Is Downtown Salt Lake City Finally Sexy? (PHOTOS)

Before the 2002 Winter Olympic games, it was almost impossible to walk past a Main Street storefront that was not boarded-up. Today, thanks to City Creek and other Downtown Rising redevelopment initiatives, there are no boards in sight.
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Utah's capital city is one of the last places where I would expect to run into America's favorite imaginary girlfriend crew -- at least until I attended the grand opening of City Creek Center, one of the nation's largest mixed-use downtown redevelopment projects, located in downtown Salt Lake City.

City Creek's retractable glass roof, pedestrian sky bridge, 18-foot waterfalls and specialty retailers create a unique urban-chic atmosphere for shoppers who can appreciate Salt Lake City's stunning natural landscape as much as New York's fashion week. And although Carrie Bradshaw and her fashionable counterparts were not by my side at the 700,000-square foot shopping center's inaugural gala and ribbon cutting, they would have certainly blended in with ease.

Complete with a Nordstrom flagship store and luxury jewelers Rolex and Tiffany & Co., the shopping center will eventually house 100 stores, 92 of which were open for business during the grand opening. Anthropologie, the whimsical women's clothing, accessories and home décor retailer, is scheduled to open this fall.

Before the 2002 Winter Olympic games, it was almost impossible to walk past a Main Street storefront that was not boarded-up. Today, thanks to City Creek and other Downtown Rising redevelopment initiatives, there are no boards in sight.

During the shopping center's ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert said that he believes the development will help to transform and revitalize the "already vibrant city." Whether visiting Salt Lake for leisure or business, tourists can look to City Creek Center for a refreshing urban shopping experience unlike any other.

Grand Opening, Grand Views

City Creek Center's Charity Gala and Grand Opening

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