The owners of a Moroccan restaurant less than a quarter mile from Schenectady, New York's city center have many people stop by for couscous, kati rolls and pita pizzas based on word of mouth. But Tara Kitchen doesn't see foot traffic from downtown.
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Non-food retail is often the hardest to secure, Gillen says.
"They want to see everything in place. They want to see people on the streets. They want to see activity. They want to see residential rooftops. They want to see the arts venues, They want to see the theater venues. They want to see the fitness venues," he says. "They want to see everything in place and then they'll come in."
There isn't any 'perception' that Schenectady isn't 'walkable'. What are they talking about? Gillen doesn't know what "they" want. "They" are a figment of his imagination. If you get robbed at gunpoint, lots of luck changing the "perception" that it isn't safe to go to your restaurant. If you have a business downtown, and someone tries to visit that business when there is a show at Proctor's, they may not be able to park their vehicle anywhere near your business, even if they are willing to pay for parking and walk a short distance. Why bother? A true story. A couple of guys tried to visit a downtown restaurant for lunch. They aren't usually in Schenectady during daytime hours, because they have jobs. There is no parking available near the restaurant. One of the men remembers that there is a parking lot behind Proctor's, where you can park free for a short time, and they won't be that long anyway, remember, they have JOBS. They get to the lot. There are two men in the booth. The one man tells them that'll be ten bucks, there is a sign that says event parking ten bucks. The man who wants to park starts to tell the attendant, we aren't here for the event, we just want to park for a couple of hours, when the second-in-command in the booth leans past the first attendant and starts to verbally berate and abuse the men for not being knowledgeable of the lot rules. The thing that gets me is this - they are well aware that visitors to downtown don't know that Almighty Proctor's takes precedent over everything else. They don't CARE. Why isn't there a sign at the ENTRANCE to the lot, explaining that there is a show today, to hell with you, you can't park? No, some @hole in a booth has to act like he's important or something. I want to emphasize that the regular attendant in that booth wasn't the one who was loutish and rude.
There isn't any 'perception' that Schenectady isn't 'walkable'. What are they talking about? Gillen doesn't know what "they" want. "They" are a figment of his imagination.
Walkable? That's going to be the big joke of the city when pedestrians cannot cross Erie Blvd to go from Front St to Nott St or vice versa. Because there will not be a crosswalk signal. And the disabled will have it especially worse, especially the blind people.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
$800-$1000 month rent with $10-$15/hour service jobs......hhhhmmmm.....shopping for what?
IF, and this is IF, people have full time, 40 hr/week jobs, the following is FACT:
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $10/hr and the rent is $800 a month, then that person is paying 46% of his/her gross income on rent
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $10/hr and the rent is $1,000 a month, then that person is paying 57% of his/her gross income on rent
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $15/hr and the rent is $800 a month, then that person is paying 31% of his/her gross income on rent
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $15/hr and the rent is $1,000 a month, then that person is paying 38% of his/her gross income on rent
The general rule is rent (or mortgage) should be no more than 1/3 of income. Obviously the wild uncontrolled spending of taxpayer money in the city to give corporate welfare to the politically connected millionaires downtown is NOT helping the city at all, as the FACT is that the dem created jobs are NOT jobs on which one can support a family, or even support oneself.
How many of these dem created low paying retail jobs are 40/hr a week jobs anyway?
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
IF, and this is IF, people have full time, 40 hr/week jobs, the following is FACT:
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $10/hr and the rent is $800 a month, then that person is paying 46% of his/her gross income on rent
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $10/hr and the rent is $1,000 a month, then that person is paying 57% of his/her gross income on rent
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $15/hr and the rent is $800 a month, then that person is paying 31% of his/her gross income on rent
If one is working 40 hrs a week at $15/hr and the rent is $1,000 a month, then that person is paying 38% of his/her gross income on rent
The general rule is rent (or mortgage) should be no more than 1/3 of income. Obviously the wild uncontrolled spending of taxpayer money in the city to give corporate welfare to the politically connected millionaires downtown is NOT helping the city at all, as the FACT is that the dem created jobs are NOT jobs on which one can support a family, or even support oneself.
How many of these dem created low paying retail jobs are 40/hr a week jobs anyway?
Your numbers are a large portion of the population--the working poor. 50% of all wage earners make less than $26,965 a year---that's $12.96 an hour for full time--much higher than the minimum wage and much higher than most retail jobs (or clerical jobs, or healthcare jobs or....)
when the leaders (from the president down, regardless of party) tout jobs.....they fail to mention what KIND of jobs and they fail to understand economics, because they don't have to because WE take care of them and theirs........no worries about their next meal
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I'm gonna go out on a limb and 'guess' that local/state/federal leaders barely have to pay for 10 meals a week, or 4 vacations a year etc etc etc......
I bet Mr. Tonko hasn't been to a grocery store to buy a weeks worth of groceries in ages, at least not on a regular basis to have to budget his $$.....
what a joke they are
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
retail alert!! theres a new furniture store called zebos{?}on state street where it goes over the crosstown{the old henrys cleaners building}...
Is it a furniture rental store like Rent-to-Own or a consignment store? Are there any quality furniture stores in Schenectady County since the losses of Robinson's and Clark & Brown years ago?
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