What's that? A Barneys, too?

Has Boston finally arrived?

Today, Barneys New York opens at Copley Place with a two-story mecca of designer fashion and luxury goods. (Think Neiman Marcus for the Paris Hilton set.) The debut of the high-end department store comes as other trendy brands over the past month unveiled plans to move into the region, including Nordstrom, the furniture store West Elm, and the W hotel chain.

''There's no question this town is now hip," said Annette Born, principal of Urban/Born Associates, a retail consulting firm. ''We can stand up against New York and San Francisco."

After years of envying trendier cities and fighting a stodgy reputation, the Hub has finally shed its frumpy and frugal Yankee image, retail analysts say.

It also doesn't hurt that Bostonians are getting richer. Disposable income in Boston has grown faster than the national average, particularly over the past five years, according to figures from Moody's Economy.com and the Commerce Department. In 2005, Bostonians had an average of nearly $37,000 in disposable income, compared to the national average of about $27,300.

What gave Barneys confidence in selecting Boston to open its first major store in 13 years was the growing number of bills it was sending here because many Bostonians shop in its New York City store, said Howard Socol, Barneys New York's chief executive.

''Boston is one of the greatest cities of the United States," Socol said. ''It has a high propensity for both income and fashion desires. So why not give customers a chance to shop closer to home?"

The 45,000-square-foot store, Barneys' seventh, features amenities like a fireplace in the 4,000-square-foot women's shoe department, a 45-foot-wide octagonal skylight, and a concierge to help shoppers obtain things inside and outside the store, including restaurant reservations, theater tickets, and taxis. Unlike the small Barneys at The Mall at Chestnut Hill, the new one will sell both men's and women's clothing and carry designer labels including Givenchy and Goyard, the French luggage maker.

''One thing Barneys has always had is a great eye for the cool," Socol said. ''It's about what's really cool and interesting in pop culture and fashion."

The Boston store replaces movie theaters in the Copley Place mall -- the latest in a series of real estate openings across the city that have made it possible for new names to enter. Corporate consolidation and redevelopment in various areas, including the Theater District, the Fenway, and South Boston, have triggered some of the biggest changes in real estate in many years, said Darrell Rigby, head of Bain & Co.'s retail practice.

In the Theater District, a long-dormant plan for a 25-story hotel has been revived; it's tentatively slated to be a 220-room W hotel, with 100 luxury residential condos on the upper floors. W hotels not only attract jet-setting out-of-towners but draw young urbanites to their bars and restaurants.

''Boston is important as a business and leisure destination, and when you're building a brand, as W has, from the ground up, there are certain cities you want to be in," said John P. Connolly, vice president for Sawyer Enterprises, the developer.

Recent real estate openings have also made room for shoe czar Jimmy Choo at Copley Place and the Italian designer Valentino on Newbury Street.

Apple Computer is proposing to raze a building at 815 Boylston Street and erect a multistory store. Nearby, a Mandarin Oriental hotel and condo complex is under construction; it will house high-end boutiques.

In addition, Federated Department Stores' phasing out of the Filene's chain is leaving retail holes, including a big one in Boston's Downtown Crossing. Nordstrom, a high-end department store chain, plans to take Filene's space at malls in Braintree, Burlington, and Peabody, and West Elm plans a store on Boylston Street in the Fenway.

''The arrival of so many upscale retailers in Boston is certainly being viewed by some as the beginning of a fashion revolution," said Bain's Rigby.

''I almost expect to see Mayor [Thomas M.] Menino riding through the streets, calling out 'the fashionistas' are coming.' "

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.