alto
  • I am happy with Whole Foods, actually prefer it to Trader Joe’s, although having a Trader closer would be nice. I have no use for the lower end department stores like Mervyn’s and Ross (I particularly am glad the Ross store is gone, it was very trashy).
  • Reasonably-priced dry cleaners; larger chain drug stores
  • Midtown: any bike shop, more fun restaurants, Farmers Market
  • Supermarket with in-store bakery
  • At this very moment I wish there was a Gelato Classico closer to me on the west side of El Camino.
  • Moderate price clothing stores, no more designer expensive items.
    I’d like to see some bargain stores.
  • The store I visit more than any other is Target, but Redwood City isn’t too far away. Organized Living is a good new store, all the way up in San Mateo–might be useful down here. Oh, and a Nordstrom Rack! That might really appeal to people around here, and the next closest one is in the East Bay. I really wish Stanford Mall had a Limited store, but that’s just a little thing.
  • Can’t imagine any – all of the useful stores are already located in Mountain view or East Palo Alto.
  • I do not understand why it is necessary to have Longs and Walgreens in the same little shopping area.Small interesting gift/linen store
  • Hardware (California Avenue), pharmacy (California Avenue), affordable clothing stores, affordable grocery stores. More services like plumbing, electrical, etc., so that we don’t have to pay travel time to PA from other cities.
  • Amici’s
  • I’d like to see some variety. I live in Midtown, where we will soon have three pharmacies within a couple of blocks (Safeway, Longs, Walgreens).
  • Around University Ave:
    -The Gap/Banana Republic (geared to 25-40 year olds)
    -Ann Taylor
    -Big 5 or a good sporting goods store
    -Not Abercrombie!
    -Less expensive restaurants
  • We need a better variety of stores downtown. For example, why do we need six rug stores? That’s not the type of place people browse in or even have a reason to visit very often.
  • I use Target, Mervyn’s and IKEA for cheaper prices, but it doesn’t bother me to drive to these chains.
  • Outside of downtown: business supplies, pharmacies, variety (e.g. Long’s,) small movie houses, restaurants other than Chinese and Italian, clothes, meat shops
  • More discount outdoor gear stores (Columbia, etc.). More reasonably priced restaurants with good parking. Bars with better atmospheres – not so fancy and/or snobby. More brew pubs. More pool halls. More places with live music. I usually travel far (Campbell to SF) to get to places I like.
  • Specialty electronics & computer store (but not another Fry’s)
  • The southwest quadrant needs a supermarket, a hardware store etc. We have to drive to Los Altos or Mt. View for this frequent type of shopping!
  • Old Navy
    reasonably priced children’s/teen clothing
  • Bring back Ross Dress For Less! Also a store like Cost Plus or Pier One (years ago there was an India Imports International in Town & Country).
  • Corner store close to my house.
    Stores that sell basic needs not just expensive stuff.
    Stores close to my house.
    Bring back some favorites that have closed:
    –the hardware store near Molly Stones
    –Printers Inc
    –Farsani Carpets
    –Lee’s Comics
    –ComputerWare
    –All American Market
    –Gardner’s Bikes
    –The Edge (the original version)
  • More eateries that are _moderately_ priced.
  • Bed/Bath/Beyond, Big 5 or similar, Old Navy
  • None. I do most of my shopping in Palo Alto and am very satisfied. I would like to have another bookstore near California Avenue/College Terrace so I could walk there with my children from my College Terrace home. It could be a privately owned bookstore, or one of the big chains – I have no preference either way.
  • The stores I shop at, I don’t want here. I go to Target for price and selection, but it would be a blight on the city. Same with CostcoWhat we do need are decent sized grocery stores. All the local ones have limited selection and often have expired foods. They just don’t have the room to run a decent operation. Safeway in Menlo is where I continue to shop despite the inconvenience.
  • Hobby shop (difficult I know with San Antonio Hobby nearby), sporting goods, firearms (shooters supply)
  • In our College Terrace area: 5&10 (notions), stationary, drug and book stores.Overall it is not so much the lack of stores (although I do miss our old radiator/airconditioning store) as the absolutely mad scene in downtown Palo Alto for traffic parking as well as variety. Even for restaurants and film we tend to shy away. we like JJK and Piatti. We eat often at the Calif Cafe and various Calif. Ave. venues. Never in downtown.As students 40 years ago we bought sheet music, dined, walked, met others around University Ave. Not anymore. Perhaps, due to the population increase, the answer is to concentrate on the smaller, outlying areas (Charlston, Calif. Ave etc). Would that we had the Keplers-Cafe Barrone option closer.
