Stormy Thursday Long Island City linkage

Hear hear.

Why would an organization called the hunters point merchant association be against adding new retail space? By name shouldn’t they be pro-merchant? Pro-Retail? After all what sweat is it off your back if there is 100,000 sqft of vacant retail space. How does that affect you? Only reason I can think of is that they are afraid of competition. The next few years will be interesting in LIC. I think you are going to see a lot of businesses who didn’t invest in their business and speak to the changing demographic get swept by the wayside.

#1 &#2 – I think you misunderstood his comment. He is not against retail. He was simply pointing out that we have retail spaces in new bldngs. that seemingly can’t be filled. If they are having trouble renting those spaces, how are they going to fill all the empty spaces that will exist when HPS is underway? BTW #1- Brian did not seek out Channel 1 – they approached him.

The retail coming to HPS is years away! I don’t think I’m being overly optimistic to say the retail in the new buildings will certainly be 100% occupied by the time this happens.

A Pet Spa is under contruction in, I believe, Avalon North.

I wouldn’t read too much into a 1-minute long report on NY1. In one ear, and out the other.

I’m still having trouble getting my head around how enormous this project is going to be. I doubt 5,000 additional residents, including a bunch of cops and firemen, are going to be content with doggy day spas, nail salons, and overpriced supermarkets. Maybe with these new people we’ll finally get the kind of retail many of us have been clamoring for for years.

#4 hit the nail right on the head. Local groups have struggled for years to support the growth of Vernon Blvd retail. The aim has always been affordable small businesses and services that one would hope to see in a residential neighborhood. Butcher, fish market, baker, hardware store, etc. But the pressure of upscale high rise has pumped real estate prices to where only upscale restaurants and watering holes can have a chance at succeeding.

This is an unnatural growth that I believe will eventually bite our asses.

And yes, #1 and #3 the news media seeks out people who have been around and one way or another active. When that happens these people don’t at all pretend to represent the neighborhood. They are just speaking their views as best they see it. It is the media that likes to create the impression that they have a spokesman. And comments are frequently edited so that the most provocative phrases are quoted.

I suggest you contact the reporter and say “I and others have a different point of view and would be interested in speaking with you”.

Anyway what you are saying is quite a leap from the quote in the clip. If that was his point it was badly butcher and more importantly dead wrong – a glut of retail space would drive rents down and we could cheaply open all the libraries, silent movie theaters and schools for the deaf that we wanted. Are the rules of supply and demand not valid in LIC? And sorry, if you go in front of a camera as the leader of an organization it clear that you are speaking for more than just one person. That’s like the president of the USA giving a speech and then saying that the views were his own and do not speak for the entire country. What type of contradiction is that?

The post as #15 was actually for #14 not #12.

Yes No. 17, I stand for the everyday man who can’t call a press conferences at every percieved injustice in LIC. You may not like it, but he has a voice too although its not part of a well oiled political machine or part of the LIC old boys club and it does not agree with your agenda. There is an alternate viewpoint and I’m just one individual presenting it. I also stand for responsible behavior by individuals and will not come to the defense of or give aid and comfort to those who knowingly harm innocent people. I also stand for truth. Everyones statements must withstand the light of day. That’s what I stand for and if you take issue with those things then you probably wont like me. What do you stand for?

18, I know who you are and you know as well as I you are happy to appear in the press when it features you. So who are you kidding? You cower behind the mask of being the everyman when in fact you just want to anonymously and personally attack others without even hearing them out. All you do is attack. When someone offers an intelligent response, you go back into silence and hiding or find someone else to attack. Try taking a good long look in the mirror and ask what are you doing to benefit anyone other than yourself.

And when are you going to get off your obsession with plots and evil doers? If you were just honest when we are face to face there would be more opportunity to get somewhere with this dialogue. But no, you can’t let go of perceived ills. You cannot begin to absorb another viewpoint can you?

Animals are more forgiving than you.