Michaels coming to Porter Square shopping center?

[ron_newman]

A temporary sign above the main entrance to Shaw's says:

   COMING SOON
VISIT Michaels.com
    TO APPLY

I looked at the job section of Michaels.com, and see no reference to a Cambridge store. But I guess this means they are coming to the basement space formerly occupied by Decelle and Burlington Coat Factory.

For a national chain store, this does look like a genuinely useful addition to our neighborhood. No existing Michaels store is anywhere near a subway station.

If anyone here knows more, please respond.

Comments

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

I don't know any further information, but the sign has been up for at least a month now. And yes, I would enjoy a Michael s within walking distance.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

this. and also they were at a jobs fair I went to at City Hall in Boston a couple weeks ago. I prefer AC Moore, but well, 40 seconds walk from the red line beats the pants off of 1.1 miles from wellington, or the once every *hour* 90.

[contradictacat.livejournal.com]

It doesn't look like you can apply for a store in Somerville, though- only the one in Everett near the Costco/Home Depot/EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD.

[ron_newman]

The Porter Square shopping center is in Cambridge, not Somerville. But (as I mentioned above) the job application pages make no mention of a Cambridge store.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

that's actually a pretty good fit. my only concern is that having michaels there may be a negative influence on the yarn store on white street. of course, on the other hand, it may bring more people in for them, since it's right there across the parking lot.

[contradictacat.livejournal.com]

Mind's Eye=good yarn. Michaels=crap yarn. So I don't think it's going to have too much of a negative impact on the store, at least I hope not.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

Oh no, they won't. People who get yarn from Minds Eye are looking for very specific stuff, which Michaels will not carry. Michaels will have a lot of acrylic yarn (like, a LOT of it) and Minds Eye carries stuff from actual, you know, sheep. Knitters who give a crap will know the difference. Knitters who don't give a crap already don't shop at Minds Eye, because they think $2 a skein is what they should be paying.

[molyflogs.livejournal.com]

Or, you know, we're knitting for a kid and acrylic just makes more sense, or we have allergies, or we can't afford to buy 5 skeins of $20 yarn to make a sweater.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

And I did just get about 20 dollars worth of yarn (almost 20 skeins) from Michael's that was NOT acrylic, is highly recommended for most knitters (apparently) and was in fact requested by my friend specifically (Sugar and Spice or something like that) who knits and sells her creations, as well as swaps them...and, as noted by molyflogs...doesn't equate to one sweater's worth.

OTOH, there is a Michael's in Wellington Circle in the Target plaza there, so Ron, it's not entirely true that there isn't one on the T. ;)

[ifotismeni]

there's also one in braintree right near the t stop, i was there yesterday in fact.

[ron_newman]

You're right -- blame Michael's Store Locator for not showing this to me.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Yeah. When I've made things like baby blankets, I've used acrylic because I figure it's going to get puked and pooped on and dragged around on the ground.

When I make a nice hat for my girlfriend, though, that's when you get out the debbie bliss alpaca/silk mix. awww yeah.

[molyflogs.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way. I bought a bunch of Michael's store brand "Loops and Threads" acrylic a few weeks ago to make a blanket. It's super soft. I don't think I've ever felt acrylic yarn that soft before. But for gifts and stuff, I tend to buy the fancier stuff from yarn specialty stores.

[ifotismeni]

amen to that. both have their valuable applications!

(acrylic is also handy for that family member who really really wants something knitted from you, but has that annoying habit of losing stuff)

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

My polyester-bearing sheep are quite sensitive to unkind remarks. It's hard enough that they are shunned by wool supremacist sheep and by alpacas everywhere.

[magid.livejournal.com]

::giggle::

[purgatori84.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this - "Knitters who give a crap will know the difference. Knitters who don't give a crap already don't shop at Minds Eye, because they think $2 a skein is what they should be paying." was totally not necessary. You can have needs for both kinds of yarn.

[greyling.livejournal.com]

I'm sure to a large extent this is true, but to some extent I think Mind's Eye will suffer. I've more than once picked up overpriced knitting needles at Mind's Eye because I didn't want to order online and wait for them to arrive - I'll find the cheaper options at Michaels very welcome.

[enveri.livejournal.com]

Being a visual artist, I compare it to shopping at Utrect or Dick Blick vs Micheals.

I can get cheap sketchbooks at Michael's, but for my canvas, papers, brushes and paints, I go to the specialty store. I doubt the yarn store will have much trouble. :)

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

I guess my definition of "anywhere near" differs from yours, since I would say the Michaels that's at the Gateway Plaza is near the Wellington T station.

[ron_newman]

That's always struck me as a really unpleasant walk. The sidewalks on the Route 16 bridge are narrow and generally awful, and bicycling there is even worse.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

Take the 97 from Wellington. They rejiggered it a few months back to go into Gateway plaza.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Oh it's certainly not a pleasant walk from the T but that's not the same thing as "not anywhere near." But, in terms of folks getting there from the Davis Square area specifically, I'd agree a Porter Square location will be both very near and less horrid to get to.

[belladonna.livejournal.com]

I agree with Ron. I've done it and it's no picnic. So it's near, but if given a choice, I'd much rather go to Porter, even if I still lived on the orange line.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Props for referencing decelle :) weird flashbacks!

[ron_newman]

I coulda said Gilchrist's too, but that's well before my time here.

[pakoo.livejournal.com]

On the flashback note, does anyone remember the name and location of the women's gym that used to be in that plaza? I remember that it had a downstairs but I can't recall if it was this location or perhaps Panera? I was a member there about 25 years ago....it bugs me that I can't remember it :)

[ron_newman]

It was Healthworks, which still exists but is now above CVS in its own building. I don't remember where exactly its storefront was, though.

(Speaking of CVS, it used to be in what is now the produce department of Shaw's)

[magid.livejournal.com]

It's also below CVS, since the locker rooms are one level down.

[ron_newman]

I didn't know that!

It amused me when Healthworks moved into its current space, where you can look up after exiting the Porter Square subway station and see rows of women pedalling away on stationary bikes. When Healthworks won their lawsuit allowing them to stay single-sex, wasn't privacy one of their winning arguments?

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

I like it, but I'll still keep going to Playtime in Arlington Center for my art/craft needs.

[ifotismeni]

+1000000 for that!

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Playtime is pretty handy! And I'd also go to Artist Supply in central or Dick Blick before Michael's or AC Moore.

[ifotismeni]

ron, there's also a michael's near the braintree T stop, i was just there yesterday.

but it's a super hike from most people in camberville, so i'm excited to hear there's a michael's coming to porter.

[ron_newman]

Strangely, the Michaels.com Store Locator doesn't show me the Braintree store, when I ask it for stores near 02144. It does show me one much further away in Weymouth!

[ifotismeni]

that is really strange -- it's at 140 ivory street in braintree. the area is terrible and i don't imagine many people are going to take the T to get to that location, but it's totally doable.

[ifotismeni]

and random shootout to crafters in this thread: windsor button near downtown crossing/park street has a fantastic mix of acrylic yarns AND all the luxe fibers you could want. huge huge selection.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Yes. Windsor Button is amazing.

[trtls.livejournal.com]

Windsor Button FTW!!!

[m-b-w.livejournal.com]

That sign has been there since at least September 9 - so almost 3 months now and no sign of any crafty stuff going in there.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

It was still happening when I spoke with someone from the mall management a couple of weeks ago.