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  #21  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2017, 9:20 PM
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This photo was taken on 10/30/17. You can see here that they demolished those random buildings that was next to the old motel. Get ready to see some progress at this site in the near future.

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  #22  
Old Posted Nov 3, 2017, 12:40 PM
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That building across the street has no ground level retail. Combine the residents of that building and this one and you have hundreds of potential customers for any business that would go into ground level retail of this building. Diners, dry cleaners, corner stores, and all the other non-high-end things that couldn't pay the rent at Pearl.

Please don't say you can't compare this area to New York or Boston. You absolutely can. It's urban residential. And it isn't even built up yet. Now is the perfect time to add the ground level retail necessary to make the neighborhood walkable and livable. Once you build something without it, you can't go back and add it retroactively. Not to sound preachy, but this is a good lesson for anyone on this forum who is a student of architecture or urban planning. Take it from someone who lived in New York City for 18 years... you need ground level retail!
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  #23  
Old Posted Nov 3, 2017, 9:28 PM
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I completely agree. I am an urban planning student who lives in NYC. I live in Brooklyn, specifically in Bushwick, a neighborhood that yes, overall has more density, but this specific area has the necessary density to start watching ground level retail thrive. This is never going to be a "24-hour neighborhood" if people are just going into these developments to sleep and go elsewhere to satisfy their needs. But ay, development is better than nothing, right? (Kinda tired of having to finish a post with that)
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  #24  
Old Posted Nov 3, 2017, 11:40 PM
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But ay, development is better than nothing, right?
I'm gonna say no. Smart development is better than no development. Unintelligent development is worse.
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  #25  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2017, 12:25 AM
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Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown View Post
That building across the street has no ground level retail. Combine the residents of that building and this one and you have hundreds of potential customers for any business that would go into ground level retail of this building. Diners, dry cleaners, corner stores, and all the other non-high-end things that couldn't pay the rent at Pearl.

Please don't say you can't compare this area to New York or Boston. You absolutely can. It's urban residential. And it isn't even built up yet. Now is the perfect time to add the ground level retail necessary to make the neighborhood walkable and livable. Once you build something without it, you can't go back and add it retroactively. Not to sound preachy, but this is a good lesson for anyone on this forum who is a student of architecture or urban planning. Take it from someone who lived in New York City for 18 years... you need ground level retail!
The center of Pearl is literally a stones throw away. Why would Silver Ventures want to suck away from the center of the Pearl with ground level retail at these apartments? Silver Ventures is not dumb, they know what they’re doing.
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  #26  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2017, 1:03 AM
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The center of Pearl is literally a stones throw away. Why would Silver Ventures want to suck away from the center of the Pearl with ground level retail at these apartments? Silver Ventures is not dumb, they know what they’re doing.
I agree. Broadway is a block away and that major corridor is where ground level retail is important. Not a largely single family housing side street.
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  #27  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2017, 1:17 AM
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Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
The center of Pearl is literally a stones throw away. Why would Silver Ventures want to suck away from the center of the Pearl with ground level retail at these apartments? Silver Ventures is not dumb, they know what they’re doing.
That building across the street has no ground level retail. Combine the residents of that building and this one and you have hundreds of potential customers for any business that would go into ground level retail of this building. Diners, dry cleaners, corner stores, and all the other non-high-end things that couldn't pay the rent at Pearl.
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  #28  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2017, 2:04 AM
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Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown View Post
That building across the street has no ground level retail. Combine the residents of that building and this one and you have hundreds of potential customers for any business that would go into ground level retail of this building. Diners, dry cleaners, corner stores, and all the other non-high-end things that couldn't pay the rent at Pearl.
And again, why would Silver Ventures want to pull away from the center of the Pearl? All that you’re asking for can go on Broadway St. which is a block away.

Last edited by sirkingwilliam; Nov 4, 2017 at 7:42 PM.
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  #29  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2017, 3:01 PM
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And again, why would Silver Bentures want to pull away from the center of the Pearl? All that you’re asking for can go on Broadway St. which is a block away.
I believe Jack was trying to draw your attention to the part where he says things not at the Pearl. As good as the Pearl is, it doesn't have everything.

