Thursday, February 27, 2014

On St. Mark's Place, 'this parable of neglect'



The photo and text are courtesy of longtime East Village resident Anton van Dalen ...

This scene compresses several histories of our neighborhood, a history of slash and burn economics.

Many of us were in a state of disbelief when a 7-Eleven opened at 35 St Mark's Place, but then the chain store imploded in just 18 months. Removal of the 7-Eleven signage reveals that JAS Mart, the Japanese grocery store, had been at site before.

And asleep in front on a sliver of sidewalk the homeless person, completing this parable of neglect.

I have noticed that certain addresses seem doomed, repeatedly turning over tenants and each time ending up abandoned, suggesting that some landlords have no clue or curiosity about the needs and subtleties of our neighborhood. Each time the renovation will take about a year, causing turmoil with neighboring businesses and community.
at

3 comments:

Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.

However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.

If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.