VANISHING NEW YORK

Both parties love to talk about mom & pop businesses being the backbone of the American economy. Yet few lawmakers display  backbone in helping smaller businesses stay in business since everything they do is geared towards giants like chains. I'm not saying that I never use them, but I'm making a conscious effort to stop. Because every time you patronize a Starbucks, Subway or Duane Reade, you take business away from a mom & pop business which desperately needs your $ to fight ever-raising rents. I know that chains are cheap and convenient, but those will be our only choices unless we make a concerted effort to patronize more unique choices like some of these quintessentially NYC establishments which have closed prove. There's a block on 8th Avenue in Chelsea with a Chase bank on each corner. And this certainly isn't just NYC--was just in SF and there were two Subway's on each corner. Interesting article with pics of which businesses have replaced some notable closures.

Watch NYC Gentrify Right Before Your Eyes

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