Streetlevel: Skateboards, Flowers and Dry Goods
Like it or not, the border of Crown Heights and Prospect Heights is getting hipper by the day. Last month, it was news of Tracy Westmoreland’s new bar Manhattans at 748 Washington Avenue. Now, courtesy of a reader, comes word of a store called Skateboards, Flowers and Dry Goods at 533 Park Place between Grand…
Like it or not, the border of Crown Heights and Prospect Heights is getting hipper by the day. Last month, it was news of Tracy Westmoreland’s new bar Manhattans at 748 Washington Avenue. Now, courtesy of a reader, comes word of a store called Skateboards, Flowers and Dry Goods at 533 Park Place between Grand and Classon. And don’t forget about the restaurant Abigail which is a couple of blocks away on Classon and the bar Franklin Park which opened a year ago. Anyone been in the store yet? When did it open? GMAP
I found myself in front of the store after years of history with the previous Park Delicatessen, I went in met the owner and it’s all detailed here:
http://umbrooklynborn.blogspot.com/2009/05/park-delicatessen-skate-hoe-grinding.html
Enjoy, I think it answers some questions posed in this discussion.
“my question to you is why you concluded, BEFORE this place has even had a chance to get off the ground, that it is of questionable value/necessity.”
Are you kidding me? I made that conclusion based on my opinion that the products and services being offered at this store won’t necessarily find enough of an audience to be successful. That’s all. It’s my opinion – I just don’t think there are enough of a market – white, black, Chinese or whatever – that will support a skateboarders/flowers/dry goods store. After Santa made the comment about hair salons and liquor stores, I observed that the longevity and success of many of those business indicated that they indeed served the needs of the community. I only mentioned race because it’s no secret that most of the hair salons in particular serve a black clientele.
I’ll go further: while skateboards, “dry goods,” flowers and hair salon services are ALL discretionary purchases, I’d wager that most of the people of this community – regardless of their background – would find a hair salon of greater use than a skateboarders/flowers/dry goods store.
OK, get it now? Mow, I’ll say it again – this concept seems to me to be of questionable value/necessity.
“you kinda seem to be saying, “this place is for white people, who buy stupid crap.”
A: I never said that, and that’s not what I mean. What’s wrong with you guys? You seem to take it personally that I don’t think this is a viable business concept. I’ll say it again: I don’t think this business will prove to be of particular value or necessity to the community. Why? Because it has an odd mix of products (in my opinion) that the community – black, white, Hispanic, Filipino, South American, Caribbean-American, Hasidic, etc. – will not necessarily find useful. It has nothing to do with race. Now, as I have admitted more than once, I could be wrong. Time will tell.
A better question: What should go in the space next door, which is available?
like im gonna take that as a burn from someone named ‘snowboardqueen”? :-/
*rob*
That neighborhood is going through the roof because people like me have been priced out of Boerum Hill and we like having bars, restaurants and services in out neighborhood instead of having to take the train to get them. Good grocery on Franklin next, please!
hey east new york, you kinda seem to be saying, “this place is for white people, who buy stupid crap.” maybe that’s not actually what you mean, but that’s the impression your comments give.
Can someone buy *rob* a life and board?
this is getting tiresome. you seem not to understand the differences between judgments, opinions, assumptions, and arguments. obviously, if the business succeeds it will have been successful. your reasoning is circular. my question to you is why you concluded, BEFORE this place has even had a chance to get off the ground, that it is of questionable value/necessity. if “questionable value/necessity” just means to you “hasn’t yet succeeded,” then you could say this about any new business. and that renders it, as a judgment of new businesses, flat pointless.
but i think you meant something else. you’ve made references to gentrification and the “community” and have talked about what businesses “many, many black people” patronize but you haven’t come right out and said why you’ve formed your opinion. and my guess is you won’t. i guess it’s easy enough to say you’re okay with change, harder to actually be okay with it.
Thank god our sidewalks are so f***ed up, no one on a segway would survive more than 60 seconds around here. Another shout out for Chavella’s… fabulous mexican grub.