The Grand Ave. location is by far one of my most favorite places to shop. It is designed more like a boutique rather than a stark mall space. The sales associate staff (often from the local Macalaster College) bring a nice friendly, responsible approach as well as a fun creative twist when pairing (already great) J Crew clothes. The staff really seems to get along well with the management (respectful, but joke around a lot), so there's no rolling eyes behind the counter when a manager needs to step in and help out. Plus b/c it's Grand Ave. you can bring your dog in...(by the way, where are the doggie accessories?!)\r
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Sometimes they lack in carrying the whole line, like cashmere and shoes, which I can't stand b/c I LOVE J Crew's cashmere. Maybe they don't have it because the store is small??? I wish the corporate J Crew would figure out that area in St. Paul would buy it if it was stocked it. And when will they stock Petites? The nice thing is you can order from the catalog in the store, where questions can be answered immediately so you know the order will go right. Despite the fact that it's smaller, it's just so ""neighborhoody"" which is something you usually can't find if you want professional service, I love it!\r
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My favorite part is, that after walking Grand Ave, J Crew offers little bottles of water, which save the day and keeps me shopping happily!
Pros: Relaxed Boutique-like atmosphere - great for hanging w/ the girls and buying outfits together.
Cons: Slightly smaller selection (smaller store), but they will help you order what you need and it will ship to your home.
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