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SCHENECTADY
Stores to stay open after dark
Retailers experiment with closing doors late on Friday
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    Tonight, for four hours, Jay Street will no longer be a ghost town.
    Most of the downtown business owners have decided to stay open until 9 p.m. every Friday, putting an end to the row of darkened storefronts that usually greet would-be customers.
    Retailers said they were cautiously optimistic that downtown is now drawing enough visitors to make it worth their while to stay open four hours later than normal.
    “They say it’s a night spot; they say things are happening and people are unhappy when they see the stores are closed,” said Paisa Miser owner Ashok Mirpuri. “Let’s try it. Why not? I’m usually here anyway.”
    Kurt Hellijas, the newest shop owner on the street, also agreed to try staying open until 9 p.m., but he was a little dismayed.
    “I planned on being down here whenever I felt like it, to be honest,” he said in his shop, the Re-Collector, which sells vintage vinyl records, comic books and other collectables. “I judge it by the people — if I haven’t had people in here in a couple hours, well, what the heck, I go home.”
    His philosophy is by no means unique to Jay Street. Until now, most of the small, one-person businesses traditionally closed by 5 p.m. — and many open and close at irregular times each day, making it difficult for patrons to reach them.
For years, economic development officials have tried to get the owners to stick to more concrete schedules and remain open in the evenings, but few owners were willing to give up their evenings for what they described as extremely infrequent customers.
But in recent months, Tom Lawrence, owner of Lennon’s Irish Shop, argued that the customers would come if they knew the stores would be open.
“I think there is traffic here on Friday, which I call Date Night,” he said. “I’ve been open til 7, and I’ve noticed as I’m locking up and leaving, the streets are getting busier.”
He walked from store to store last month making a pitch for late hours on Date Night, and to his surprise, almost everyone agreed immediately. “I just told them that I couldn’t do it by myself,” he said. “And they all said, ‘Let’s try it.’ ”
Thirteen retailers agreed to stay open late every Friday night through the end of October, giving the change enough time to build momentum.
“It’s only going to spread by word of mouth,” Lawrence said.
He’s hoping it works. But in 2007, some of the........................>>>>......................>>>>.......................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....406&ViewMode=GIF

I do hope all of those businesses succeed. That is the only way we will be able to recoup our tax money.

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SCHENECTADY
Friday nights slow but shops staying open
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com.

    There has not been a deluge of evening customers on Jay Street.
    In fact, despite the downtown businesses staying open late every Friday night for seven weeks, there has not been even a trickle of interest from the buying public.
    But the business owners who decided to stay open until 9 p.m. every Friday are grimly determined to stick it out. Eventually, they believe, customers will realize they’re open.
    “You gotta hang in there. Think positive,” said Maryann Meskutovecz , of Lennon’s Irish Shop. “Hopefully, it will pick up with the holidays.”
    She brings a book to get through the slow periods. But business is so poor on Friday nights that she brings her knitting along as well.
    She and shop owner Tom Lawrence split the Friday shifts in half because it’s too painful to sit there alone for the entire evening.
    They’re not the only ones who have been disappointed by the utter lack of response to the evening hours.
    “It’s been not good at all,” said Kathleen Mirpuri, co-owner of Paisa Miser. “We would not say it would pay your electric bill for the evening.”
    But she said she does get a few stragglers after dark. “Nothing dependable, just somebody who pops in, once in a while,” she said.
    Still, she isn’t giving up.
    Given that Christmas is just nine weeks away, she said this is the perfect time to convince customers that when they get home from work, downtown retailers will be open and waiting.
    For now, only friends stop by on Friday nights, keeping her company as she waits for customers. She joked that since they’re the only ones walking through the door, she’ll have to start selling them something. ............................>>>>..................................>>>>............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01200&AppName=1

The bars, clubs and burrito joints are really pulling in the masses after hours, eh? Why would I shop on Jay St? Downtown?  These days, everyone's time is more precious - people are, many times, working two jobs to get by. When we do spend our money, we're looking for the best deals, bargains, sales - and places where you can get gifts/items for multiple people - or groceries and clothes - all at the same place to save time - allowing us a precious few minutes with our families before dinner, sleep and time to do it again.

Sorry - I like Lennon's - but I wouldn't make a trip down there - especially at night.  If I did, it'd be in / out - and on to my next destination. Time is valuable, so is saving some $.

Big surprise?...but shhhh don't tell anyone they have convinced themselves that the only problem with Metrograft is sloppy "book keeping"-lol-

   BT don't hold your breath waiting to "recoup" tax money thrown down the Metrograft toilet. They could stay open 24 hours -nobody shops there. There's one person laughing all the way to the bank Death Ray

I think the best downtown can be, is a place where 'some' offices are located and the eateries may be busy during the lunch hour. Other than that, I don't see it drawing any more people than that. The way I see it, is that there is still rampant crime and is rising. There is no retail to speak of. I see it as people preferring to go to a mall, where they feel safer, have many retail outlets, eateries with bars and movie theaters.

I personally like the colonie center/wolfe road area.

There is no retail.....We frequent downtown....It's made for a very specific group of folks......

Quoted from senders

There is no retail.....We frequent downtown....It's made for a very specific group of folks......

So are you saying that you are one from that 'very specific group of folks'?

Downtown should be a center-with retail- and not just for the "arts". The sad truth of the matter is that Downtown is worse now then before Metrograft/DSIC. Millions of taxpayer dollars have been totally wasted on governmental gin mills {Van Dyke, The Big Hose, Center Centre porch} while jobs have left by the thousands.

  Son of Sam has had a horrible impact by politicizing the DSIC. And no the REPS and evil Al didn't do that. Peggy King needs to step off the DSIC-what business does she run? Meanwhile the historic Foster Building is crumbling and will be the next to be knocked down. First call it a "rehab"?

Quoted from bumblethru

So are you saying that you are one from that 'very specific group of folks'?

No.....I have no interest in downtown.....there is nothing specific for me.....that's okay though....we go else where

I have a buddy who frequents bombers, who's also good friends with my wife.  He and his girl go to trivia night on Thursdays at bombers.. I always offer to stay home with the baby so my wife can get out of the house and go with them, but she says "Downtown Schenectady? No thanks..."  
It's either my good lucks, or the stigma is still there... he says "it's not bad anymore" but I don't buy it, lol

There should be a good Mexican Restuarant in Rotterdam.  Hmm  Maybe something brewing?

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There should be a good Mexican Restuarant in Rotterdam.  Hmm  Maybe something brewing?

There really should be, i like Mexican food..... bombers isn't really good Mexican.. and the best Burrito place we have is closed *sad face* Hot Harry's is awesome, i love that place..

...At least we have a bunch of great italian eateries, and a few really good pizza places..

Love to see a Hot Harry's open in town. The one on Upper Union St  had a fire but will reopen next month.

  Maybe someone reading this board can make it happen?

Wolf Road has all the eateries one could possible want. Central Ave. too. That is where I usually go. I do go around this area too, but colonie just has a larger selection. And they are ALL packed.