IOW, some niche retail, or a beer box, something could be there.
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  #30  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2017, 7:44 PM
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I believe Jack was trying to draw your attention to the part where he says things not at the Pearl. As good as the Pearl is, it doesn't have everything.

IOW, some niche retail, or a beer box, something could be there.
I doubt SV would want any of those things at their development. They are developing that area with a very specific vision in mind. Those things/amenities Jack is talking about can and should go in at Broadway or other Tobin Hill developments not associated with SV/The Pearl.
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  #31  
Old Posted Nov 5, 2017, 12:02 AM
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I believe Jack was trying to draw your attention to the part where he says things not at the Pearl. As good as the Pearl is, it doesn't have everything.

IOW, some niche retail, or a beer box, something could be there.
Thank you.

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Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
I doubt SV would want any of those things at their development. They are developing that area with a very specific vision in mind. Those things/amenities Jack is talking about can and should go in at Broadway or other Tobin Hill developments not associated with SV/The Pearl.
Oy. SV can choose to whom they want to lease their retail spaces. But if they don't have any at all in these buildings (which are not in the Pearl), the people living in those buildings will have to walk several blocks to access what is at the Pearl. That will surely result in a higher percentage of them saying, "F--- it" and hopping in their car to go do their non-luxury retails thingies somewhere else. Picking up a gallon of milk or eating a 2-star every day dinner for example. People with a lot of money don't spend it all the time. That's one of the reasons they have a lot of money. Visit New York sometime and walk around. You'll see what I mean about all the things I'm saying. If you've been there already, then you already know what I mean.
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  #32  
Old Posted Nov 5, 2017, 4:43 AM
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Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
I doubt SV would want any of those things at their development. They are developing that area with a very specific vision in mind. Those things/amenities Jack is talking about can and should go in at Broadway or other Tobin Hill developments not associated with SV/The Pearl.
Your whole comment is ridiculous. Broadway is a long corridor, and to assume that there is no room for discount, laundry, or just a quick in and out for beer, milk, or a hot dog is just stupid.

You can let the high end reside in Pearl, and still accommodate the common man.

To that end, since both are owned by SV, they are not robbing customers from themselves.

ETA: Who are you to decide where things should go, or what SV should be associated with?

And since I'm sure you will way this is off topic, I have moved the conversation here:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...91#post7976591

Last edited by Restless 1; Nov 5, 2017 at 5:13 AM.
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  #33  
Old Posted Nov 5, 2017, 5:13 AM
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Your whole comment is ridiculous. Broadway is a long corridor, and to assume that there is no room for discount, laundry, or just a quick in and out for beer, milk, or a hot dog is just stupid.

You can let the high end reside in Pearl, and still accommodate the common man.

To that end, since both are owned by SV, they are not robbing customers from themselves.

ETA: Who are you to decide where things should go, or what SV should be associated with?
Im not deciding where anything goes. All I did was suggest where it could go.

Aside from that, again, SV is not dumb and know what they’re doing. They don’t want to suck away from the central core of the Pearl. That’s what I’m saying. Not that they don’t want to steal away from the core.

SV know what they’re doing by not providing street retail.
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  #34  
Old Posted Nov 5, 2017, 5:50 AM
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Im not deciding where anything goes. All I did was suggest where it could go.

Aside from that, again, SV is not dumb and know what they’re doing. They don’t want to suck away from the central core of the Pearl. That’s what I’m saying. Not that they don’t want to steal away from the core.

SV know what they’re doing by not providing street retail.
And all I'm saying is perhaps you give them too much credit.

Not to mention, the lack of retail robs job creation, a community feel, and only seems welcome to the wealthy.

The "wrong side of the river" comes to mind. Surely SV is smart enough to not foment that thought.

But all of this is beside the point. A community is more than just fancy restaurants, and high end, (and overpriced), retail.

So, what exactly do you think SV goal is?

"They don’t want to suck away from the central core of the Pearl. That’s what I’m saying. Not that they don’t want to steal away from the core. "

Again, they wouldn't be doing either. They would be adding, not robbing, stealing, or sucking away from anything.

And again, Broadway is a long corridor. Getting to Broadway from the Pearl ain't exactly a walk in the park.

And yes, a rail line would be nice, as well a a truly effective river taxi.

