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Macy's

3 star rating
based on 37 reviews

Category: Department Stores  [Edit]

Neighborhoods: Market East, Avenue of the Arts North
1300 Market
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 241-9000
Price Range:
$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street, Garage
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

37 reviews for Macy's

Review Highlights   

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"It is well worth the trip to see the kick butt Wanamaker." (in 15 reviews)
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"And for sure stop by on Christmas for the silly holiday light show." (in 7 reviews)
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"This wonderful Philadelphia landmark building is now Macy's." (in 18 reviews)
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Photo of Alicia R.

Elite '09

4

76

Alicia R.

Philadelphia, PA

5 star rating
10/13/2009

Oh Macy's. Why do you taunt me with your racks stuffed with goodies?

Since I just spent way too much money here I thought I'd review on what I got! I purchased, or my mother did, about 10-13 different tops, 1 button up sweater, 1 dress, 1 vest sweater thing. Oh and a skirt! Basically I pillaged the racks. We only shopped on the 75% off and 65% off racks! We saved SO much money doing this and no matter what I always find something to spend money on but more importantly that something is cute, in season still (fashion photographer has to know this) and high quality brands!

I bought a ton of Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Kensie stuff. Although most of the Kensie was 40% off and still expensive ($30+).

I didn't spend more than 10 dollars on each shirt except the button up sweater and one fancy evening top for gallery openings. And those were 30 each. Not bad, not bad at all!

Thanks, Macy's.

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Photo of Mirai S.

 

11

142

Mirai S.

Woodside, NY

5 star rating
8/4/2009

My first non-restaurant review.

Although it is a Macy's now, this place used to be a John Wanamaker store.

I have soo many good memories here.  I used to live in Philly from age 1 to 3 and loved this place more than anything in the world.  I remember vividly bugging my now deceased parents to ride the to-to train inside the store.  Coming here was without a doubt, the best moment in my life.

Even to this day, after growing up and finding many other fun things to do, I don't think I'll ever find something that will increase my heartbeat like the indoor train John Wanamaker had (do they still have it?)

Thank you Philly.  Thank you John Wanamaker.

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Photo of Michael M.

Elite '09

30

153

Michael M.

Collingswood, NJ

2 star rating
6/1/2009

Ok, yes, the building is great, the history fantastic, and Like most of you I've taken my kids to see the light show.

However. As far as a department store goes, and no less a Macy's this place is sad indeed. The only thing saving them from one star is that I ran into one helpful gentleman in men's formal wear, else this woul dhave been a one star.

Sunday was a 75% off selected items sale. I should have been prepared for this but nothing really gets you ready for the full court riot in women's shoes as you try and get to the grand court. Hell, next time I'm bringing some pudding or cooking oil and a camera and selling the video online. Nasty cursing fighting women with shoes flying everywhere, overturned racks, tumble-weaves rolling by from people pulling other people's hair out. It was awesome. Not what I want in a department store at all, but awesome nonetheless. And no, not in the way that gets them another star. (Maybe if they had provided a pool of jello.)

Edging past the scene I diverted through men's undergarments to pick up some t-shirts. After being unable to find any tall men's shirts i made the mistake of trying to interrupt the associate talking on her cellphone at the cashier's desk. I received a nasty look and a 'hold on' finger. I was tempted to reply with a finger of my own and instead left all my selections on her counter and gave her the 'be right back' finger. Needless to say, I didn't go back. This isn't KMart kiddies, stay off the damn cell phones.

The men's department was completely picked over and the sizes in no order, so after about thirty minutes of looking item by item to try and find the right size and coming up with only two items, we threw in the towel and headed to the moorestown mall Macy's, which was much, much better. Neither rival the service you get in DC or Miami, where I would easily give them four stars.

So go for the organ, and the light show, and the occaisional shoe riots, but don't go for selection or customer service.

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Photo of Lori H.

Elite '09

43

122

Lori H.

Philadelphia, PA

1 star rating
11/6/2009

I went to Macy's today to buy toeless pantyhose.  I had to ask three sales associates before I found one who knew that hosery was on the third floor.  Once up there of course there is no one available to help you - luckily I spotted the ones I wanted after a bit of searching and then walked around to find a cashier who wasn't busy.   If I could have thought of somewhere else in town to buy speciality pantyhose I would have gone there.

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Photo of Jake V.

Elite '09

21

182

Jake V.

