Poor transportation, too many fast food options and crime are some of the barriers residents told Downtown Jamaica’s three Business Improvement Districts, which prevent them from visiting the area. This feedback was part of a forum hosted by the BIDs to gather resident input and participation on improving Downtown Jamaica.
Despite persistently low crime rates, Downtown Jamaica continues to suffer from the perception of being a crime ridden district. Part of that perception has to do with the large number of teens that congregate on Jamaica Avenue at the end of the school day. In addition, residents cite recent high profile police events, including the attack on a police officer by a machete wielding assailant.
Transportation was also an area of concern. Although the Jamaica Center Transit hub is located in the Downtown Jamaica District, residents mentioned how poor service curtails opportunities to shop and dine to just passing through
“I still wait thirty minutes for the Q6 bus,” said Vanessa Sparks a resident who participated in the forum.
“It would be great to get off work, pick up a meal, put it in a bag and then take it home,” said Maria Starks, a resident who participated in the forum and summed up the insights of her group.
In addition to an over abundance of similar stores and too many fast food chains, residents felt that Downtown retail is geared towards a younger market. Sneakers and trendy clothing are heavily marketed, however goods that would be of interest to mature adults and seniors are not readily available and that audience is not coveted. The quality of merchandise and poor service were also in question with residents suggesting the addition of higher end retail.
Residents didn’t only look at external forces as the cause for their for their lack of interest in the area, but took ownership for their part as well for their lack of participation.
16 comments:
Get rid of the flea market atmosphere. It's a major turnoff for residents and shoppers.
Lol poor customer service at stores. Lol ....no crap? I remember going to the ave when I was in high school and always having those men who worked in stores always constantly hitting on women as they were working. Forget about going to shop for sneakers on that closed off block (where cars can't go down and all there is is foot traffic in on that block), the wolves are all down that block! In high school, it was known among all of us females to NEVER go down that block because of all the wolves on the prowl down that street! I also remember having to be very careful because the crazies were out in the street preaching about how bad white people are, I bet you those nuts are still there doing that on the streets, haven't shopped on the ave in years!
I'm 34 and I feel there's no real stores down there. I once thought about going to the gap (if it's still open) but easier to drive somewhere else. The addition of city rib looks intriguing but I'd have to bus it or garage it.
This is ghettoville. Maybe a hip hop museum is what's needed to draw tourists and shoppers....LOL!
City Rib is wonderful. Try it!
As for stores, there really is no shopping. Why no Kohl's or Target for starters? And a Barnes and Noble would be wonderful... with Starbucks!
Poor transportation? Huh? Jamaica is and has been a transportation hub for over 100 years. I love the way "consultants" and "experts" throw around buzz words and catch phrases, and everyone nods their heads "yes".
Barnes and Noble is no longer opening stores. Starbucks is coming soon. Too many homeless roaming Jamaica Av and hanging out at the subway station. The area needs a good cleaning and more security.
Transportation is good if you travel east-west, but north-south is poor. The buses SUCK. They crawl along, crowded. it takes forever to get anywhere.
Would you like a knife to stir that latte with?
The main problem is THE PEOPLE, way too many low-class bottom of the barrel types and way too many criminals and gang members, but the community and especially the black community will not admit it, they want to place blame everywhere else.
I don't care what they say about crime, that Jamaica community is completely out of control. They say that crime is down, but it was so high to begin with that even that small drop means nothing, Jamaica has a MAJOR CRIME problem. But yet they think that the crime drop is a good thing. It just went from completely awful to awful. That is no improvement.
Plus the majority of people do not give a shit, do not file complaints and all the bad behavior and awful things that go on are just another day in the hood and no one cares. Until this element is removed, until this type of thinking is changed Jamaica will continue its downward spiral, does not matter if you bring in a Starbucks or Target.
Add to the list, that the folks did not mention:
Major garbage problem, illegal truck driving, illegal apartments, illegal curb cuts, illegal signage from businesses on Jamaica Avenue, illegal parking, major drug dealing, major prostitution, waste facilities and homeless shelters allowed to be dumped into the community, the Jamaica Center subway station and the E train have become homeless shelters and of course lack of any kind of leadership and useless, lazy and corrupt local elected officials
The biggest problem are the people in the community and especially the black community. And until the black community really looks into the mirror and becomes honest with themselves (certainly the group at this event were not), nothing will change with Jamaica.
There is a reason white communities in NYC do not have issue and black communities do. One cares and does something and the other does not. In Forest Hills if a car is parked on a sidewalk, hundreds of people call, in Jamaica if 10 cars are parked on a sidewalk, 1 person calls.
Plain and simple the people are the issue, whether you like it or not, but that is REALITY. If that was not the case, then Jamaica would be a great area, but it is not even average, it is just PLAIN AWFUL.
George, you'd need more than a knife to stir with. I wouldn't stir out of my pad and walk down Archer Ave. after dark, without packing some firepower. If the bros are strapping, I should be packing too. Wait for the cops? Not on my life.
When all of the major department stores fled Jamaica some 40 years ago, nobody looked back. High crime caused it then and high crime is the same factor today that prohibits any major department store from entering Jamaica. Imagine that. 40 years and still no progress in making Jamaica a better place to live and do business in . SMH.
Jamaica residents identify Jamaica's problems - it is Jamaica residents.
Hatchet man is the essence of Jamaica: hopeless, threatening, hating, and just ugly.
Back in the '50s, when there were GOOD department stores in both downtown Jamaica and downtown Flushing, my mom made these two destinations a MUST when she needed to go clothing or shoe shopping.
Then, as stated, the "good" department stores disappeared and fast food, and other types of stores appeared.
So mom stopped shopping there, and as she and thousands of others like her "disappeared" from those shopping scenes, they went to hell in a hurry.
As a lifelong (67 years) resident of Queens, I also have stopped shopping in Flushing and Jamaica, and have to travel to the malls of Long Island to find the type of stores that cater to us "older" people in a clean and safe environment....
SAD!
Jamaica started becoming a shit hole 50 years ago, and hasn't looked back. The shit has to settle somewhere, unless you're going to dump it at sea.
Cesspool! nuff said!
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