New Jersey's long-delayed American Dream mega-mall set to open

2019-08-22T19:45:00-04:00

The megamall, built by Canadian developer Triple Five, will include a Nickelodeon Universe theme park, DreamWorks water park, professional-size skating rink, indoor ski slopes and, of course, shopping. Participating retailers include Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co., H&M , Zara and Uniqlo. Some stores won’t be open until next year. The mall is expected to bring 17,000 jobs in total to the area, an American Dream spokesman said.

The project was first proposed in 2003, fittingly, under the name "Xanadu," according to The Wall Street Journal.

According to an American Dream spokesperson, the mall is expected to bring 17,000 jobs to New Jersey's Meadowlands area.

How has Hollywood shaped the idea of an American house?

2018-12-22T13:28:00-05:00

The decorated Christmas houses, bedecked in wreaths and lights and the mythology of Christmas, and the haunted houses of Halloween, draped in fake spiders’ webs and punctuated by plastic pumpkins, are two sides of the fantasy. The suburban house represents freedom and independence just as it can come to represent a trap.

What is the aspirational American house and why is the general public obsessed with this version of residential living? Hollywood has painted a picturesque image of what an ideal American house looks like, especially during the holiday season. These ideal homes can be broken into three specific groups: the Christmas home, the Haunted House, and the infamous McMansion.

All three homes consist of staple vernacular styles like large fireplaces, staircases, multiple garages, and windows of varying styles. However, why have these designs won the hearts of the public and have become the "design goals" of many builders across the nation? Some may say these homes embody varying forms of the American dream, each expressing a combination of fantasy and longing within contemporary American culture.

When people think of the contemporary American life, "families relocate thousands of miles...

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New Jersey's long-delayed American Dream mega-mall set to open

How has Hollywood shaped the idea of an American house?