Saturday, February 21, 2009

Empty stores plaguing Queens

From the NY Times:

Wall Street’s woes, complete with bankers toting boxes out of their old offices, are well known and even well televised. But away from the spotlight, more insidious departures are under way in Queens and other boroughs. A census by Representative Anthony D. Weiner shows a troubling list of avenues in Queens with a growing number of empty storefronts.

According to the survey of 1,730 stores in Queens, 211 are closed or about to close. In all, 12 percent of what Mr. Weiner calls “community stores” are vacant in Queens, twice the rate of a year ago.

The worst-hit areas are in Rockaway, where 17 out of 40 stores, 42.5 percent, were shuttered, and along Jamaica Avenue, where 80 out of 335 shops are closed.

On average, neighborhoods in Queens have 21 stores that are shut.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thats what happens when the locals do not shop local but send disposable income back to 'their cooontry.'

Anonymous said...

If you actually need something or will need it in the near future and your basic savings and income are okay, go straight to the local stores and buy NOW from whoever runs a good shop that you would like to see next year.

I have bought Designer cashmere sweaters in Macy's for $30.00 and excellent shoes in Aerosoles for $10.00. Bath and Body Works as 70% off sales--perfect for Christmas next year.

In a few weeks all of that excess inventory will be gone and possibly the store as well. Save by buying what you need now and patronize starving stores so that their employees will have jobs.

Anonymous said...

How are the 99 cent stores doing?

Anonymous said...

Even along Northern Blv'd. in northeast Flushing, businesses are turning over like burgers on a grill.

They open up for about a year then close down.

The turnover rate is increasing.

I counted at least 4 stores closed from 162nd to 154th Streets.

Anonymous said...

Do you think people are shopping on the Internet more and more? Does any one have up to date stats on that?I cannot get my waist size in pants in any men's store or men's dept. They seem to cut off at 38 waist. So I go online.

Also, every store I go to is staffed by young dolts who crosstalk to each other while handling my transaction. Krap!

But yes, I try to buy locally whenever possible. I know small delis are hurting especially. So yes, you guys are right to shop locally. But what, really, is local? The owners live in Westchester or Nassau.

georgetheatheist said...

I buy most of my duds from LLBean. No human garbage and vermin present like at the malls.

Anonymous said...

What these greedy landlords need to do is to lower their rents instead of raising them on their tenants. I don't understand the mentality of some people. They would rather see their space empty vs keeping a tenant in there even if it means keeping their leases at the same amount. GREEDY!!!

Anonymous said...

"What these greedy landlords need to do is to lower their rents instead of raising them on their tenants. I don't understand the mentality of some people. They would rather see their space empty vs keeping a tenant in there even if it means keeping their leases at the same amount. GREEDY!!!"

Actually, in times like these, with a deep recession, losses of jobs, and slumping retail sales, Landlords dont usually increase rents...They know that if a tenant leaves, the space will be vacant and no one is opening stores now, so they usually keep it at the same rate or sometimes make a deal with the tenant. There were several articles about it recently. The same is true for office spaces now. Residential rentals are still strong, as they usually are in uncertain times when people are afraid to buy.

Anonymous said...

http://www.astorians.com/community/index.php?topic=14068.0

feaking morons that run that site want no bad comments said about their community!

Right 'Peta'?