Tommy Bahama, Seattle's Most Tropical Store, Signs a Lease on Fifth

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Island-themed chain Tommy Bahama has 89 locations in malls across the country, but so far, it's steered clear of New York City. By this time next year, though, that should change: The store is planning to open an outpost in the Fred F. French building on Fifth Avenue and 45th Street.

The location, currently the home of New York Look, sits two blocks north of Manhattan's newest Urban Outfitters and two blocks south of an incoming Guess, leading the Wall Street Journal to suggest that Fifth Avenue in the 40s is having a retail renaissance. According to one broker, rents per square foot are less than half what they'd be north of 50th, making the strip attractive to both international and American retailers. Tommy Bahama, by the way, falls into the latter category—despite the name, it's actually based in sunny, coconut-scented Seattle.

[Update: We've been asked to clarify that Tommy Bahama's 89 stores are not all located in malls.]
· Tropics Heat Up on Fifth [WSJ]
· Urban Outfitters Lands on Fifth Avenue this Friday [Racked NY]