We've noticed an interesting ecology to weekend shopping in our new neighborhood - Jackson Heights (info: about.com, nymag, wikipedia, neighborhood blog).
We are fortunate to have many excellent food options nearby - including two grocery stores, several restaurants, and related supply / spice stores. However, we also enjoy patronizing some grocery stores in other neighborhoods that stock items less easily obtained in out neighborhood. And in kind, when return we see other families filling their cars up with goods purchased in Jackson Heights.
It all results in a fascinating sort of dance each weekend where half the cars (intended to unload goods purchased elsewhere) jockey for the parking spots being vacated by families filling their cars up purchased from local stores. And in both instances I would suggest the actual use of a car suggests buyers are coming from (and going to) places outside the immediate vicinity (there is not really much of an incentive to drive to the local grocery store in most New York City neighborhoods because delivery is often free and parking is difficult).
According the City of New York's website, Jackson Heights is, "one of New York's most flavorful, colorful and diverse neighborhoods-a true global village where hundreds of languages are spoken and where elegantly-dressed Indian women wearing saris walk side by side with Koreans, Colombians and Argentines."
In practical terms, Jackson Heights is a residential neighborhood with extremely busy/intense commercial districts (running along several main corridors) that feature a clusters of "ethic" establishments (running the range of products, from food, clothing, supply stores, communications, etc.).
What we thought we were seeing - the migration of shoppers flocking to Jackson Heights each weekend from outside areas to shop at many of the specialty stores - seems to be confirmed by a recent study from the Center for an Urban Future and written up about on the NY Times City Room page.
Namely, not only is Jackson Heights (and a number of other of New York City neighborhoods with strong ethnic/immigrant retail districts, such as Flushing, Washington Heights, Richmond Hill, Brighton Beach, Midwood, and Astoria) increasingly attracting outside visitors - they are even attracting suburban shoppers to come into the City.
- Article: Are Ethnic Shopping Strips Luring Suburban Customers? (NY Times City Room)
- Report: Recapturing Suburban Shoppers (Center for an Urban Future)
These types of retail districts offer excellent opportunities for neighborhood-based commerce, increased spending/wealth, and local employment opportunities. In some cases the success has been almost too great - taxing the local resources, infrastructure, and in some cases, resident patience.
For instance, our neighborhood is entirely built up and there is nowhere to put the cars, people, and shops. The sidewalks can be highly congested and noisy and I really feel empathetic for folks that have to carry their groceries for several blocks (perhaps the local businesses have not setup their own "deliver to car" services?) On the other hand, it's the cars, people, noise, shops, and activity that instill the neighborhood with its splendid energy and vigor.
The Center for an Urban Future study raises the issue of how local government can help support and balance the commerce and resources of these types of "ethnic retail strips" so they remain appealing to outside shoppers. It's an excellent question to ponder. What role should a local government/city play to support these types of places.
The study suggests including improving the accessibility of public transit to these types of neighborhoods (e.g. not only reinforcing existing mass transit but also adding new routes that directly connect suburbs with neighborhoods — sort of the Jetblue or Southwest model of moving people to destinations) and parking resources (perhaps by purchasing land to create municipal parking spaces). As traffic congestion increases/parking availability decreases, local neighborhoods start to look less and less appealing as places to travel to.
I would go a step further and challenge cities to reconsider their zoning of these types of places. While one might be encouraged to downzone these districts (reduce the intensity of the area), I might suggest upzoning (allowing even greater densities) to support even further clustering of businesses. The congestion of people and cars indicates a good thing (that the area is appealing) that should be managed - not discouraged.
The article ends by recommending better coordination of marketing efforts, including the direct marketing of ethnic neighborhoods as destinations themselves, and notes that, "with additional promotion, these business districts could bring in many more shoppers from throughout the area who are looking for products they can’t find at Whole Foods or Wal-Mart and a shopping experience that simply isn’t available today on the Upper West Side or in Scarsdale." Well said…
Any other ideas on how to best support these types of commercial districts?
Filed under Community Planning, Comtemporary Culture with 1 Comment
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December 27th, 2007 at 12:42 am
OuterB has written an interesting post on this study while touching on the appeal (and suburban nature/location) of the new Trader Joe's in Queens.
While my first experience with an actual Trader Joe's occurred after the company opened its first store in Minnesota - also in the suburbs (albeit an inner-ring suburb in a New Urbanist development, but certainly a suburban location) - I had heard quite a bit about the brand beforehand.
Trader Joe's was commonly floated around as one model of an urban grocery store that could fit within the downtown Minneapolis area (smaller footprint, selection of gourmet goods that were well-matched for local residents, fair prices).
I guess the counter-example to the Center for an Urban Future study is the city-dweller traveling to the suburbs to shop at certain types of stores. Trader Joe's certainly seems to be successful in this model (along with Ikea, outlet malls, and wherever city residents travel to, to shop).