Philadelphia, PA

2 star rating
11/6/2009

Old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be.

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Photo of deb k.

 

0

22

deb k.

Philadelphia, PA

4 star rating
9/19/2009

I know many people have mixed to not-so-great feelings about Macy's, but it has become somewhat of a mainstay for me when I need something to wear to work or for the kitchen.  I only shop during their sales and I often have coupons, so the prices in those cases are decent.  The Center City Macy's has a decent selection of some higher-end clothes that the suburban Macy's don't have, which is nice, and I've gotten some very good deals.  

As far as kitchen items go, unless you need something immediately, you can get some excellent deals on things like pots and pans, if you can wait for those "loss leader" type items: the single pot or pan that they mark way down to get you in the door.  I've pretty much assembled my set of pots and pans this way, ending up with pieces that are better quality than I might have gotten otherwise.

I've also been very lucky with the staff and have encountered mostly helpful and friendly people in the women's department and in the housewares area.  The only exception to this was in the shoe department: it's hard to get someone to wait on you and they're not always pleasant.  If I'm not mistaken, however, they work on commission, which might be part of the problem (though you'd think they'd want to be nicer!).

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Photo of Jixolet M.

Elite '09

43

159

Jixolet M.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
4/11/2009

As a child I would come to the Wanamaker Building with my grandmother to watch the Christmas shows and to see the Hans Christen Andersen story town and was amazed. Present day, I still hold an adoration for the beautiful architecture that this building has and it's worth a visit just to take a look for yourself.

Anyhow.......

I received a gift card for Macy's a few months ago and didn't know what the hell to do with it. I walked aimlessly around this store to find that there is no sense of organization in terms of Women's clothing, and the only thing I found worth buying was baby clothes that were on sale.

I went to the Bobbi Brown make-up counter to be bombarded and the next thing I knew I was walking around with what felt like face paint on. The makeup artist was very nice but wasn't very well trained because if she were, my blusher wouldn't have reached the top of my eyebrows, and my foundation wouldn't have been so caked on.

They do have some inexpensive home goods but do not sell mortars and pestles just yet, so if you're in the market for one, they don't have them.

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Photo of LEE-JOHN S.

 

7

101

LEE-JOHN S.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
6/14/2009

Macy's is Macy's no matter which one or no matter where it is except for New York and for me San Francisco (wonderful) and Philadelphia...which used to be the John Wanamaker store (in the movie Mannequin).
THE VERY BEST THING HERE is the building itself and the Grand Court Organ (you can look that up separately on a search engine) it's one of the most famous pipe organs in the world and the largest as well.  Free concerts daily at noon and five o'clock. When I'm in Philly I'm there for both concerts every day.

There is a very nice little cafe upstairs (6TH Floor If I remember) where you can sit for a bite and listen to the concert at the same time.

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Photo of Jaime W.

Elite '09

25

37

Jaime W.

Philadelphia, PA

4 star rating
3/11/2009

This is actually a pretty good Macy's.
Prices are low, and there is a lot of product.
I personally enjoy the constant sales and coupons and the selection of shoes and women's apparel.
Customer service is relatively decent for a Center City store of this size.

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Photo of Jeanne M.

Elite '09

25

96

Jeanne M.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
12/24/2008

Ten years ago, when I first moved to Philadelphia, my first job was at a real estate firm in the Wanamaker building.  I spent too many lunches at the then Lord & Taylor, shopping (or browsing, as the case often was) until my wallet said stop!  

This wonderful Philadelphia landmark building is now Macy's.  Where Lord & Taylor was organized and simple to navigate, I find myself overwhelmed at Macy's.  Maybe it was the crowds, maybe it was the shoes strewn about the floor, but I just don't get the allure here.  I went two days in a row with a friend, searching for those last minute holiday gifts and was just unimpressed.  Granted, I did find what I was looking for, but only after having to hunt down a salesperson.  In every department we went to, it was like finding a needle in a haystack searching for someone who was actually working!

Finally, we went to the 3rd floor to get our gifts wrapped, only to find that there was a two hour wait.  What? If I pay you $5.95 for a small gift to be wrapped, there is no way I am waiting two hours.  I'd rather go get it gift-wrapped in Liberty Place for $1.00, with the proceeds going to the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald house.

Macy's is a good store, where you can catch a decent bargain, but avoid it like the plague during the holidays, as you're likely to get trampled.

