Retail hell, NYC

[skiing-in-jackson]

The whole place is filled with the same chains that can be found anywhere in america with a middling population. I mean how many coach stores can one city block support.?.

I was in Jacksonville, Fl last year just before ski season. With my teen daughter we stayed an extra day so we could walk around the Mall. That a real treat for us small town folks. Jacksonville had a new über fancy mall we were told and it was an excellent experience.

It was no different from the brand new mall in SLC or Denver. For that matter it was little different than the “outlet mall” in Park City.

I was kinda bummed. It was like there wasn’t a single cool or independent store there, all lousy chains hawking the same faux lux brands as everywhere in America. Except with transplanted palm trees.

As a country we sure got duped fast.

[Dexter Rutecki]

How are delis and pizza places doing in Manhattan these days? Is charging three times what you'd pay for a similar sandwich/slice and drink out in Suffolk County still working well for them with plenty of vendors doing well with that? I can remember trying to kid myself in to believing the downtown places were almost that much better but it's pretty much a captive customer and seller price fixing scenario down there.. justified by much higher overhead costs of course..

I get you're exaggerating (3x Suffolk County?), and I need to take a look since I don't do the local slice very often, but I think you can get two slices and a drink at lunch for like $5. Now if you're talking about a 'gourmet' place (Artichoke or something, I guess) I'm sure it costs more. To be honest, the vast majority of the pizza I eat these days is in New Haven, which only a very few places in NYC can probably compare to. But if you're just talking about a normal street slice I don't think it's so expensive.

I was in Jacksonville, Fl last year just before ski season. With my teen daughter we stayed an extra day so we could walk around the Mall. That a real treat for us small town folks. Jacksonville had a new über fancy mall we were told and it was an excellent experience.

It was no different from the brand new mall in SLC or Denver. For that matter it was little different than the “outlet mall” in Park City.

I was kinda bummed. It was like there wasn’t a single cool or independent store there, all lousy chains hawking the same faux lux brands as everywhere in America. Except with transplanted palm trees.

As a country we sure got duped fast.

Hey, it's not like the 'old' NYC has totally disappeared, it's just that the chain stuff has made an entrance (it used to be somewhat non-existent here, or you had to search for it at least). Don't give up hope--NYC is never going to be like those other places.

[gravitylover]

Ugh, really?!?!? Well, I see it’s real as I searched for it. Man, that sucks.

Yeah sad, right? How've you been dude, long time no see. You should come up and ride some time.

[ncskier]

Maybe in MidTown, but not the case on UES. Gf's apartment is within 5 minutes of a Surefoot, Vineyard Vines , Barbour Retail Store

this nails my point. Despite what most resident coastal curmudgeons want to believe, these places you listed are all over the damn country. With the exception of surefoot, the other two along with Burberry, Coach, Tiffani etc are, gasp, even in places like Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta, Jacksonville etc. and every damn Simon outlet mall in between.
Yes their is no other city in America like NYC for walkability, but don't kid yourself, the chain corporate overloads are truly coast to coast.

[SumJongGuy]

I get you're exaggerating (3x Suffolk County?), and I need to take a look since I don't do the local slice very often, but I think you can get two slices and a drink at lunch for like $5. Now if you're talking about a 'gourmet' place (Artichoke or something, I guess) I'm sure it costs more. To be honest, the vast majority of the pizza I eat these days is in New Haven, which only a very few places in NYC can probably compare to. But if you're just talking about a normal street slice I don't think it's so expensive.

I wasn't exaggerating. In the late 80s I used to work at a furniture place out of Huntington. We did custom jobs all over from Montauk to Jersey and that involved quite a bit of random deli sampling. Pretty much every place we stopped at in Manhatten was easily twice the price of the north shore places, be it a deli or pizza joint. Perhaps the current business environment and Uber Eats options have leveled the competitive environment a lot since then.. Sounds like it has. That's why I asked the question.. Only thing more price gouging than fast, edible food in the city back then was the price of a pack of cigarettes, but there were also different taxes in play there..

[gravitylover]

Ehh, food prices are similar, within a range, all over the metro area now including in the city. Sure there are a couple of standout high and low spots but you can figure somewhere around $10-12 is going to get you a decent sandwich and a drink for lunch with the range being between $8-20 depending on how 'gourmet' the ingredients are.

[Benny Profane]

It pisses me off that I live close to a place I always loved and I can't afford it.

[mall walker]

People are figuring out cities suck for living.

all this means is "I don't like living in cities"

[stuckathuntermtn]

If the NY state legislators hadn't dodged the vote on legalization of weed and just made it so, those empty storefronts would now be bustling with stoners and med users getting supplies.

It happened here! Medical legislation was passed and MJ shops went into overdrive. They reined it in too much and that left a lot of empty storefronts in Missoula that didn't get filled again till they corrected the over correction.

this nails my point. Despite what most resident coastal curmudgeons want to believe, these places you listed are all over the damn country. With the exception of surefoot, the other two along with Burberry, Coach, Tiffani etc are, gasp, even in places like Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta, Jacksonville etc. and every damn Simon outlet mall in between.
Yes their is no other city in America like NYC for walkability, but don't kid yourself, the chain corporate overloads are truly coast to coast.

