David
I hear what you are saying, but I would rather see the cops busting them than see the dealing going on unhindered. There police have been very active in AP over the past few months. I always see a patrol car pass somewhere every 10-15 minutes. It is that kind of diligence and effort that will make it work. We can't hide the truth; we can only face it and turn things around. I was very impressed with First Night. There were a lot of out of towners around. The holiday lights all around the city, and especially the Greeting from Asbury Park on Main at OG look goo. Because it is my business and I have an investment here, I look at everything as I go around the city, especially people in cars passing through or stopping at a store. I remember last year at this time when I first started looking here sitting in Harry's and seeing Porsche's, NB, lexus and Jaguars traveling on Cookman. Most were people going to the antique and designer stores. But I knew that was the first step. Then after I bought I saw the spa being constructed and heard about the other activity to come, although there was no apparent activity, I relied on my professional training and ability to see the area with fresh eyes, as someone used to urban settings, but without the experience of past AP, which sometimes can blind you. Listen, the people who want to buy in LBI are not coming to AP, but those who would choose Red Bank or other suburban or outer borough Manhattan alternatives will come here. And then, as is starting to happen here slowly, those with deep pockets who want to be in a hip area, will pluck down the bucks. I may be wrong, but I see AP acheiving unit prices higher than surrounding areas. In any decent suburb you can sell a decent home for $250-$300/sf. In AP, you can get it for $150- $200/sf. I am surprised as well by the steep prices over the short term. I cnegotiated in the Spring. My sister is looking at houses in AP, in the same area, for a little more than I paid but half the size. I agree that some of the new condos on Cookman are pushing the envelope and I think one or two went for $400/sf. I see the prime areas of AP east of Main going for $400-$500/sf in the next few years if we have no hiccups. As I said here before, you can have nothing on the waterfront except a few nice buildings with bathrooms and seasonal refreshments and succeed if policing efforts are kept up. People want to feel somewhat safe, although, I think you are going to attract, at first, people used to urban environments. A few months ago someone lost the key to the lock on my garage and I had to bust it off. A young local passing by said "hey mister, that's b&e (burgulary and entry) in the hood." Growing up in NYC and in "bad" neighborhoods, I replied, "you call this the hood, I was born in the hood, this is the country to me?" I don't think any of us would want AP to turn into LBI. But I can imagine that in a year or so when Cookman in complete and the 3 projects ar enearly completed, we might see a Starbucks on Cookman. of what I --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "oakdorf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Jack - my experience Friday night vs Saturday night was intersting. > Friday night in AP - pretty quite - dinner at Harrys - and the > streets were pretty quite. > > Saturday night - 4 of us were heading to Bistro O - since we had to > wait - we walked cookman and went into every shop that was open - > except Robert Legre because no one wanted to walk down past the the > Steinbach building - still boarded up and is currently a mjor portion > of what is plauging the downtown. Then again, so is the south side. > > The new stores wre all lit up and the cheese and crackers etc were > all a nice touch. > > However, I did hear someone ask one shop owner when he was open > next - "..next friday night". Then he proceeded to say "if more > people were here, we'd be open more..." It's a tough choice to go > somewhere to shop, not knowing if all places are open etc. > > Then lets go onto another point.. "..CASH FOR GUNS" proudly displayed > on Main Street. Perhaps that would of made a better statement off > Main for First Night. Kind of serves as a reminder of problems that > exist , for real. Driving home, 3 police cars had someone against a > wall.... > Then this am, an apparent drug bust on Asbury and Grand as I drove > down grand - 3 cars and one guy tossing a plastic bag.... > > Just has to be cleaned up. A long, slow, process. > > COnstrcution HAS to continue downtown so that people will come and > prices have to be a bit more realistic to get those to jump. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $4.98 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Q7_YsB/neXJAA/yQLSAA/Y2tolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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