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Photo of maria a.

Elite '09

27

91

maria a.

Denver, CO

3 star rating
2/16/2009

It is well worth the trip to see the kick butt Wanamaker.  Just don't go on Sunday if you hope to hear it play.

The building is beautiful.  Go in and take a look.

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Photo of Mike B.

Elite '09

32

63

Mike B.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
12/1/2008

I have been vacillating between 2 and 3 stars for a few minutes now and have decided to go with 3 for the time being.

Macy's is pretty much what you'd expect it to be, particularly during the holidays.  A pulsing throng of commerce sprinkled with tired parents, loud children and wholly disassembled clothing displays.  It's not to say that you can't still get what you are looking for.  Simply that it may take you 4 hours to do so.

I spent a while in the Men's Suit section looking for something to wear to a company holiday party.  It bears noting that I am a very difficult to fit size (40-42 XL jacket with a 34" waist).  Our salesperson was pushy and aggressive, but eventually, after making some concessions, I was able to settle on a suit that will fit wonderfully once it has been tailored.  You may think that this warrants 1 or 2 stars at best, but given that I was unable to accomplish this at Jos. A Bank or Men's Wearhouse, it seems that perhaps Macy's size offers more than just additional people anxious to sell you something.

Other items of Note:
-There are no water fountains in this store. Anywhere.
-If you are a regular sized person, there are a good number of clothing options in the Men's dept.  If not, it's going to take a while.
-The outside and most of the inside of this building looks incredible.

I am still waiting for my suit to be tailored (at Macy's in-house shop) and will update the review based on that in a few days.

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Photo of Kay O.

 

6

30

Kay O.

New York, NY

4 star rating
9/18/2008 1 photo

3 stars for retail, 4th star is for the dramatic gold-plated gigantic organ that overlooks the store's ground floor.  Liberace would be jealous.

Some may find the organ's music distracting, a tad overbearing but I think the Macy's 'suits' were unto something when they positioned jewelry and shoe department smack center of the organ's reach. As I walked in, I could almost hear the herald angels sing "buyyyyyyy".....makes for some atypical shopping expedition.

I agree with others and its frustrating trying to find the escalators.The building feels like an old Opera house and walking about top floors is cumbersome.   I went once around the second floor which felt like a 1/4 mile walk trying to find the 'down' escalator.

Unless you know the store, don't expect this to be a quick, shopping outing. But definitely a 'must-stop' if you're in the area.

This Macy's was featured in 80s flick, Mannequin

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Photo of Samantha S.

Elite '09

33

55

Samantha S.

Philadelphia, PA

4 star rating
9/17/2008

I am giving this Macy's 4 stars for one main reason.  What other department store in the city of Philadelphia do we have to compare this to?  NOTHING.  If I had it my way, we would have a Nordstroms and a Niemans right around the block, but we don't.  So comparatively to nothing this store is pretty good.  The shoe department kind of sucks and lacks any styles that really stand out, but I have bought some really great clothes there and they carry some good brands (BCBG, Kenzie, French Connection).

Someone mentioned the gaudy faux organ pipes and I'm going to have to go ahead and counter that and say I LOVE THE ORGAN PIPES.  They are very much real and make very very beautiful noises.  I often find myself cutting through here on my walk home to see if I can catch a time when they are being played.

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Photo of Bill M.

Elite '09

393

767

Bill M.

Philadelphia, PA

2 star rating
9/16/2008

When I heard that Macy's was coming to Philly and moving into the old Wanamaker Building my mind was filled with anticipation, and not just because I have family who work in the one in Ardmore that score me a discount. I've picked up some pretty serious buys such as an Emeril iron skillet, wine glasses, snazzy pants, and a classy suit at other Macy's. So I was anticipating the same. But what Philly ended up with was less than half of that equation.

When I walked in on the first occasion I instantly noticed the lack of housewares and linens, and they're usually the best spots in the other Macy's. And as I walked around their clothing aisles I noticed how half arsed the selection was compared to the stores other spots. at first I knocked it up to new location jitters, but the store is still lacking after all these months.

FINALLY, I saw them start to do more rennovating a couple months back, and I was anticipating a killer housewares section, considering how much sense it would have made. What did Macy's do instead? Open up a Starbucks. Yeah, another Fourbucks is EXACTLY what Philadelphia needs ~sarcasm~. It looks like their finally getting ready to open a housewares department in a couple months. So maybe it will finally start to turn this sorry excuse for a department store around. But outlook = doubtful.