  • A nice outdoor clothing store that carries Patagonia clothes. First there was a store on Hamilton that
    burned down, then Upstream fly-fishing closed down. I have shopped at Orvis at T&C but not purchased anything. Please try and keep Fry’s in town.    Some nice store for the Midtown area like Harmony Bakery would be nice.
    I hope Palo Alto Toy and Sport stays in town.
    Work to keep the small stores in town that people already love and don’t worry so much about the large chains.
  • A first-rate record store such as StreetLight, Rasputin’s, or Amoeba.
  • While I love the Cheesecake Factory, I think it will significantly alter University avenue in ways unimaginable.
  • We *really* don’t need any more Longs or Walgreens — Really!
  • More stores selling “necessities”. ie. Things used often in every day living.
  • A full service and bigger Safeway or Albertson. Parking at Safeway Midtown is a nightmare. The driveway between cars is too small, and there are not enough parking spaces.
    Marshalls or TJ Max and a JC Penny. Am tired of driving all the way to Cupertino and Vallco. Shop catalog. Have not been in a store at Stanford Shopping Center to buy anything for two years.
    My wife wants Linen Barn or Linen’s and Things. Affordable sheets, etc. She also patronizes re-sale shops like American Cancer Society Discovery Shops. Great prices. In Los Altos and Menlo Park, Boulanger.
  • Ross
  • Shopko, A clean, friendly Albertsons
    Sigonas
    I like Town & Country – wish there were a grocery store. Will use Walgreens. How about a Ross or Marshalls there?
  • I miss Bergmans in Midtown! You could buy clothing, sewing notions, fabric, toys, baby gifts,stationery goods, and get a bite to eat all in one location. They wrapped gifts and hired the handicapped. Now I have to go to 7 different stores to get what I want or need.
  • Independently-owned stores with unique, affordable merchandise
  • Inexpensive, reasonable quality chioldren’s wear
  • Office Max or Staples.
  • A great toy store in the Stanford Shopping Center.
  • One of kind non-chain stores. Stores that would make Palo Alto unique. No more Starbucks & Walgreens – only stores that don’t exist anywhere else. Monterey Market (from Berkeley) in Midtown would have been a much better choice than another Walgreens. Who bribed who to get that in???
  • Reasonably priced clothing (other than Goodwill), a bigger Garden store, a sewing store. I actually like many of the stores in PA. We have two great hardware stores, a vibrant community centered down town on Cal ave and in Midtown, a good pet supply store, Fry’s is useful, and I love Piazza’s and Country Sun.
  • Le Boulanger would be great.
  • I would go to Stanford Shopping Center if it had stores like Penny’s, Target, Sierra Trading Post, a children’s shoe store that didn’t start at $40 for sneakers, a decent toy store and a bookstore like Linden Tree in Los Altos.
  • More family type restaurants, such as Appleby’s, Chevy’s, Chili’s,etc. Doesn’t need to be a chain restaurant, just more conducive to family dining – maybe just more places that have childrens menus. The wait for dinner at Chili’s in Mr. View is always very long!
  • WE NEED A DECENT GROCERY STORE CLOSE TO MY HOUSE !!!! I LIVE AT 1950 CHANNING AND I CALL THAT ALBERTSONS- “THE SCAREY STORE”- WHAT IS WITH ALL THE GUFF ABOUT A BIG STORE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD- COULND’T GET ONE AT MIDTOWN EITHER – ITS NOT 1973 ANYMORE AND OUR POPULATION HAS GROWN MUCH SINCE THEN- THE PEOPLE NEED A DECENT STORE TO SHOP AT BECIDES MENLO PARK- THE PARKING AT MIDTOWN SAFEWAY IS A JOKE AND THE REMODEL BROUGHT NOTHING MORE IN AMENITIES- BAKERY (NO) ETC OR ANY OF THE OTHER GOOD STUFF FOUND AT MENLO- IT WAS A WASTE OF MONEY TO REMODEL IT WHILE NOT INCREASE THE SIZE OR “UP SCALE” ITEMS FOUND IN MENLO PARK. I GO TO THE ALBERTSONS BUT I DON’T LIKE IT AT ALL AND THIS FOOT DRAGGING THE CITY AND RESIDENTS DO TO HOLD BACK PROGRESS IS LAUGHABLE
  • Here are the stores I would like to see – Ann Taylor Loft, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, Cost Plus, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Home Chef or Sur La Table.
    I would also like to see some additional restaraunts like Pasta Pomodoro, Blowfish Sushi, and more high quality, mid-priced non-chain restaraunts.
