The blog I Love Franklin Avenue put together a “Neighborhood Change Roundup” tracking recent commercial turnovers on Franklin, and it’s clear that the stretch has seen a lot of action in the past few years. The tally: 35 new businesses have opened since 2008 (14 in the past year); five are coming soon (including a fancy cocktail/oyster bar); and there have been 21 renovations/expansions as well as 19 closings. ILFA opines: “There’s an obvious gentrifying trend, but it’s not quite as simple as bar-replaces-bodega, as several businesses that don’t scream ‘change’ have opened and are doing a brisk business (Mazon’s, the Pana Store, the Pawn Shop, BNI Laundromat, Compare Foods, etc), while others that do (Nairobi’s Knapsack, and now perhaps Franklin Roadhouse – they’ve been closed a lot recently) – have gone under.” The significant retail changes along nearby Washington, Classon, and Nostrand avenues are also pointed out. And, finally, a familiar gentrification question is posed: “How can/should we, as residents, merchants, and landlords, seek to channel this change in the service of building a healthy community that serves everyone, longtime locals and new arrivals, on Franklin Avenue? Is it possible?” What do you think?
The Annual Neighborhood Change Roundup [ILFA]


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