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Photo of Karen F.

Elite '09

316

1532

Karen F.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
10/28/2008

The Philly branch of Macy's will ALWAYS be Wanamaker's to me.  The Eagle statue, the Christmas Light show (which our daughter just loves) and the Dicken's Xmas Village are all great reasons to come here.

The rest of the year?  It's your typical over-priced department store.  (Though I must say I found THE perfect bras in their vast lingerie deaprtment.)  I also got a decent shirt/tie for my husband on sale in the Menswear department.  The little girls clothing is cute and if it's on sale, decently priced.

If someone gives me a gift card - I shop here.  Otherwise, not.

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Photo of Maria T.

Elite '09

30

79

Maria T.

Philadelphia, PA

5 star rating
9/19/2008

I'm a Macy's diehard, which I think is a by-product of growing up so close to NYC. When I moved to Philly many moons ago, I simply couldn't wrap my head around a Strawbridge's or the other local department store chains. They were just too homely compared to Macy's stylish-yet-unsnobby nature. So when I heard they were moving into the old Wanamaker Building, I was thrilled. One of my favorite spaces in the city would be home to my favorite department store chain. Macy's has *killer* sales happening all the time so you can get a lot of high-end lines for dirt cheap.

My lone complaint is that I wish Macy's would make better use of the space and expand their offerings to other floors. (The NYC store goes on and on, why can't we have the same here?)

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Photo of Chrissy R.

 

180

480

Chrissy R.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
9/17/2008

In general I love Macy's no matter what location.  What ticks me off about this one is lack of housewares and the unclear placement of escalators to move from floor to floor.   The construction is also annoying

Other than that it's Macy's so it's grand.

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Photo of Anjali M.

Elite '09

72

149

Anjali M.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
4/29/2008

Breakdown of stars:
2 - for being in the gorgeous Wanamaker Building.
1 - Holiday show!!! I'm a sucker for X-Mas related things even though I'm not of that faith.

Good:
-Thanks for being in the Wanamaker Building!  It makes me feel like a snob when I go shopping because the ceilings are high above me and the decor is nice.
-The holiday light show was very cute as was Dickens' village.  Also, for Santa to talk H.M.O.'s with a group of medical students was so totally nerdy and awesome!

Bad:
-Disorganized. WHERE'S THE ESCALATOR I NEED?!  The Macy*s in my town is much much more organized.
-Prices. Philly, I hate to break it to you, but you are not NYC. Now stop charging me a fortune on clothes. k thanks!

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Photo of Dan K.

 

14

38

Dan K.

Philadelphia, PA

4 star rating
7/29/2008

While I am not much of a shopper, particularly a department store shopper in the current mall  and big box era, I have a weak spot for old urban department stores.  The Wannamaker Building is the top of the pops in that catagory. Long ago, urban department stores were palaces of commerce, they anchored commercial districts in New York and Chicago and even Pittsburgh. Buildings were festooned with reliefs, mosaics and other artwork. The Wannamaker Building is one of the originals. The building features nine floors, you can visit the historic Crystal Tea Room if you ask t the security folks on the mezzanine nicely.

If you are shopping at the Macey's, take some time to stand by the big eagle statue and wait to the hear the organ play around lunch time.

And for sure stop by on Christmas for the silly holiday light show. Seriously.

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Photo of Susan L.

Elite '09

48

343

Susan L.

Chicago, IL

1 star rating
6/7/2007

The Macy's Corporation (Federated) is single handedly destroying the department stores we all have known and loved.  The are also single handedly increasing Nordstrom's profits, because everything at Macy's is awful and where else are you going to go?  I hear it's an institution in NYC, but everywhere else, it is a close-out sale waiting to happen.

1. The quality of the clothing is not good. Their house brands are poorly cut and designed, and are made with cheap materials.  They sell douchy brands (case and point: Donald Trump dress shirts for men).
2. Poor selection.
3. Disorganized store.
4. Sales people who know they work for a crap-tastic company.  Please flee this sinking ship!!! You are so much better than Macy's!!
5. Awful shoe department.
6. Generally depressing and dirty store.

If you're going to take over a perfectly good store, why the heck wouldn't you IMPROVE on it--not make things worse?  Don't even get me started on what they did to Field's in Chicago....http://www.yelp.com/bi...

