The City Spurs Grocery Stores to Underserved
The Bloomberg administration, which has already cut down on trans fats and distributed fruit vendors to produce-anemic neighborhoods, is now seeking to provide incentives for grocery stores to open in areas where most families spend their food budget at bodegas and drug stores. The City Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday, reports The…
The Bloomberg administration, which has already cut down on trans fats and distributed fruit vendors to produce-anemic neighborhoods, is now seeking to provide incentives for grocery stores to open in areas where most families spend their food budget at bodegas and drug stores. The City Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday, reports The New York Times, which would grant zoning and tax incentives to grocery stores, with set requirements about how much produce and other foods they sell. The city is eying northern Manhattan, central Brooklyn, the South Bronx, and downtown Jamaica in Queens. Many city officials, food experts, and grocery store executives approve of the plan, meant to spur economic growth in addition to encouraging health (and fighting the rising rates of obesity and diabetes), but the Times mentions a recent report to Congress by the Department of Agriculture that shows an uncertain correlation between obesity and access to healthy, fresh foods. Avi Kaner, a supermarket operator, said education is the main solution. If you force distribution of product to a population that’s not interested in it, or not educated in it, and the grocery stores can’t make a profit, he told the Times, they’ll eventually leave. Check out the Times article for more details about the program, similar programs across the country, and a finer breakdown of the pros and cons.
A Plan to Add Supermarkets to Poor Areas [NY Times]
FRESH Food Store Program Overview [DOCP]
NYC’s Neighborhood Grocery Store and Supermarket Shortage [DOCP]
Photo by Royce Bair
THL, you can drop off TownhouseBaby with us anytime. The Champettes only fight with each other but are very good with babies.
There is a valid counter argument from Northsloperenter that it isn’t just parents fearing other parents and officials, but there is a real concern about letting young kids outside these days on their own. We talk about the old days how our parents would never lock their doors, would leave babies in their strollers outside restaurants and never ever worry that someone would try to take them away, etc. It’s not just the fear of other parents judging me or, even worse, reporting me, it’s also my own fear based on how far less safe it is for young kids on the streets.
Rob,
So I take it that means you don’t want to babysit for me once the kid is born?
(couldn’t help myself)
You know, I’m amazed when I think back and realize that I used to ride the subways with my brother and cousins just for the fun of it, when I was 11 years old or so. We knew of a way to sneak onto them for free at the station near my house. More amazing to me is that me parents KNEW that we were going on the subway, and were fine with it.
One time we took the subway to the Atlantic Ave station, and that was the first time I saw the LIRR trains. I was excited because I was a big train buff, and I wanted to view them up close. We got off, clowned around on the LIRR trains in the station, and then got back on the subway, only this time we had to pay. The token clerk realized what had happpened, and started to scold me and my group. She said “Do you know how hard your father works for this money?”. She let us on back for free.
Later that night I told my father what had happened. He was not fazed in the least that we had taken the subways so far. He WAS thrilled that the token clerk had scolded me on the value of money.
lol am i the only adult tho who is HAPPY all the kids are inside their houses on their computers? it really does making walking around outside more pleasant for adults. hahaha. i think i’d move immediately if one day i walked outside my apartment and saw all of the park slope children playing in the street. GACK!
*rob*
I wasn’t underfed. I ate a big breakfast. A big lunch. A big snack (comparable to a meal) after school. Then a big dinner and desert EVERY night. I think we just burned it off.
exactly benson.
I played b-ball morning thru night, interrupted only by stickball or various forms of juvenile delinquency, or a bike ride. My parents chose not to have a TV, but like biff said there were only a few channels anyway.
No friggin’ suburban-type leagues with uniforms and parental guidance I mean interference.
I keep thinking about what we drag around today vs then. Back then you’d leave home with a spaldeen or a basketball. Never carried ID even. Today you need the wallet, the cell phone, the IPOD, and maybe the PSP.
I was 165lbs and 6’2″, surely I was underfed given all the calories we burned.
FSRG- I thingk every generation feels that way about the next. There is a very famous Ancient greek text talking about exactly this. (Can’t remember who wrote it- the brain cells have left the building).
thl, you’re probably right to a point. My mother went back to work full time when I was in 2nd grade, there was always a salad, protein and a veg on the table for 7pm dinner. Though the only snakcs inside the house were milky ways, my mothers favorite. If we gorged on too many of them after school there would be drama!