Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Everything that you've ever wanted to know about the new benches outside Starbucks on First Avenue


CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee meets tonight at 6:30 ... and on the agenda:

• "Starbucks Coffee (Starbucks Corp), 1st Ave and E 3rd Street – new revocable consent to install, maintain and use 4 benches on the sidewalks of the southwest corner of 1st Ave and E 3rd Street"

The Starbucks here in the former Bean space opened back in February. There have been a few temporary-looking benches in the meantime (like the ones in the photo above!) ...

The CB3 website has a PDF with all the detailed details about the new benches.

Here's a look at what's coming.




I'm a little surprised that they're not going with the HDA -TR 30-M16x190/60 expansion bolt. The HDA -TR 22-M12x125/50 only has an embed depth of 125 mm. Oh well.

But on a serious note. Any thoughts on permanent benches here?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

My thoughts are: who the eff goes to Starbucks?

Morgan Tsvangirai said...

Wow this post really shows your bolt ignorance.

Anonymous said...

125mm seems inadequate. Burn it all down

Anonymous said...

Well the HDA -TR 30-M16x190/60 expansion bolt has an anchor length of 295mm and the average depth of sidewalk concrete pad is about 3.75'-4" deep - and with a depth of over 11" the TR 30-M16 is a bit of overkill.
-TC

Anonymous said...

Didn't a yellow cab plow thru this storefront a while back? I ain't sitting there!

EV Grieve said...

@ Morgan

I swear that I have a minor in nuts and bolts!

@ anon 9:48

AGREED!

Anonymous said...

i'd much rather have Starbucks around then subway or 7-11, that's for sure.

glamma said...

how do we eradicate these awful chains from our beloved neighborhood?? that is the real question.
the upper west side was able t oinstall non-chain zoning which should be a NO BRAINER for NYC.
How can we replicate this here?
Everytime i walk by this atrocity i give a huge thumbs down and yell BOOOOOOO to all the schmucks selling out inside. Highly recommend!!

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

Just in time for winter!

Pedestrian Pete said...

Howcome all this stuff always goes on the sidewalk? Why not use the space past the curb instead?

Bike racks too can go there, just like cars, bikes can park in the street, not on the sidewalk.

And trees. Why is it that the trees and tree guards always go on the sidewalk? Put them in the street and make it much prettier.

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

@glamma We eradicate by not giving them our money. I always try to spend my money in a neighborhood orientated shop rather than a chain and after Hurricane Sandy I'm even more diligent. It was the local businesses like Percy's Tavern who stayed open, serving what little food they could and supplied generators so people in the neighborhood could charge their devices. Most of the corporate chains like Starbucks, the ones who can truly afford something like a generator, closed and stayed closed. They don't care about the community and, likewise, I don't care about them.

Makeout said...

Truly a "benchmark" post. God I crack myself up.

Kimberley said...

Cheaper than the Bean, and less attitude.

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

I find the staff at the Bean to be rather friendly actually, particularly the 9th Street location.

My only complaint with the Bean is the line at the Broadway location. Sometimes it's 10 people deep in the afternoon and the staff moves with no sense of urgency which drives me nuts. I have to run to the Pret A Mamama across the street so I'm not late for my appointment.

Glenn Belverio said...

They should put the benches in the middle of 1st Avenue to increase the chances of their customers getting mowed down by speeding vehicles.