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I recall when Harlem had little in the way of worthwhile retail. In the 90s the Clinton administration gave big companies tax credits for opening up businesses in run down urban areas. Pathmark opened up in Harlem. So did bank branches. Later on a number of new retail businesses opened up and now Harlem is getting a Whole Foods.
Fresh Direct used to not serve the Bronx, but after they got a huge tax credit to relocate to the Bronx (they got too big to for their LIC location) they then decided to serve the whole 5 boroughs-including the Bronx. Granted businesses have gotten more tax credits for opening up in the South Bronx which has gotten more overall development than other parts of the Bronx. But government policy is always there in terms of which areas develop and don't. Google has huge offices in Chelsea partially because of tax credits. Those developers who developed Williamsburg and LIC got huge government tax credits as well.
There's even a TARGET store in Harlem (East Harlem).
Don't be surprised to see that change in the BX, with the Manhattan rents astronomical! It was happening along Bruckner Blvd, pre-Sandy. (see closing of Bruckner Bar). However, starting to pick up, again, with Charlies, Caliento Cafe, etc! Definitely happening on the eastern end of the BX, in Throggs Neck, Castle Hill, etc.
Don't be surprised to see that change in the BX, with the Manhattan rents astronomical! It was happening along Bruckner Blvd, pre-Sandy. (see closing of Bruckner Bar). However, starting to pick up, again, with Charlies, Caliento Cafe, etc! Definitely happening on the eastern end of the BX, in Throggs Neck, Castle Hill, etc.
Bronx is geographically in a bad spot. Most NYC main points of interests are below midtown. Businesses want to be as close to this area. Which means most places to eat want to be at or near midtown and around.
When people drive or get in and around NYC, there's zero chance they need to go into the Bronx unless they are from Yonkers or above and they don't stop at the Bronx.
Which is why even if the Bronx gets more gentrified, the majority of NYers will never go to the Bronx because it's too far for someone in Brooklyn to get to and people in Manhattan have no business to go to the Bronx.
For anyone that wants to move or invest into the Bronx, it's gonna take a long time for the Bronx to improve the area commercially. Throwing a few towers and having people living in it is not gonna be enough. You need a certain population density and income diversity to do that. You can open up big box stores without a certain customer base to exist. There are tons of bodegas in the Bx because it serves the locals.
Its simple economics. The people living in these areas are poor. They are not going to spend $5 every day on coffee at Starbucks because they simply cannot afford it. Similarly, poor people cannot afford to eat out at nice restaurants very often if at all. If I wanted to start a Starbucks location, I would not do it in your neighborhood either because I'll be out of business in a month.
A friend of mine told me a story about a healthy food place that opened in my neighborhood a while back. It was either smoothies or vegan or something like that. Anyway they quickly went out of business because nobody was dining there.
The OP mentioned nothing about Starbucks. The OP mentioned that there's no supermarkets, which would be cheaper for the neighborhood residents, compared to the overpriced, crappy bodegas.
Bronx is geographically in a bad spot. Most NYC main points of interests are below midtown. Businesses want to be as close to this area. Which means most places to eat want to be at or near midtown and around.
When people drive or get in and around NYC, there's zero chance they need to go into the Bronx unless they are from Yonkers or above and they don't stop at the Bronx.
Which is why even if the Bronx gets more gentrified, the majority of NYers will never go to the Bronx because it's too far for someone in Brooklyn to get to and people in Manhattan have no business to go to the Bronx.
For anyone that wants to move or invest into the Bronx, it's gonna take a long time for the Bronx to improve the area commercially. Throwing a few towers and having people living in it is not gonna be enough. You need a certain population density and income diversity to do that. You can open up big box stores without a certain customer base to exist. There are tons of bodegas in the Bx because it serves the locals.
I don't think you are up to date with what is happening in the Bronx. Retail has been expanding aggresively in the last 5 years or so with several big box stores and big retail chains opening throughout the borough. Stores like BJ's, TJ Maxx, Starbucks, Chipotle, Burlington, etc etc etc. The stores are holding up and some are doing extremely well (I believe the bj at the gateway center by Yankee stadium is the busiest BJ's in the country), which shows there is the disposable income in bronx areas to sustain these businesses.
Also while I agree that most of the Bronx is relatively far from midtown the southern waterfront area is not far at all and is starting to experience gentrification.
Bronx is geographically in a bad spot. Most NYC main points of interests are below midtown. Businesses want to be as close to this area. Which means most places to eat want to be at or near midtown and around.
When people drive or get in and around NYC, there's zero chance they need to go into the Bronx unless they are from Yonkers or above and they don't stop at the Bronx.
Which is why even if the Bronx gets more gentrified, the majority of NYers will never go to the Bronx because it's too far for someone in Brooklyn to get to and people in Manhattan have no business to go to the Bronx.
For anyone that wants to move or invest into the Bronx, it's gonna take a long time for the Bronx to improve the area commercially. Throwing a few towers and having people living in it is not gonna be enough. You need a certain population density and income diversity to do that. You can open up big box stores without a certain customer base to exist. There are tons of bodegas in the Bx because it serves the locals.
If Manhattan real estate was more reasonable, the above would probably be true. But as rents in Manhattan skyrocket, the Bronx will be an inexpensive alternative. Brooklyn and Queens may be almost as expensive as Manhattan when it comes to business rents.
They can't make a ton of money off blacks and hispanics.
You do realize whites, Asians, South East Asians, etc live in the Bronx as well, right?
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