God forbid that these beautiful old stores get turned into condos when Macy's closes...

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Photo of Lene P.

Elite '09

26

189

Lene P.

Philadelphia, PA

4 star rating
7/31/2008

My boyfriend and I went here one morning because we didn't do laundry and he needed clothes for work :)

The store had just opened and everyone was busy tidying up, ready for the Sunday crowd. The staff here were incredibly kind and helpful. I mean SO HELPFUL and friendly that I went to their website to leave feedback on how great the floor staff and security guards were. There is incentive for decent customer service. The saleswoman who rang me up told me her name and employee ID number and when I looked at my receipt, there was a link and code to leave feedback on the Internet, which I did.

Aside from the service, they have great quality men's clothes. I love Van Heusen button up shirts, for only $20.  Everything is nicely organized by brand.

I love the Wanamaker building, so many memories of the holidays. I still go for the light show and Christmas Carol. One time, they even held adoptions here. Nice!

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Photo of elyse w.

 

12

14

elyse w.

New York, NY

3 star rating
9/21/2007

My parents used to bring me here during the holidays when I was a kid to pose for pictures with the giant brass eagle in the center of the store, and to watch the light show (its amazing). There is something special about this place, and I'm glad to see that even as the store has changed from Wanamaker's to Lord and Taylor's and finally to Macy's, they have kept this holiday tradition.
I've never actually bought anything in this store. I was going to, but then couldn't find a salesperson to ring me up on the second floor. And it was probably for the best.

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Photo of idurtp -.

 

2

27

idurtp -.

Philadelphia, PA

1 star rating
8/12/2007

GOOD JOB MACY'S FOR BUYING OUT LORD AND TAYLOR.  

cry :'[.  This place use to have a decent selection of items and the such before the takeover.  Now, the inventory has shrunk as well as the quality.  The clothes in here are not cut very well either.  

Good enough to stop in for cologne.  meh.

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Photo of Jim H.

 

3

37

Jim H.

Philadelphia, PA

4 star rating
12/20/2008

Well I'm not going to write a long review for a department store...but as far as department stores go, I've always found exactly what I was looking for in Macy's. This is obviously the coolest Macy's I know of - so it's always neat to shop here. I wouldn't call it overpriced...the prices are fine if you can find the right stuff on sale. I got a Christmas sweater today for $19 bucks! Boyd's would be overpriced to me...but not Macy's. The best part of this store is that it's friggin' huge!  Even the men's store by itself is large enough to find exactly what you want. Nice staff too.

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Photo of Daniel D.

 

29

132

Daniel D.

PA

1 star rating
6/10/2007

Macy's Philadelphia is honestly a depressing store. Often I'll say something is depressing when the quality is poor, or the service sucks. But in this case I mean that the store actually dampers the customer.

Overall the experience at our Macy's is whacked. First off, the store is HUGE. Perhaps I should clarify: The Wanamaker Building is HUGE, Macy's content and inventory is minimal.

When you go into the store you immediately feel dwarfed as the hundred food ceilings tower above you. To preserve the authenticity of the Wanamaker building's interior design the lights are dimly lit. Tables full of clothing are far and few between, randomly placed throughout the building. You cannot go up most of the stairwells, as anything above the second floor is empty. Worst off, as if you're in Phantom of the Opera, they play there original pipe organ, because the experience isn't dreary enough.

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Photo of rads d.

 

4

29

rads d.

Evanston, IL

3 star rating
4/3/2008

This was the first shop i went to when i came to philly , and although i always think the clothes cater to an older crowd and the prices are a bit high i always end up buying something from here, usually from the sales section.
I usually check online for offers or sales and if i like a top thats just come in , check on it after a few weeks and they wudve slashed prices, but sometimes it gets sold out too..thats a risk....but ive got some nice stuff for cheap so cant complain...

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Photo of Michael K.

 

48

143

Michael K.

New York, NY

3 star rating
6/17/2007

I wonder if this store was ever good.  I mean, back when it used to be a Wanamaker's.  What makes me the saddest is that this seems to be the premier department store in Center City.  It baffles me.  Selection is dim and repetitive.  Service is ok.  Something should be said for the bad hours, but apparently, Macy's is just keeping up with the rest of Philadelphia's stores that close at dusk.  No, I will not shop here.

