What Does Bed Stuy Need?
Question to all current Bed Stuy residents or those interested in moving to Bed Stuy. What types of goods and services are lacking in the neighborhood? Specifically the area around the Utica Train Stop (Stuyvesant Heights). Where would you like to spend your money but can’t because those things aren’t offered in the immediate area?
Question to all current Bed Stuy residents or those interested in moving to Bed Stuy. What types of goods and services are lacking in the neighborhood? Specifically the area around the Utica Train Stop (Stuyvesant Heights). Where would you like to spend your money but can’t because those things aren’t offered in the immediate area?
Sorry for all the typos…
East New York – I am not a Starbucks fan at all, but he has opened successful Starbucks franchises in Harlem and South Central LA…that was my only point.
I also don’t think that any one “NEEDS” a Starbucks. I think we agreement on all except for the fact that Starbucks located in inner-city neighborhoods have made a lot of money for Mr. Johnson.
Back to Bedstuy – we really want to invest in the community and have a couple ideas. We just wanted to see how our thoughts compare to what otheres thought.
I personally would like to see both more food options (both prepared and unprepared) and a nice place to unwind afterwork – perhaps a combo of the two/three…
Butternut will eventually open but it will be a slow process as the building owner gets funds in to finish the work. Since that space and the ground floor next door are still zoned as a restaurant in the C of O, he also wants to open up an Italian restaurant next door/attached.
“Magic Johnson has proved that at least Starbucks works in underserved communities.”
I’m not so sure Magic Johnson is truly concerned with “underserved communities,” despite his being a member of a minority group.
Also, perhaps I’m missing somethign, but exactly why would an “underserved community” NEED a Starbucks?
http://www.magictricksus.org
I would be nice for a Barnes and Noble to come or the Vermont Teddy Bear company open a office in Bedford Stuyvesant. Since Bedford Stuyvesant is the home of the Teddy Bear. or even a big company like Footlocker which is part of the old Woolworth open a corporate office here. We could use a college here. St. Johns should come back. NYU is always looking for land or LIU. All the Fedders buildings in Central and Northern Bed-Stuy could make way for cool College buildings.. lets light get light rail going also…
MM,
thank you for yoru very thought response to my response. you are correct in that for a business to “really” succeed, it needs to appeal to several diffenent demographics. thanks for your thoughts.
Heather – Starbucs and Barnes nobles could work. Like you there would be some push back, but it could work. Magic Johnson has proved that at least Starbucks works in underserved communities.
What Bedford Stuyvesant needs are more people that live in the area that own businesses.. We need more restaurants, lounges, specialty shops. I would love to see someone like Magic Johnson re-open the old Regal/ Slave theater up it truly is a shame that the biggest neighborhood in Brooklyn has no movie theater. More young people that invest in the neighborhood. More money from the city to help with our commercial corridors… tree planting. Fulton streets really just need help all together.
I couldn’t agree more with what Montrose said so eloquently at 12:28.
Fancy brand names are great (Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, etc.), but if they don’t serve the needs of the BROADER community, as opposed to a particular segment, they’re not only misplaced, but doomed to fail.
Bed-Stuy needs a cultural landmark not subject to the whims of business or marketing.
Something like a museum to act as an anchor tenant and stimulate both small businesses and cultural tourism.
How about a hip-hop museum. seriously.
How about a brownstone museum like the LES tenament museum.
How about a serious college campus, an outpost of NYU or Columbia, for urban studies.
How about the state or fed subsidizing a big name architect like Koolhaas or Mier or Ando to design the small campus.
Manhattan is busy getting the Highline park, Chelsea piers and all the development around ground zero. Queens just got a new Citistadium and the Bronx just got a new Yankee Stadium. Let’s get some investment in Brooklyn, Atlantic yards keeps shrinking and now it may not even have the Nets.