Jackson Heights Life

Better watch out, you'll get a reputation as a trust fund hipstertarian! 

We moved here in 2002, since then ESPRESSO 77 and TABLE WINE opened, the FARMER'S MARKET went all year, FARM SPOT CSA began. STARBUCKS moved in.

There are some real concerns as regards commercial real estate rates in the area that may restrict small, locally-and-independently owned/run  businesses, so who knows?

i tend to agree with rumble imp. i lived in greenpoint -- the far northern end of franklin, to be precise -- in the mid 1980s. it was a great place to live, in that we had a two bedroom apartment for under 300 bucks, with a manhattan view and a great bodega that doubled as an illegal liquor store across the street. but it was also largely desolate. our street had a total of four businesses in a ten-block stretch -- three bodegas and a great old man bar. manhattan ave was more bustling -- and i loved the fact that most of the businesses had been there for 30-plus years.

i'd venture that the young creative class was able to move in 10-15 years later because the rents were still really cheap, and landlords then became more capable of raising them (small houses have no rent control/stabilization, so the sky is the limit). back when new york still had cheap neighborhoods, we called it gentrification -- a moot point these days, given the virtually complete gentrification of the whole city. it's harder to transform a middle-class area -- in that it's simpler to evict an elderly person from a rental in a house -- or gouge a barely-survivng hardware store owner -- than it is to displace, say, a thriving gold jewelry shop.

and for the record, i'd like to see more locally-owned businesses of all sorts -- even if they are shops (like the aforementioned gold jewelry places) that i wouldn't patronize all that often myself.

This is worrisome to me as I feel there is a strong divide between classes and cultures here. Astorians complain, too, about the local shops
being far from what they want. Slowly Steinway street is changing but the residential profile has had a younger contingent for years that
is not reflected in the type of stores/restaurants in the main shopping concentrations. But it seems to be not a problem in Forest Hills which
has a neighborly feel and a mix of chains and independents that all appear to coexist nicely.

I'm not totally supportive of a rash of hipster bars showing up but I do wish that there were a few more stores and establishments that catered to me.  A small organic food store!  More cafes, more creative ventures than another 99 cent store or bank...

Is there anything that can be done to encourage this?  I think there are enough people around who would utilize the services of an organic food store, etc.

On the other hand, I'm not totally sure.  For example, Expresso 77 is more along the lines of a place I'd hang out in but how is it doing? 

First off I hate all "wanna-be" anything.  Secondly, since I've never been to Expresso 77 what does it resemble that you don't?   Do you live in JH?  If you do what attracted you to this area? 

Espresso 77 is a small business owned by a neighborhood couple who love and are committed to Jackson Heights.  They showcase local artists in the cafe and publicize community events.  It's not a "wannabe" community cafe; it's very much of this community.

Of course we're all entitled to our opinion, but I really can't understand your criticism of Espresso 77.

Are there any locally owned businesses in JH that you like?

I'm not trying to "fight it", I'm just trying to understand what you're saying, because your comments didn't make any sense to me.

I can understand if you don't like the decor or ambiance, but calling it a "wannabe community cafe" is like calling local food carts "pretend street food".  It just isn't consistent with the meaning of the words.

I'm also still interested in hearing if there are any local establishments that you like.