The massive Wanamaker Organ, being the largest operational organ in the world (measured in number of ranks of pipes), is a different story--but not much different.  Twice a day, organist Peter Conte puts on a little performance to show off the big thing.  I'm consistently disappointed.  His style is definitely that of the over-zealous theatre organist who gets a little crazy pulling the oddest stops.  The result is a dreary department store sounding like an evil circus.  I'm pretty sure he's classically trained, but he's yet to prove it.  But the organ itself is a beautiful thing.  It has a lot to offer, provided that it's used responsibly, and accoustics are surprisingly good given that it's in a huge atrium.  Tours of the pipe chambers are available by appointment, if you're into that.

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Elite '09

24

66

Candice B.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
11/8/2007

What I really want to know is: why did someone add a picture of a place setting to this listing when this Macy's does not sell a single houseware?!

Yes, you read right. THE department store in Philadelphia is not even a complete store. On the first floor, you'll find the men's department and women's accessories, shoes, and beauty. Women's clothing is located on the second floor, and children's clothing on the third. There's also a tiny cafe. And restrooms if you can solve the treasure hunt to find them. That's it.

I've shopped for clothes there and I have even found a few good things. As with any Macy's, catch a sale and you stand to do well. Finding someone to ring you up is perhaps a bigger challenge, as it generally appears that no one actually works there, except of course at the beauty counters where they try to push makeovers on you.

My favorite part about this Macy's, besides the lack of beautiful cookware, dinnerware, and crystal, is the fact that they offer a hefty discount - to out-of-towners. Visiting conventioneers and tourists can enjoy what residents can't. Typical Philly, right?

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Elite '09

19

130

Mallory P.

Philadelphia, PA

5 star rating
7/31/2008

I love Macy's.  I don't know if it's the history of Macy's, the history of the Wanamaker building, or something I inherited from my high-society grandmother that makes me feel like I'm doing something really glamorous when I walk through Macy's.  I rarely buy anything, just because I'm always broke, but I always look forward to walking through the store on my way home from work.

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Photo of Jake P.

 

25

368

Jake P.

PA

3 star rating
3/8/2007

I came from a city with grandiose urban department stores, with 13 floors, cafes, ice cream parlors, shoe shines, all that. I'm saddened that Philadelphia, a much bigger, though less vertical city has none.

The closest, I suppose, is this Macy's.

It's got three floors. From that, there's half of the first floor devoted to men's wear. I cannot speak on the other departments of the store, but what's so tongue in cheek about the men's department is that there's three TIGHTLY defined sections... preppy (Polo, Nautica, Tommy)... metro (Lucky's, Calvin, Buffalo)...and urban (Sean John, Ecko, Roc-A-Wear). The sales are dismal... as is the shoe selection. Still, if you need it... they probably have it... just the style is a bit more rigid than most Philadelphians are used to.

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Photo of Dredge K.

 

13

103

Dredge K.

Philadelphia, PA

2 star rating
9/9/2008

Um, I can't remember the last time I walked by clothes that beeped at me because they have those house arrest tags on them. I guess they have theft issues even with a lame selection. The faux organ pipes add a slightly gaudy but nice touch, and it's nice to see a real, old dept. store these days. But, um, NYC and other better shopping cities are super close.

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Photo of Andy H.

 

324

1033

Andy H.

Brooklyn, NY

4 star rating
6/13/2008

As a New Yorker that loves my Macy's, I was shocked to see this one so empty on the many times I have visited Philadelphia. This place though has always been good to me when I was in town. I have bought shirts,pants and shoes all on sale. It is in the historic Wanamaker  building and is pretty nice to shop in and walk around on a lazy traveling day around Philly.

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1 star rating
12/25/2007

This place doesn't look empty to me, but I've never bought anything here so what do I know?  Maybe it's the high ceilings that make it feel too spacious.  I don't know about the rest of yall, but I'd rather have invisible/absent sales people than pushy annoying ones.  I think the prices in here are kind of wack.  If there's a particular line you love, then I guess you can get a bit of a break here when they have a sale.  But Macy's is lame if you're a bargain hunter like me who doesn't really do retail.  I usually pass the shoe rack when I walk through the building as a short cut, and I always laugh at the price tags.  You can find the same exact stuff one block away on Chestnut Street for half the $.  Folks who come here are mostly old ladies or old-ladies-to-be shopping because they are bored and don't understand the value of money.  Boo Macy's!

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Photo of KYLE K.

