“Honey… Honey! Get the kids in the car; the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets just completed their multi-million dollar renovation. We have to go shopping!”
Now, that probably isn’t what went through your head when you stumbled upon our expertly crafted headline. But, by the end of this article we’re hoping something similar does occur to you, because in all honesty, the Outlets’ recently completed redevelopment project is in fact very, very sweet.
To satisfy curious millennials right off the bat: Yes, there is free Wi-Fi available across the entire property. Now, for the nitty gritty.
Three years in the making, the renovation is mainly highlighted by an added 60,000 square feet of retail space, expanding the entire property to more than 900,000 square feet. Which is pretty awesome, considering Woodbury Common, with more than 13 million visitors each year, is actually a major tourist attraction, particularly for visitors from Japan and China.
Within that added space, the Outlets reorganized their 240-plus retail stores into five distinct “regions,” the Adirondacks, Saratoga, Hudson Valley (woohoo!), Niagara, and the Hamptons. A clear homage to New York’s own beloved characteristics, each region has been redesigned with fresh landscaping, artwork, and outdoor seating to reflect the traits of their counterpart. Saratoga even has a cute playground modeled after the Racetrack.
Heading the revamped property is the Market Hall, a 1,000-seat, industrial-style structure, modeled after Grand Central Terminal, that serves as the hub of the Woodbury Common. There are 14 new food stops, including Shake Shack, Manhattan transplants Magnolia Bakery and Pret A Manger, plus a host of international, vegan, and organic options.
However, the icing on the cake in regards to the Outlet’s burgeoning food scene is the Black Dirt Bourbon Barn, a spirits-focused offshoot of the Warwick Valley Winery and its Black Dirt Distillery. It’ll be a hybrid retail space/cocktail bar, located (you guessed it!) in the Hudson Valley District, where customers can buy spirits and some small-batch food items solely produced in New York, including the brand’s own bourbon, apple brandy, and gin.
At the end of the day, the redeveloped Woodbury Common Outlets indeed flaunt a fresh appeal. There’s a new flow to foot traffic through the retail areas, trendy food options (plus alcohol), and a whole lot of places to go shopping. So, even if you aren’t rushing the kids into the car to head over there, we can promise that once you do, you’ll probably have a good time while you’re there.