  • I think the mix of stores is good, I can find most of what I need in Palo Alto. I do make a concerted effort to buy from Palo Alto merchants before I go to Mt View, Menlo Park or the internet. Some times price, selection or availability take me as far as Redwood City and Sunnyvale.
  • I like to shop in small stores that offer personalized service with an interesting selection unavailable elsewhere. So I would encourage policies that promote small retail (some of which we’ve been losing in the downtown and Midtown, for example, to larger chains).
  • Title 9 Sports – is there one going in downtown?
  • Either trees, gardens, or anything with ample outdoor patio seating and greenery
  • Hardware (eg old Cambridge Hardware) in SW Palo Alto
    South El Camino: grocery that carries good quality perishables (produce, meat/fish, …)
  • Upscale grocery (not Safeway or Albertsons); quality fish store like Cook’s; small hardware
  • Open-air/simple-bistro dining south of Oregon: Straits Cafe indicates problems and potential.Micro Center could provide an alternative and “auto-mall” shopping enhancement to
    Fry’s, with competitive offerings/prices. The Apple Store is an example of a draw that Palo Alto could exploit, playing on its reputation.The new populationdynamics of PA suggest that an Oriental market competitive with, e.g. Castro Market in Downtown Mt. View could do well for sales, but it needs a favorable rent/access environment.
    Similarly, inexpensive “fusion” food appealing to Asian adventuresome appetities should do well among the whole population:
    downtown and Stanford Shopping Center are too far for casual dining for 1/2 the population.
  • Large warehouse stores
  • Costco, Home Depot, Office Depot
  • A regular store like Mervyn’s… kinda like Bergman’s we used to have at Midtown. Where I can buy kids’ clothes, shoes for me, towels, a birthday present for a kid or an adult… all under the same roof.
  • Regular grocery store downtown, Beverages ‘n More, Cost Plus, Ross/Marshall’s/TJ Maxx, I miss Village Stationers downtown, Jamba Juice downtown, Elephant Bar Restaurant
  • IHOP
    in-store post office (like formerly in Alma Plaza)
    Hardware store on South El Camino
  • Penneys, a kosher bakery
  • Grocery stores within walking distance.
  • Non up-scale grocery
  • Cheese Board
    Arrizmendi
  • Restaurants with non-fluoridated water
    Pier One
    Eco-Goods
    A good general store (mercantile) in Midtown
  • I *prefer* to bike for shopping, and sometimes bike to Albertsons, but it’s just not my kind of store. (Planet Organics and The Box. They are awesome.)
  • Peet’s Coffee – especially on El Camino south of Page Mill( Barron Park area)
  • Penneys, Sears and other stores with that price level; Trader Joe’s.
  • Office Depot or independent full-range stationer’s
    Real bakery like Harmony in Midtown
  • More one of a kind shops, particularly housewares and arts and crafts galleries
  • Moderately-priced clothing store–major outlet.
    A full service coffee shop–similar to The Good Earth.
  • Palo Alto already has quite a nice selection of stores. The problem is that they are spread out all over the place.
  • Orchard Supply, Costco, Target, Old Navy, Lowe’s, Nordstrom Rack, Hallmark Store.
  • Lane Bryant
  • Better variety along El Camino, which is walking distance.
  • Saks
    gift stores
  • More alternative groceries (other than Country Sun)
    Mollie Stone’s is just not a very good store
  • Loehmann’s, the Home Chef (or similar – Domus isn’t as upscale), a larger Whole Foods (the San Mateo store is super!), child-friendly restaurants with better food (I would love to see a restaurant with a space where kids can play when they’re done eating); a children’s boutique (like the one in MP)
    What happened to Le Poisson Japonaise??
  • Good cheap burrito place
  • We lost Wherry’s and also Williams (in T&C). Now for repairs and parts to appliances, electric razors, etc. we have to go to Santa Clara or San.Jose. We lost the good shoe repair off University Ave. We lost a good electric motor repair shop on Olive Street.
  • Also, would love to see some small neighborhood convenience grocery stores like they have in Menlo Park and other cities. I miss Ross and would like a more generic and price-sensitive clothing store like that as well — too much designer stuff here. And there are no kids’ clothing stores which are reasonably priced either, just designer stuff.
  • Yank Sing, Truly Mediterranean, OSH, more bakeries with high quality
    upscale breads especially, fresher fruits in smaller sizes and vegetables at moderate prices for the months the Farmer’s market is closed,a doughnut shop (not Crispy Creme!)
  • Container Store
  • Interesting boutiques at better prices, clothing basics for adults and kids, basic groceries downtown (alternative to 7-11 and Whole Foods, services.