Elite '09

2

70

KYLE K.

Philadelphia, PA

1 star rating
2/1/2008

Men's department is horrible.  Strawbridge's had much more variety.  You can go and score a basic shirt and tie, but not much other than that.  They don't sell Kenneth Cole which is a major turnoff for me.

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Photo of Andy H.

Elite '09

4

43

Andy H.

Philadelphia, PA

2 star rating
2/1/2008

Oh have I got several Macy's stories for you!

First of all Macy's needs to start making use of those 8 top floors for something other than office space but we'll get to that later!

Let's start with the Macy's sharks at the perfume counter.  I suddenly felt like a movie star but it wasn't a good thing!  SMELL THIS TOMMY BAHAMA!!  HAVE YOU TRIED THE NEW CALVIN KLEIN?!?  NO!  GO WITH PRADA YOU MUST TRY IT!!  NO BVLGARI WOULD BE PERFECT FOR YOU!!  Psssshhhht!  Pssssshhht!  About 10,000 sales associates tried to get my attention and sprayed me with all these perfumes as I walked by.  I walked out of there stinkin' something fierce!  I smelled like a horrible combination of 89 different colognes!  (I got the sneaking suspicion that all those people were actually individually contracted by the designers of the perfume and are competing for your business...not such a good thing when it comes to fragrances!)

Next there's the great Macy's escalator fiasco of 2006!  Holiday light show...great concept, fast escalator, bad idea!  Avoid Macy's at all costs during the holidays!  My parents and I were nearly flung off an overcrowded escalator after the holiday light show was over and people were leaving.  The slow moving crowd sorta just gathers at the bottom of the  escalator and of course the escalator keeps moving in a downward direction.  The people have to go SOMEWHERE!  My parents and I literally had to PUSH the people in front of us out of the way and the people behind us PUSHED us out of the way!  It was like a 50 man pile-up at the bottom of the escalator!  It was a total disaster!  They need to slow that thing down during the holidays!  But we all came away with funny stories to tell at least!  My mom still laughs about it every Christmas!

Macy's has about 8 or 9 floors in the Wanamaker building but the unfortunate part is they only use the first two or three and the rest they use for office space.  Macy's could be so much better if they would make use of the upper floors for more merchandise.  What's better they shouldn't have bought out every single freaking department store in existence!!  Unlike the Thanksgiving Day parade this is one publicity stunt that wasn't so good for Macy's!  There's little to no big department store competition anymore and it's unfortunate that many of the other historic locations like the Strawbridge's on Chestnut Street (or maybe it's Walnut.  I can't remember...there's a park across the street - Washington Square?  It's right near Buddakan.  Grrr I wish I could remember!  EDIT:  Oh nevermind!  It was the one on 8th and Market I was thinking of!  I don't know why I was thinking there was a Strawbridges on Chestnut or Walnut.  Guess I just remembered it being in a better neighborhood.) are now vacant or at least not used by the public.  The word on the internet seems to be that Boscov's may be going into the 8th and Market location.  Which I feel would be the perfect department store for such a lousy mall!  Gosh, I certainly hope they put up more cheap neon lights and those lights that look like christmas lights only they're on a make up room style reflective metal background!!  That's just what The Gallery needs!

One blogger said that PREIT is getting ready to renovate The Gallery in 2008 to make it more "street friendly".  This seems to be in line with all  the other PREIT properties that are being or have been recently renovated.  The Gallery has been left virtually untouched while most of their other properties are undergoing some sort of renovation but still I couldn't find any other sources to verify the rumor. http://www.labelscar.c...

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Photo of Kelly S.

Elite '09

43

300

Kelly S.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
8/12/2007

So, I'm happy that someone still occupies the old Wanamaker building and that they kept the upscale feel of the place, as well as the weird eagle statue in the lobby.  But, honestly, I went in here the other day, and the clothes were about 3 times as expensive as the clothes in the regular Macy's (i.e., Oxford Valley mall).  Do they just have different clothing lines, or are they just charging way more for the same clothes?  I don't know, but I felt really turned off by the expense.  Luckily, their makeup is the same price, so I got my Clinique lipstick that I needed.  That was pretty much all I bought.  I have to say, I miss Wanamaker's.  That place rocked, plus their holiday displays, esp. their Dickens village, was always fun when I was a kid.  Oh well.  This Macy's is okay, I guess, but I probably won't shop here much.

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