Last edited by Restless 1; Nov 5, 2017 at 6:12 AM.
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  #35  
Old Posted Nov 5, 2017, 2:25 PM
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I lived in New York City for nearly 18 years, from February 1994 through October 31, 2011. For the whole time I was there of course, there was ground level retail in most buildings, and certainly nearly 100% on major avenues. (There's not a lot on many residential side streets... maybe 20%, but most of those buildings only take up single lots about 25-40 feet street-facing and are over 100 years old.)

While I was there NYC got much more expensive and priced many of the tried and true retail businesses out. Big Nicks Burger and Pizza Joint was at Broadway & 77th for nearly 50 years, and the same story with many diners and small grocery stores, even CBGB's! What replaced them was high-end fashion stores and other crap like that. It took away much of the character of the neighborhoods and the city as a whole. Now it's largely a playground for the rich. But it still has street level retail all over the place.

If you haven't lived in a city that has such rampant ground-level retail, you have no idea how important it is for a thriving community, even if that community only spans a few blocks within the greater metropolis. If you have lived in a city that has it, then you know. But there's pretty much no in between, so it's fairly easy to spot the opinions of people who haven't experienced it and don't know its importance. That's not a slam, just a statement of fact because it's an important thing to know if you want to be a good urban planner/developer.

My point? An urban area needs ground level retail in as many places as it can have it. And yes, some of that ground level retail needs to be the everyday kind, such as dry cleaners, diners, corner stores, etc. Otherwise the neighborhood is either only for the rich or will cause its residents to get in their cars and go somewhere else to do their everyday shopping... or both.

To all aspiring urban planners: ground level retail is important!!!!!

.

Last edited by JACKinBeantown; Nov 5, 2017 at 3:16 PM. Reason: I corrected the date I moved and the estimated width of many properties.
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  #36  
Old Posted Nov 6, 2017, 4:43 PM
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I agree completely with Jackinbeantown. If SV were to add ground level retail, and they're as brilliant as we're saying they are, they would add to the pearl neighborhood as a whole. It wouldn't be sucking anything away. If the Pearl wants to be a great neighborhood, it won't have JUST a core. It will be a hub with streets around it that feed into the main entertainment area. I live in Brooklyn, in an area that is very up and coming, where there is one street that is the hub of the neighborhood. But there are still many other streets nearby that add more to the overall neighborhood and not just the one core area.
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  #37  
Old Posted Nov 6, 2017, 4:48 PM
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Originally Posted by mklunder13 View Post
I agree completely with Jackinbeantown. If SV were to add ground level retail, and they're as brilliant as we're saying they are, they would add to the pearl neighborhood as a whole. It wouldn't be sucking anything away. If the Pearl wants to be a great neighborhood, it won't have JUST a core. It will be a hub with streets around it that feed into the main entertainment area. I live in Brooklyn, in an area that is very up and coming, where there is one street that is the hub of the neighborhood. But there are still many other streets nearby that add more to the overall neighborhood and not just the one core area.
quoting for emphasis
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  #38  
Old Posted Nov 6, 2017, 10:16 PM
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Can we all just be happy that there's some development going on here on this small plot of land next to the pearl? I'm all up for some new scenery while driving down Newell st. and while walking down the riverwalk. I could care less if it has retail or not. Besides, they would just put some overpriced boutique store or an overpriced bar and grill at the ground level that an average Joe like me couldn't even afford or be interested in to begin with.
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  #39  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2017, 12:33 AM
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Can we all just be happy that there's some development going on here on this small plot of land next to the pearl? I'm all up for some new scenery while driving down Newell st. and while walking down the riverwalk. I could care less if it has retail or not. Besides, they would just put some overpriced boutique store or an overpriced bar and grill at the ground level that an average Joe like me couldn't even afford or be interested in to begin with.
So all you really care about is looking at new scenery while driving your car down the same street, got it. Have you tried driving down a different street for a change? Problem solved!
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  #40  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2017, 12:46 AM
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So all you really care about is looking at new scenery while driving your car down the same street, got it. Have you tried driving down a different street for a change? Problem solved!
Hey now, putting in a new residential building in place of what used to be some dumpy motel and some other random buildings is progress enough for that area
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