In recent years, downtown Manhattan has gone through a multitude of changes, such as the completion of the memorial pools and One World Trade Center (home to AD ’s parent company, Condé Nast). The newest addition to the space—the Westfield World Trade Center mall—is celebrating its grand opening today. Roughly half of the 113 tenants will open their doors for the first time by noon, while the rest promise to be open by the holiday rush. Stores in the $1.4 billion mall—including Apple, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, and Under Armour—will occupy 365,000 square feet of retail space within the Santiago Calatrava–designed World Trade Center Transportation Hub. We spent the morning asking AD editors what they thought about the grand opening of Westfield World Trade Center, as many will now walk past the stores (and the many tourists they’ll attract) on their commute to and from work.

Andrew Gillings, Research Chief: “I’m in love with a mall. I’m from Miami, where malls are bountiful, and I’m pretty sure my final resting place, God willing, will be a mall (near the food court)! A mall of any kind is a glorious space to behold—from mindless air-conditioned meandering to ‘dang, I need a new outfit stat!’ What’s great about the mall downstairs is that the stores run the gamut—high, low, and in-between. Many I know and am excited about, like helllllo , COS, Apple, Hugo Boss, and Eataly; some of the stores I’ve never heard of, but I’m up for giving them a shot. Pretty stoked!”

Kelly Borgeson, Copy Chief, Digital: “The Oculus is the final part of my commute in the morning. I’m not crazy about the design—it looks like the set of a sci-fi film—but there was something soothing about starting my day by walking through this serene, nearly empty white space. I don’t look forward to hustling through a busy mall every morning.”

Stefanie Waldek, Assistant Editor, Digital: “It feels like you’re walking through the set of the movie Her . There’s this airy, futuristic quality to the architecture that’s quite lovely and surreal. It was very calming to walk through before the mall opened. Now you feel a bit enveloped by technology and commercialism—particularly when you walk past the 280-foot-long LED screen that runs ads all day. That being said, I’m thrilled there are great food options (not to mention air conditioning) on my twice-daily trek between Cortlandt and 1WTC. We’ll see about the tourists.”

Melissa Minton, Editorial Assistant, Digital: “As someone who takes the PATH train to work—emerging like a mole person without the need for sunlight or fresh air—the few weeks after the Oculus opened, I happily sacrificed approximately 65 seconds of daily outdoor time for a stroll in the pristine, white, and largely empty space. It felt like the multibillion-dollar structure was erected specifically for those in the know , and I often saw many a traveler sit squarely in the middle and marvel at the feat of architecture. Once the secret got out and the shop construction began (along with enormous LED screens), the Calatrava design lost its special quality. Convenience and commerce have won, and the only thing that can stave off extra annoyance from the abundance of new commuters and tourists now is a gelato from Grom, a cold brew from Joe & the Juice, or maybe a scented lotion from Aesop.”

Mayer Rus, West Coast Editor: “If this elephantine, multibillion-dollar retail orgy is meant to symbolize the resurgence of downtown New York, I want no part of it. Give me Crazy Eddie’s and discount cigarettes anytime.”

Sam Cochran, Features Editor: “Where is it?”