![Pitt Street Mall 201708](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Pitt_Street_Mall_201708.jpg)
Pitt Street Mall is the
pedestrianised
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
section of
Pitt Street
Pitt Street is a major street in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, although today's street is in two disjointed sec ...
in the
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or c ...
, in the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. Running for approximately 200 metres between
Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
and
King Street, it is one block long and one of Australia's busiest and most cosmopolitan shopping precincts.
Floorspace rents are the highest in Australia, in part due to other cities' shopping precincts being longer.
In 2015, its rents were the fifth-highest in the world in terms of city streets.
Despite its small size, Pitt Street Mall hosts many
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
chain store
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...
s and more than 400 specialty stores. It is one of the flagship venues of Sydney Fashion Week held in the month of May.
History
![Pitt St, Sydney from The Powerhouse Museum Collection](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Pitt_St%2C_Sydney_from_The_Powerhouse_Museum_Collection.jpg)
Formerly a vehicular street, the mall was closed off to traffic in the 1990s and became a pedestrian mall. This was commonplace in various Australian cities at the time, in an effort to encourage "walk-in" business. Many prominent Australian businesses had flagship stores along Pitt Street, namely
Sportsgirl
Sportsgirl is an Australian women's clothing chain owned and operated by Sussan.
History
1940s and 1950s
The first Sportsgirl store opened in 1948 as an alternative to its sister label Sportscraft on Swanston Street, Melbourne. The store was o ...
and
Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson (A&R) is a major Australian bookseller, publisher and printer. As book publishers, A&R has contributed substantially to the promotion and development of Australian literature.Alison, Jennifer (2001). "Publishers and editors: A ...
. In the mid 2000s, there were attempts to make the mall a completely pedestrian thoroughfare, diverting all vans and trucks to the underground corridor from King Street to Market Street, at the southern end of the mall.
2010–2011: redevelopment
Along with extensive upgrades to retail areas, the Pitt Street Mall's pedestrian area saw a A$10 million refurbishment during 2010-11. This included the provision of new seating as well as new pavers and a catenary lighting system.
Shopping centres and arcades
Five shopping centres and arcades are located on Pitt Street Mall:
*
Westfield Sydney
Westfield Sydney is a large, upmarket shopping centre in the Sydney central business district. It is located underneath the Sydney Tower and is located on Pitt Street Mall, adjacent to the MidCity, Glasshouse and near The Strand Arcade.
Histo ...
- Is a large, upmarket shopping centre which opened in stages from late 2010 to early 2011 and is the largest shopping centre in the CBD.
*
MidCity
MidCity is a shopping centre in the Sydney central business district. It is located on Pitt Street Mall, adjacent to Westfield Sydney, The Strand Arcade and is diagonally opposite Glasshouse. MidCity has over 24 stores across Fashion, Beauty, ...
- Is a four level shopping centre and office building which opened in 2010.
*
The Strand Arcade
The Strand Arcade is a heritage-listed Victorian-style retail arcade located at 195-197 Pitt Street in the heart of the Sydney central business district, between Pitt Street Mall and George Street in the City of Sydney local government area ...
- Opened in 1891 and is the last remaining Victorian era arcade in the Sydney CBD.
*
Glasshouse - An office and retail building located on the end of Pitt Street Mall and King Street. Opened in 1990 and refurbished in 2015.
*Sydney Arcade - An arcade originally built in 1882 and was demolished in 1954. It is currently small arcade located behind the heritage listed Victorian building located at the northern end of Pitt Street Mall.
Gallery
File:Pitt Street Mall Sydney1.jpg, Uniqlo and MidCity
MidCity is a shopping centre in the Sydney central business district. It is located on Pitt Street Mall, adjacent to Westfield Sydney, The Strand Arcade and is diagonally opposite Glasshouse. MidCity has over 24 stores across Fashion, Beauty, ...
File:Westfield Sydney2.jpg, Entrance to Westfield Sydney
Westfield Sydney is a large, upmarket shopping centre in the Sydney central business district. It is located underneath the Sydney Tower and is located on Pitt Street Mall, adjacent to the MidCity, Glasshouse and near The Strand Arcade.
Histo ...
File:Zara Store Sydney.jpg, Zara flagship Sydney store
File:Westfield Sydney.jpg, Corner of Market Street and Pitt Street
File:The Strand Arcade interior photographed from the top level, Sydney 02.jpg, The Strand Arcade
The Strand Arcade is a heritage-listed Victorian-style retail arcade located at 195-197 Pitt Street in the heart of the Sydney central business district, between Pitt Street Mall and George Street in the City of Sydney local government area ...
File:Sydney Central Plaza Entrance.jpg, Entrance to Sydney Central Plaza and Myer
File:Pitt Street Mall February 2016.jpg, Looking south on Pitt Street Mall in 2016
See also
*
List of shopping streets and districts by city
A shopping street or shopping district is a designated road or quarter of a city/town that is composed of individual retail establishments (such as stores, boutiques, restaurants, and shopping complexes). Such areas will typically be pedest ...
References
{{Sydney landmarks, state=collapsed
Pedestrian malls in Australia
Shopping districts and streets in Australia
Sydney localities
Pitt Street, Sydney
Market Street, Sydney
King Street, Sydney