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?
bedstuyhoya, a serious question for you: would the kind of shop you want to open be influenced by what we say?
If you have an idea for a store, can you tell us what it is? Maybe we can give you specific feed back on that idea.
My gut says don’t open up a store unless the product(s) and/or service(s) are something you love and beleive in.
As for Solomon’s porch, it was close by the BOH due to rat feces in the basement. The place was overrun by rats that would often rummage through the garbage at night and scare the bejesus out of anyone who walked by them. The owner of the building never provided proper storage for garbage.
The owner of the business routinely poured the day’s grease down the storm drain. (lovely.) The food was nothing to write home about and the service was painfully slow. (It shouldn’t take 30 minutes to get a cup of coffee, which is what I and others have experienced there.) The owner was also slow at paying the staff their wages. He was/is and all around cheesey business person. I would love for something to take over but I am glad that guy is out of business.
Oh, if I had my wish, I would want a deli/butcher, a bagel place, a pharmacy like Neergaard (on 7th Ave), more dining options, bank branches, a bakery and lots of mom and pop stores. Nothing fancy. I would love to see Bed Stuy be like an old New York neighborhood. Lots of little stores where everyone can shop and mingle in the same area where they live without having to go outside the area to do or get everything.
MM – I heard Soloman’s Porch was closed by the heatlth department. They had a steady amount of business. I don’t know this to be fact – but when I first inquired that was the response I received.
Hi grndbklyn,
I have a plan to open a business in Bed-Stuy (hopefully within the next two years). Please contact me at michael at sageenvironments.com as I would love to learn from your experience as a small business owner.
Thank you.
Michael
My suggestions for a Starbuck’s and a Barnes & Noble will not be taken seriously, I suspect, but I think they’d do a ton for the community.
Bedstuyhoya, thanks for your response, I love the community, too, and am in BS almost as often as in Crown Heights, so this discussion has meaning for me, as well, and the answers are as relevant to my community. Take Solomon’s Porch, for instance. Why did that fail? Was management incompetent? Was the food awful? Was the place not getting enough business? I was only there a couple of times, and it looked pretty successful during those time. I’m sure Dave has a good handle on that one, and I’d be interested in the reasons for closure.
I think any successful business venture has to be cognizant of the mixture of people in the community. A hipster yuppie bar ala Williamsburg might appeal to many here, but unless every yuppie in Bed Stuy is buying large every night, it will fail, unless it also is popular with a good deal of the rest of the community. I see all kinds of people at Peaches – yuppies, hipsters, student types, as well as locals, church ladies, people with their kids, etc. Peaches feels welcoming to all, and is not off-putting to the larger community. Unless their service gets so bad that people won’t go there, and I recently had a meal there that fit that description, they will do well. Saraghina also is starting to bring in that necessary mix of people, and that is good.
If one opens a business that appeals only to their particular demographic, whether that demo is Afro-centric or white hipster, they need to be able to grow their base, or cross over into other markets, or they won’t succeed. A gourmet food shop is a great thing, but are there enough people who can afford to buy ALL of their gourmet foods there, all the time? A store with a high over head in expensive perishables needs a strong, steady and growing customer base. I’m not saying BS can’t do it, or that someone shouldn’t open such a place, I’m just saying it will take savvy marketing, and sensitivity to the greater community for the business to succeed. If you can do that, I’ll be there to support you, or anyone else. Crown Heights needs the same things, and I hope both communities are successful in drawing in thoughtful and successful businesspeople.
copied from my last post:
i think food options is key. we need basics,like a mike’s diner. some place that is not specific or fancy. where you can go for breakfast, lunch, dinner or take out. i think Peaches is great but it is a soul/bbq joint. which is a specific taste.
also, grdnbklyn – there is a wine shop, olivino on marcus garvey and macdonough.
True Montrose Morris. I have a small business in Boerum Hill. I live in Bed Stuy. I would be happy to share my 5 years of experience with anyone interested in going into business for themselves.
MM,
Not taken the wrong way at all. We didn’t see the previous post about what Bed Stuy needs. Our question is not intended to be a rant session but a serious question about what is lacking in our beautiful community. We have an interest in putting our proverbial dollars in our mouths; however, we thought it might make a little sense to do an informal pole on Brownstoner.
Sorry that the question is redundant, but we still wouldn’t mind hearing everyone’s input.
We walk around our neighborhood here in bed stuy and love it more everyday. We want to see how we can actively make it even more lovely.
I would love to see Butternut Market open! I wine shop would be nice as well. Love Peaches Saraghina and a few more like minded restaurants would be great.