Jackson Heights Life

I disagree with the demographics theory.  All types of people from all social strata recognize and patronize establishments that serve delicious, high quality food.  Have you been to Cannelle Patisserie?  There is definitely a market here for good quality eating and shopping establishments.  If I had venture capital, I would be the first one to open a place and prove my point.

Over the years, I have been doing my own little investigation about businesses around here.  I am not going to name any particular establishments because I have no proof, but I see several businesses, even right outside my window, that hardly have any customers - ever - and whose proprietors don't seem much interested in increasing the prospects of improving traffic into their little stores.   They're not difficult to find, you just have to pay attention.

Now why this problem should be more prevalent here in Jackson Heights is the great mystery that many of us are wondering about. 

Well, there's definitely a big market for mediocre food too...you never see a Burger King or Mc Donalds go out of business for lack of customers.

Seems like we have not yet reached a saturation point for cheap crap from China.

a book store would be awesome.

as far as the rest, try to take an honest look around. when you eliminate 90 percent of the neighbors as potential clients, it's hard to make a living off half of the remaining 10 percent. i doubt that many south indian families, latin teenagers, eastern european ladies or elderly new yorkers would spend much time in a trendy wine and cheese bar.

this board is not representative of jackson heights. i have lived here for 15 years and while i would go to one of those from time to time, the vast -- VAST -- majority of my friends in the neighborhood would not and the rent, as we discussed here, is so so high that trying to do so on a major thoroughfare would make it silly to sink big bucks into one.

i lived in greenpoint in the mid 80s and saw attempts to get all fancy and -- in the vernacular of the time -- yuppie fail miserably. same thing in ditmas park circa 1989. the thing that's different here is that jackson hts is solidly middle class and the residents cannot be thrown out as easily as they were in those neighborhoods, making it harder to homogenize it into some sort of little piece of a monochromatic nyc where everyone is the same.

sorry to go off, but it really strikes me that so so so so so many people move into this neighborhood for what it is, then set about trying to make it what it is not --- namely the neighborhood they just got priced out of by habitues of trendy wine and cheese bars.

i'm not bitter and i don't want to be argumentative.

i don't find the tibetan, vegetarian indian, korean, etc places to be greasy or junk food.

i never said i do not enjoy having the play street here. i raved about it elsewhere.

i never criticized the availability of organic food.

i never said a word against newer coffeehouses, which i also have said wonderful things about on this forum.

i have nothing against change. i simply have fond memories of a new york where you could go from neighborhood to neighborhood and actually see a difference, not just one wash of banks, bistros and blandness.

hoping you have a wonderful evening.

 Alot of these landlords lease month to month w/o contract, allowing the tenant to "renovate" the space for them for free, then jack the rent up after a few months when the tenant has invested so much time and money.  The tenant tries to hold on as long as they can, they get kicked out and the landlord finds their next mark.  It's a dirty little game.