Jackson Heights Life

Seriously without making Jackson Heights another Williamsburg or Park Slope, this place could use some sprucing up. In your house or apartment, you need to paint, replace things, update things. Why is JH any different? Let's face it, there are merchants who's stores are just plain trashy and then there are some that really try to make this place a pleasant place to live. In my opinion, there are too many who either don't try or don't care. Can I make them do things differently to my tastes? Obviously not. But if a merchant have a crummy plastic sign hanging from the front of your store or a bunch or trashy merchandise on a table out front, I hope they get a ticket for not adhering to landmark (or other) laws. By not following the rules, everyone suffers, people don't want to shop here, people don't want to live here. And I don't mean just "hipsters". I mean normal middle class people who want to run out on the weekend and shop in their OWN neighborhood, not have to go to Manhattan or Trader Joe's in Forest Hills. I work long hours and want to buy local, but sorry, this place really could use some help. Should I move, well I would, if I could. I'd rather stay, cause this place has a lot of potential, if only it wasn't it's own worse enemy.  I was thrilled to see that 82nd BID is going to start working with merchants, thrillled!!!

Seriously without making Jackson Heights another Williamsburg or Park Slope, this place could use some sprucing up. In your house or apartment, you need to paint, replace things, update things. Why is JH any different? Let's face it, there are merchants who's stores are just plain trashy and then there are some that really try to make this place a pleasant place to live.

The most confusing retail spots for me on 37th avenue are the totally empty weight loss/spa spots.  They don't really look frequented and I'm not talking about the ones where you see patrons in...there's one between 79-80 I believe? I hope they're not Herbalife headquarters or something similarly scammy.

For me, the ABSOLUTE WORSE "commercial" block on Jackson Heights is 75th street between Roosevelt and 37 - coincidentally the block where Dromm's office is located.  I don't know why I find it so depressing but I do...mainly because most of the 'businesses' look like tumorous illegal outgrowths on zoned housing.  Also, the majority of the 'businesses' consist of  really, really shady medical practices - I could care less when it's like a booty jean store or whatever, but when it involves people's health it's very disheartening to see potentially dangerous practices.  That "WOMEN'S HEALTH" basement clinic skeeved me out so much at one point that I actually looked it up because I was pretty concerned about it, as a woman.  It turns out that it belonged to a doctor (it was closed when I moved over a year ago, but the sign was still up, and it might not be closed any more) by the name of Salomon Epstein that had his medical license revoked repeatedly and was responsible for a number of sloppily done abortions and the death of a woman (this is all public information btw, google it if you want to see the grisly court documents).  I was incredibly disturbed for weeks after I found out...and I still see women occasionally knocking on that door - all from vulnerable minority and immigrant populations, of course.

Sorry to be a bummer on a Sunday night.

Last night I stopped at the Met food store because I find it's the best for the most things. well I was shocked to see it lit up outside like a nightclub (it's a food store!!!), the produce wilted and the cashiers milling around like there weren't any customers on line. I live down the other end of 37th but I would walk down to the Met because Trade Fair on 90th has been even worse. I've been working alot and away for the holidays so I haven't seen the new lighting set-up. I was shocked that after all those months of work on the exterior, it looks like a Gentleman's Club. I'm sorry, it's simply horrible. Others may disagree, that's your perrogative, but I was really disappointed.

i agree completely about the "renovation" .... i don't know what they were thinking.

but don't judge the merchandise quality by a sunday night visit -- that's the worst time to look for produce or meat, since you're guaranteed everything that's out is at least a couple of days old. the produce is actually pretty good there as a rule, although i wish they hadn't pulled back on organic offerings. trade fair still has a decent selection on that front.

I would definitely love to see a good brunch spot or two or decent pub with a great beer selection. There's tons of stuff in Astoria though which is a quick skip over the R. There's some good trendish stuff in the hood to mix with the great diversity we have here. E77, Table Wine,  and a couple others. I haven't been to Legends yet though I've been trying to get over there, do they have TVs? Maybe I could catch some playoffs there over the weekend if so.

The place that confounds me to no end is Novo. It's got a good vibe and a decent menu during the day/early evening. But it turns into a total cr*pshow later at night to the point where guns are being pulled and they need bouncers. Saddening. One of these days something like happened the other day where a lady that got hit in the gut by a stray bullet while sitting in her apt is going to happen.

Yes, I know about those stores but I live down the other end of 37th (on 88th). We were excited when a fruit/vegetable store opened  on 85th, it looked promising but the produce is lackluster. My husband likes fruit and proclaimed his purchases tasteless. Lemon Tree is clearly a much better store in terms of quality and "aesthetics". The store started out neat and orderly, then the "How many signs/lights etc. can I hang in my window" effect began. I don't know why merchants think that flashing lights, music and other distractions are going to add up to sales around here, because clearly they do not. When the sign for 40 Ounce Malt Liquor went up, it was all over for me. I know that the store is just trying to make a living, I know.

On the other hand, most people don't realize this but the restaurant El Chivito D'oro sells fresh uncooked meat in a case at the front of the restaurant.  I really like this restaurant in general, it is authentic without being garish and ugly. The steak sandwiches are a great deal. I haven't bought a fresh steak from them yet, but they look to be of good quality, much like the Argentinian butcher that closed.

The green food truck on the corner of 73rd and Broadway, with its trash and junk thrown on the sidewalk isn't helping to make JH look crisp and nice. In fact that whole corner is a mess.