Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Early Addition
As chains take over every nook and cranny of this city, some people in the East Village are forming a united front against them. The Villager reports on the corporate takeover, the resistance and the new spin on this story as old as time.
Multiple Starbucks in Astor Place act as a welcome sign to the East Village, but the East Village Community Coalition would like to say good riddance to them, and more than that, they want to take a new approach to the "formula retail" zoning of their neighborhood. Spearheaded by the coalition's co-founder Michael Rosen, the plan would change the city's Zoning Resolution and prevent too many of those familiar names and logos from coming in and displacing mom and pop. Restrictions could be in the form of size caps, special-permit obligations specific to chains, changing of signage to blend with the neighborhood...or in the EVCC's hope, ban big businesses altogether. The Pratt Center for Community Development is helping research how to prevent "the area between 13th and Houston Sts. and between Third Ave. and the East River" from turning into a strip mall. What's the chance of any of this working? The Villager notes that "parts of San Francisco adopted formula retail legislation more than three years ago that stated any retail business operating more than 11 stores worldwide could not open a new location in the city."
Reverend Billy asks if a retailer like Starbucks has a place in the East Village, which is historically countercultural, and was once home to notables like Allen Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman. But can the defenders of the neighborhood’s history and diversity save it? Tony Avella, chairperson of the City’s Zoning Committee and possible future Mayoral candidate, is helping the EVCC out, and notes, “It will be hard to do, but that shouldn’t be a reason for them not to proceed further."
Photo of chains on 1st Avenue and 6th Street via Emily Geoff's Flickr.
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where's the third starbucks on astor place?
Reverend Billy asks if a retailer like Starbucks has a place in the East Village, which is historically countercultural -- notables like Allen Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman calling it home in the past.
i'd like to know the rest of rev. billy's quote!
Yeah, I don't know of one either, there are two for sure, and I think there is one on 2nd ave right near there, but I think thats it.
There was a third Starbucks in the Barnes & Noble in Astor Place, which closed last week.
I went to the new GOGO CURRY place that gothamist recommended today and the food is disgusting!!!! I don't know how the japs eat that fake curry crap. It's not like good indian curry but some weird hodgepodge curry that tastes like shit. I wanted to throw up and when I took a shit later on my crap looked just like they put it on my plate. Japs eat disgusting food.
how do i sign up to help the cause? contact info please? otherwise we may have to throw rocks at the chase bank, the starbucks (formerly known as astor riviera). geez i've been here too long. or not long enough. peace out.
That picture alone from that day was enough for me to stay away from that place...
good luck... sadly, they're gonna need it.
With commercial rents being what they are downtown, it's nearly impossible for a mom and pop store to even get a lease anywhere near there. Very few people have the scratch you need to get commercial space in Manhattan that aren't a giant corporation. Those are the economic facts. Imagine the hoops you need to jump through to get an apartment (the endless credit checks, bank statements,salary requirements, employment letters, etc. etc.) then multiply that by a hundred. A landlord is going to be much more likely to rent to a Starbucks, or B and N, than some tiny, unproven business because the landlord knows Starbucks isn't going to fold in 6 months and beat him for his rent. I don't like it much either, but it is what it is.
Also, I'm really sick of all these 60's burnouts constantly coming out of the woodwork and waving around the supposed 'Cultural Heritage' of the East Village. Folks, that was 40 years ago. Abbie Hoffman and Allen Ginsberg are both dead. If you loved the East Village so much, you should have done less drugs, worked harder and bought your apartments, and stores when they cost nothing, instead of whining that things have moved on, and you've been left out.
Could we force these chains to differentiate themselves from their usual styles? Like if starbucks wants to come in, theyd have to offer something different than their standard fare. Their own little mom & pop subsidaries that they make unique for the area. It's like those indie-type movies that aren't actually indie cuz the company is owned by a big studio. But those films are usually very good.