[Discarded $100 mattress on 7th Street by Derek Berg]
Community group and CB3 exploring possibilities of a special retail district (DNAinfo)
A feature on Ravi DeRossi, who owns multiple bars and restaurants in the neighborhood (The New York Times)
Fledgling photos from Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)
Details on the Mermaid Parade tomorrow in Coney Island (Sheepshead Bites)
Things looking up for the Essex Street Market? (BoweryBoogie)
"Heavy Metal Parking Lot" turns 30 (Anthology Film Archives)
The best independent bookstores in NYC (Gothamist)
Business at the great bookshop Three Lives & Company is booming. However, the owners may need to find a new storefront after its home on West 10th Street is up for sale (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
Ramones-spotting (Flaming Pablum)
Design contest winners proposed some L train alternatives (Curbed)
A look at ABC No Rio's last show (Slum Goddess ... previously)
Remembering the General Slocum tragedy (Off the Grid)
A new generation returning to revitalize Chinatown (The Lo-Down)
...and tomorrow at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C...
Lastly, will someone please check the contents of this trash bag for us? On Ninth Street between A and First Avenue... Thanks!
[Photo via William Klayer]
a “Special Purpose District” in the East Village to keep out big chain stores and support mom-and-pop businesses sounds fine to, but how will it keep the character of the neighbrhood if there is no cap on commercial rents? landlords will not automatically renew mom and pop leases at reasonable rents because chain stores are not allowed. they will just take their empty store tax benefits while they lobby for "reform".
ReplyDeleteand, there are not many mom and pop stores left to protect now.
and the state will have to enable the city which will have to pass the law fr the state to enable it. who will last through all of that?
it's sort of like locking the door after the horses have left the barn.
There will be live music in the Elizabeth Street Garden Sunday from 4 to 5:30 pm.
ReplyDeleteChecked the bag....pretty sure it's the
ReplyDeletepubic-hair-piece that Drumpf's people rejected....too fluffy, had the effect of hiding the family jewels (that are already inflated, under-capitalized, over-extended, and due to be removed fairly soon).
@ blue glass, yet again another criticism at people trying to do something positive about an issue that everyone including you complains about. Before you criticize get your facts straight first of all. Landlords do not get any form of a tax break for leaving their spaces vacant. This is an urban legend. The NYC Department of Finance confirmed as such, give them a call if you don't believe me. Secondly "special purpose districts" already exist in several locations in NYC and are a function of City Planning and Zoning, they do not require the approval of the State. There is no incentive for landlords to keep their spaces vacant and what the evidence shows from other special purpose districts is that eventually landlords will rent to businesses that are allowable under the requirements of the special purpose. While I agree this is not the only way to promote greater retain diversity, if we were able to get the Small Business Survival Act passed, combined with a special district then we might have something. If you think working on these issues is like "locking the door after the horse has left the barn", then why don't you just leave with the horses and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
ReplyDeleteSemi-interesting piece on that Ravi DeRossi character. Not as completely odious as I thought he would be.
ReplyDeleteanon 3:33
ReplyDeletethe tax benefit is a loss or deductiom that can be substantial.
i don't know how long you've been in the city but in the 1980's then councimember ruth messenger attempted to control commercial rents with the formation of the small business task force.
long story short it never happened.
the city was told the state had to enable such legislation and the state said the city had to pass it first.
this is not a new problem and our present and firmer representatives have done little to rectify the problem.
and please, take a look at how rapidly residential rent protections are disappearing.
i don't plan to leave with the horses, and think you should follow your own advice.
Funny how property taxes never come up. Tell the city to cut taxes.
ReplyDelete