The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1426217
L ocated just a stone's throw away from Manhattan, in East Rutherford, NJ, the American Dream is a fantastical place. A behemoth of a retail and entertainment complex, it contains 450 retail shops, 21 full-service restaurants, and more than 100 eateries, as well as an indoor NHL ice rink, an indoor ski slope, and a Sea Life Aquarium. And that's not all! It also houses an indoor theme park Nickelodeon Universe, and the DreamWorks Water Park that's open year round. The sheer size of American Dream almost defies the imagination - and it just got bigger! On September 17, 2021, American Dream launched its latest attraction: The Avenue, its brand new luxury retail wing. Like everything else in American Dream, The Avenue is almost larger than life: it spans 300,000 square feet over two levels, not counting its very own, bespoke parking lot that offers valet parking. And, in keeping with the ethos of the rest of the mall, walking through the Avenue is like diving headfirst into a gigantic cornucopia of bright colors and bold design. The first thing visitors might notice upon entering the Avenue are the beautifully bold murals that decorate the barricades covering the under construction storefronts. They will also surely notice the gigantic pots decorated with faces and housing enormous topiaries that are carefully scattered along the bright hallways. Created by the famous potter and "American Dream," means that anything is possible," said Ken Downing, the Chief Creative Director at the American Dream, and is a fitting unofficial motto for the second largest mall in the United States. Photo Credit: Courtesy of American Dream V U E N J .C O M 37