OTOH, this has been happening for years. A long time ago, I was in SoHo and other than the restaurants and a few other gems, everything was a chain or some kitschy tourist shit. In fact, I was only there because we were visiting the little Rock n Roll Hall of Fame outpost there and they had a thing about John Lennon. I can't remember if it was right before or right after I moved to MT. So ~10 years ago. Even long before then, everything was fast becoming a Gap or a Starbucks.

[gravitylover]

It pisses me off that I live close to a place I always loved and I can't afford it.

No kidding

[SKIP IN7RO]

[Ottime]

Part of the issue is access to goods. I live in a small city, but often find it hard to find items in brick and mortar stores anymore. I spent way too much time driving around shopping for a tree skirt last winter. Went to the local hardware and home supply stores first. Then the national chains. No luck. Got home and found 30 options to choose from on Amazon. As much as I want to support local businesses, there is less and less available to choose from.

[SlidewaysShooter]

It is still a great city but a lot of authenticity has been lost. Vanishing New York by Jeremiah Moss is a good read about all that has lead to where we are today... also a good blog to follow.

All the shell and blind purchases of real estate before 2016 has hollowed out some neighborhoods.. owners that never live in their apartments don't need neighborhood shops. Then projects like the high line were essentially Trojan horses for developers. Help fund a park, rezone a neighborhood, sell the air rights and completely transform the landscape with towering residence buildings. I lived in far West Chelsea for 12 years pre and post high line. The transformation was fast and showed no mercy.

When Danny Meyer can't make the numbers work to keep Union Square Cafe in its original location due to rent, not exactly a healthy sign. The whole high end blight thing is very real on some streets... owners looking for rents that only national chains, pharmacies and banks can afford. West Village has been ground zero for that with some stretches where store fronts have sat empty for years.

Still plenty of good in the NYC but would agree that it has lost some of its luster.

[Cono Este]

My friends in commercial real estate tell me no one will touch retail right now. Amazon is killing off everyone. And before amazon, it was the big box stores.

Last night a friend in palo alto told me her weed is now delivered. Service wins.

[SumJongGuy]

Part of the issue is access to goods. I live in a small city, but often find it hard to find items in brick and mortar stores anymore. I spent way too much time driving around shopping for a tree skirt last winter. Went to the local hardware and home supply stores first. Then the national chains. No luck. Got home and found 30 options to choose from on Amazon. As much as I want to support local businesses, there is less and less available to choose from.

I've also related to this aspect. Add in trying to find a item in a particular size and color. I could walk through two or three malls to find the style, size, and color of shoe brand X or I can search online. Granted, need to know how the sizes of that brand run, but beyond that it's either settle for the color brick and morter has in my size on that day or click around online to get exactly what I want. Downside of online there is having to wait another two or three days for the delivery. Brick and mortar can also order it and ship it to me, but why leave the house to do that???

[elevens]

Last night a friend in palo alto told me her weed is now delivered. Service wins.

NYC has been in the weed delivery business for decades. Always loved making a call, and 30 mins later hearing the knock at your door. I miss NYC.

[abraham]

NYC has been in the weed delivery business for decades. Always loved making a call, and 30 mins later hearing the knock at your door. I miss NYC.

https://www.gq.com/story/green-angel...odels-new-york

There are a thousand ways to buy weed in New York City, but the Green Angels devised a novel strategy for standing out: They hired models to be their dealers. In the eight years since the group was founded—by a blonde, blue-eyed Mormon ex-model—they’ve never been busted, and the business has grown into a multimillion-dollar operation

[Ottime]

NYC has been in the weed delivery business for decades. Always loved making a call, and 30 mins later hearing the knock at your door. I miss NYC.

I had weed delivered by bike messenger in Manhattan in 1992. Guess it finally made its way to Cali.

[Sirshredalot]

People are figuring out cities suck for living.

Is this guy huffing paint thinner?

[Ottime]

I've also related to this aspect. Add in trying to find a item in a particular size and color. I could walk through two or three malls to find the style, size, and color of shoe brand X or I can search online. Granted, need to know how the sizes of that brand run, but beyond that it's either settle for the color brick and morter has in my size on that day or click around online to get exactly what I want. Downside of online there is having to wait another two or three days for the delivery. Brick and mortar can also order it and ship it to me, but why leave the house to do that???

Funny. I had the same issue with shoes. Went out shopping and could not find the size/style/color combo I wanted. Store tried to order for me, but it was back ordered about a month. Went home, found the exact show I wanted on Zappos for 20% less. Had it on my foot in three days.

At least we found a shoe for my son at the brick and mortar, so did not feel too bad about trying on shoes at their shop and not purchasing.

As for NYC, seems some of the problem has to do with gentrification. Manhattan is way different than what I experience in the early to mid ‘90s. As the High Line was mentioned, some those shops at the south end I can’t even afford to look into.

[zartagen]

NYC has been in the weed delivery business for decades. Always loved making a call, and 30 mins later hearing the knock at your door. I miss NYC.

"You called about your plumbing? Empty pipes?"