Today’s NY Times article mentioned a laundry list of corporations that are moving into Harlem:
“Business is brisk, meanwhile, along the corridor. FedEx Kinkos signed its first lease in the area last month, joining a roster that includes Staples, Starbucks, Marshall’s, Pathmark, Children’s Place, Old Navy and H&M.”
It’s no wonder the long time Harlemites get a little peeved when the issue of new stores coming to Harlem is brought up. For years many corporate stores like Barnes & Noble, Kinkos and Staples would not set up shop above 96th Street in Manhattan. This was despite of the fact that the people in Harlem needed the products and services that they provided the same as the people below 96th Street. As a result, entrepreneurs took advantage of the void and started their own businesses. Many readers may remember when the only stationary store in the area was on 125th Street (the owner was on Oprah). Now that Staples has arrived there are no mom and pop stationary stores in the area.
Although we may like the idea of corporate stores moving to Harlem we should also continue to support the businesses that were providing needed services to Harlem when corporations would not. Businesses like Kev’s Copies that has become the Kinko’s of Harlem. Cafe e-go provides inexpensive computer rental, helpful service and convenient hours. Across the street from Cafe e-go is Hue-man bookstore that opened a quality bookstore and cafe in Harlem when giants like Barnes and Noble and Borders flat out refused. In our neighborhoods we may have Starbucks but don’t forget about Sugarhill Java and Tea and other small cafes. I’m not suggesting that we boycott the newcomers, but we should be mindful that the old businesses need a customer base in order to survive the rapid changes in the neighborhood. For other Harlem based businesses visit the Harlem Business Alliance, East Harlem Business Capital and the GreaterHarlem Chamber of Commerce.
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Related: Big Box Watch :: Big Boxes Blow ::
Hugo
April 18, 2007
ha…anon. i think you are reading more “anger” into my statement than perhaps I intended. i meant i felt divided internally about shopping at BN knowing that they had opted out of harlem. perhaps they had justified economic models to make such decisions. doesn’t mean i felt any more relieved. i see no inconsistency in patronage to local business as well as new businesses if they are providing services you are satisfied with. also, given the lengths of our respective comments, it seems yours is more befitting of a “speech”
Bean Pie
April 18, 2007
Anon, I think you missed the point. The point was that if you like the small businesses then don’t forget them when the mega stores come into area. There are businesses that are unique to communities like Harlem giving it a different feel then the rest of the city and the suburbs. It’s a fact that you don’t get that same feeling from chain stores that are pushing out the little guys and buying out the small business owners. In addition, the big stores don’t always offer a lower price, better service and better selection. To top it off they monopolize the area and eventually price gouge their customers to death. Just telling it like I see it.
Anonymous
April 18, 2007
No. 1, you felt “angry” towards B&N? Do you feel that way about Halstead and Corcoran, etc,? They in fact for decades were co-conspirators in steering lots of commerce away from above 96th St., at least B&N did not conspire as the real estate firms did (for decades). Wonder if you’re consistent, that’s all. They’re here now because they know they can make a buck. Ya think Willie Skuggs feels the way you do about B&N toward Corcoran, etc.? Is it possible B&N could not justify locating in Harlem due to econoimic demographics and lack of a viable book market? (as opposed to the real estate industry that conspired).
I don’t see why new arrivals to Harlem should feel any need to support a place like “Wimps” for example. Personally I feel Wimps can’t go out of business soon enough, their head blew up when they got on Oprah, their service in the Skybar sucks, their prices are outrageously high, and they can’t hang in any way with Make My Cake. Just because you’ve been in the Community a long time does not mean by virtue of tenure you should be supported. Again, I use Wimps as an example.
Personally I think your speech is intended to make yourself feel good about yourself and little more. If you were consistent and authentic you would bank at Carver for example and not at one of the numerous new arrival banks to Harlem. You would have your taxes done by one of the long tims tax folks and not the new arrivals of the Chains, you would only use Willie Skuggs to buy real estate and not Doug-Elliman or any of the new arrivals to Harlem, get the point?
Yes, I remember the lady with the stationary store on 125th where the Blockbuster is now located. She’s an after thought in 2007, no one cares, just being real and telling it like it is. This too will be the fate of many of the business that served Harlem for a long time when no one else would.
Hugo
April 18, 2007
I couldn’t agree more. I always felt angry about going into Barnes & Noble knowing in my head that they had shunned coming uptown. They had opened a Booksellers branch near Columbia Pres. Hospital and then left. Hue-man came along to 125th St and they have offered an amazing selection of books given the smaller space (compared to BN, that is) as well as a cafe.They’ve had amazing guests come through who are actually relevant to the community!
These businesses (like Kev’s, Mamie’s, Sugar Hill Java) have managed to fill those needs and we should continue to support them as well as new ones who come along.