I have a soft spot for this place, which I have always preferred to the more daunting and stressful Short Pump. If it seems as if I'm having a good time slamming Stony Point, I assure you I am not. Has Stony Point become the world's most upscale dog park?

On weekends, the place looks bustling with shoppers, but unfortunately half of them have no pockets or credit cards and are walking on four legs. 'This is a better place for strolling than random shopping.' I think I was the only one without a dog, though.' 'It's pricey but very pretty and a lot of fun to window shop at. 'Even though Stony Point is an upscale mall and I usually can't buy anything, I enjoy coming here with my dogs to walk them around and do some window shopping!' It has become the mall where people love to go not to shop. Then when you need one thing and one thing only, you've got Lamp Emporium, Paradise Pen Co., the indestructible Sunglass Hut (the cockroach of retail) and Yankee Candle Co., where you can always find that perfect gift that says, 'I give up.' Call it 'Rich and Niche.' On the rich side, you've got Saks Fifth Avenue, Coach, Brooks Brothers and Tiffany & Co. What remains is a baffling mix of the high-end and the strangely specific. 'This place needs a Dollar Store,' my husband quipped. On a recent warm and sunny day, we strolled around, uncomfortably noting the vacant storefronts. The restaurant once next to Champps, Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Cafe, vacated its spot in 2007, and has never been occupied since.īut it's not just these departures that seem to spell trouble for this charming little place. That little walkway is nearly deserted now.

A few months back, the South Side outdoor mall lost Champps due to the bankruptcy of the restaurant's parent company, and then it lost Starbucks, just steps away - due to Starbucks not wanting to be there anymore. Sure, it's as beautiful as ever, but something is slipping. And as much as it pains me to say it, Stony Point Fashion Park is starting to look a little like Lindsay Lohan. The only thing more depressing than the downfall of an aging, decaying one is the downfall of a young, beautiful one.

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