From this article you will learn about the "Golden Babylon" on Prospekt Mira, 211: the history of the complex, the current state, popularity. The review will examine the shops and entertainment presented in it. You will find out whether it is worth the attention, find reviews on the trading floor and how to get there.
From the history of the complex
Opened in November 2009, the Golden Babylon shopping center with an area of 241,000 m 2 at that time was the largest in Moscow and Europe. The new shopping and entertainment complex quickly pushed aside competitors such as Mega and gained many visitors.
There are about 450 stores in its gallery, a 14-screen cinema “Luxor” with an area of 6,200 m 2 , as well as a Fun City game center, which houses bowling, which is popular with local youth, children's slot machines, air hockey and a cafe with the possibility of holding children's parties.
Large tenants appeared in the Babylon shopping center in Moscow shortly after the opening: leading fashion brands, popular chain restaurants, and O'Kay hypermarket. The complex quickly gained popularity and became known to residents of other districts of the capital.
At the peak of popularity
The heyday of the Babylon shopping center in Moscow fell on 2010-2013, at that time the site, due to its size and the presence of leading brands and entertainment, attracted almost endless flows of visitors. The first level of parking for 7,500 cars was almost always full. Visitors to the center came from the nearest Moscow region and other areas of the city.
The complex has become a favorite meeting place for young people and middle-class representatives because of the many cozy restaurants for every taste: the Il Patio, Chocolate House, Coffee House chains. The more affordable Fir-Tree-Sticks, McDonald's and KFC gladly opened their doors to shoppers tired after shopping.
In the recently opened “Golden Babylon” on Prospect Mira, even a small skating rink operated for some time on Mira. It can be safely stated that the center was in no way inferior to the competitors of those years, even surpassed them. He even published his own magazine, which compares favorably with the brochures of other malls by the presence of really useful articles on fashion, lifestyle and home improvement.
The Babylon shopping center in Moscow often hosted concerts by popular artists such as Sergei Lazarev, and successful performances by cover groups with acclaimed foreign compositions. The shopping center has become truly family-friendly thanks to the playroom, in which the children were not just supervised by the animators, but could also participate in various games, contests and master classes.
Current situation
Time passed, and a couple of years after its opening, the Babylon shopping center in Moscow lost the title of the largest platform in Russia and Europe to younger competitors. In recent years, in connection with the crisis, many well-known tenants such as River Island, Topshop and Mango have left its territory. At first, one and then the second Coffee House point closed in the shopping center, one of the three Chocolate House coffee shops closed. Of course, part of these changes is associated with a widespread reduction in the number of cafes of well-known chains in the city, and part - with the fallen popularity of the former giant.
There are shops in the Babylon shopping center in Moscow, it is not empty, the previous ones have been replaced by other, more niche brands. A large hypermarket of goods for hobbies and creativity “Leonardo” has opened, in general there are enough visitors, but nevertheless, the megamall is no longer in popularity.
In December 2017, FortGroup bought the entire Golden Babylon network of five shopping centers and immediately announced the upcoming large-scale reconstruction. The shopping center will be renamed Europolis Rostokino, it will change the concept and internal layout. The company has ambitious plans to revive the former demand for the shopping center and equip it in connection with fashion trends.
Conclusion
The Golden Babylon shopping center is now successful and loved by both residents of Rostokino and other districts and even the nearest cities. But still, he lost some of his former popularity. A significant part of the area is empty, and new niche tenants cannot satisfy all the needs of customers. The new owner of the network has his own vision of how to breathe new life into the complex. It is not known whether the center needs such a major restructuring, but consumers will ultimately vote in rubles. Residents of the area would not want to lose such a familiar megamall, in which many goods and entertainment are gathered under one roof.