Attack of the Chain Stores in Williamsburg
On Friday The Times looked at the tension arising in Williamsburg as chain stores move in. With CVS moving into The Edge, a Duane Reade already on the waterfront, and a Starbucks possibly moving onto Bedford, some residents aren’t too happy. “Williamsburg is the Berkeley of New York, says one resident. (Really?) If anyplace is…
On Friday The Times looked at the tension arising in Williamsburg as chain stores move in. With CVS moving into The Edge, a Duane Reade already on the waterfront, and a Starbucks possibly moving onto Bedford, some residents aren’t too happy. “Williamsburg is the Berkeley of New York, says one resident. (Really?) If anyplace is going to reject a chain store, it’s Williamsburg.” A Facebook group has also popped up called I’m Boycotting Duane Reade to Save Williamsburg. But another resident, a transplant from the Upper West Side, would love to see a Dunkin Donuts or Food Emporium make the move into the neighborhood. For some reason, she said of the naysayers, they don’t want corporate stores. They don’t want convenience. Demand for retail spaces are undoubtedly going up, with rising rents putting pressure on the mom and pops in the neighborhood. “It’s becoming the East Village,” says a resident, lamenting the loss of one bohemian neighborhood to the other.
Williamsburg Unhappily Graduates to Chain Store Territory [NY Times]
Bravo. It only took 10 comments before someone said ‘trustafarian’ and ‘midwest’ and ‘living off mommy and daddys money’ All in one comment. Douche.
“Trader Joes and Fairway are okay because organic
Whole Foods is okay because fair trade
Target is okay because of some well-designed products”
Or put another way – people are against chains unless the chains have really good marketing
the whole faux outrage is ridiculous frankly K91’s outrage is a lot better placed.
what exactly is a growler?
*rob*
dibs, believe walgreen owns DR now
Trader Joes and Fairway are okay because organic
Whole Foods is okay because fair trade
Target is okay because of some well-designed products
The Brooklynite can easily be sidetracked if the chain store is otherwise socially or aesthetically pleasing. Duane Reade is trying this with growlers. And while I see this as trying too hard, they’re open 24 hours and have really good munchie foods.
Nah, nah, nah. I’ll tell u what’s short-sighted. Higher prices. Compete or GET LOST. And that concept holds true for anywhere, not just waterfront properties.
i think the whole story is just a bunch of NY Times BS. There are still very very few chain stores in WB, and it does give it a different feel and people do like that it’s not generic probably. that sentiment is real for sure, but i’ve never heard anyone discussing this. and, people wandering around unable to find food? seriously? there’s C-town which is immaculate and has decent prices and a Tops west of the BQE for starters and then there’s Sunac, organic planet, a big newish Khims on Driggs which is very nice, and for gods sake just order Fresh Direct if you want something else. east of the BQE there’s a Key Foods.
“Williamsburg is the Berkeley of New York,†Tracy Kinney said as she left Kings, pushing her daughter Rowan in a stroller and juggling her son Caspian.
Williamsburg is NOT the Berkelely of New York.
So sick of the assumption that giant chain stores will fail if the neighborhood residents don’t go there!!
Hello – they can afford to stand empty forever as long as they are making money elsewhere. Starbucks purposefully opened stores next door to their mom-n-pop competitors to draw off customers – it’s called business strategy. Why do you think there were so many it became a joke? And now they are closing locations and leaving people with nothing.
It’s no coincidence that DR opened directly across from their main competitor in Williamsburg, esp. when they already have another location a few blocks away on Kent. It’s ugly but open your eyes, folks – it’s a David and Goliath fight.
Enjoy your NYC full of corny corporate BS. I was raised in chain stores, and moved here to get away from it and now it makes me as depressed as 99% of the rest of bland strip mall America.
I’m a small business owner and I know that my customers appreciate me because they can tell the difference between the real deal and faked up schlock. I am always so surprised to see people rooting for the giant faceless corporation over actual individuals trying to create something and make a living. Shop local for the holidays this year, folks!