In last Tuesday's NY Times there was an article detailing the amount of small businesses going out of business in NYC. The article made me so sad. We are loosing our specialness, not only NYC but the U.S. as a whole. How many chain stores can the world handle? who shops in them? I don't and quite frankly I don't know anyone who does. When was the last time you popped into a Pottery Barn, Gap, or.... (ad your own chain here)? as far as I am concerned there is nothing in them that is special enough for me to take out my wallet. And lets not forget the VAST amount of banks and T Mobile shops that have scavenged the carcases of the fallen small entrepreneurs.
I know I am biased, I do own 2 specialty shops and my wholesale business's survival depends on small shops, but really what makes NY special? Certainly not a shop you can find in Baltimore/ Boise/ Baton Rouge , ect....
Wake up landlords, you are cutting your own throats by undercutting the value of the city to line your own greedy pockets.. it will come back to bite you in the you know what!!!!!