On the way to band practice tonight, I took a look at Wegmans...and it is in
fact ugly.
While I love Wegmans, the architecture is pretty bad. Another terrible
building, in my
opinion, is the new Sipersteins in LB, where the old bowling alley used to be.
Sadly, this is a trend here in NJ, and probably much of the US. Pedestrian,
boring ugly
architecture that lines our highways and byways.
Many years ago, the APP published a letter to the editor that I wrote lamenting
the loss of
the Circle Drive In Theater in Eatontown. It was replaced with condos. In that
letter, I
mentioned that NJ is becoming much like the background in a Flintstones
cartoon.
Whenever Fred and company went for a drive, they passed the same rock, tree,
building,
rock tree building over and over.
And that's what makes me sad about the future of AP. I know the redevelopment
is going
to make something good about empty spaces, and bring new blood and life into
the
city...but, based on the designs i've seen, AP will be just another Disneyesque
wonderland,
if you like those kinda things.
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "oakdorf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> interesting, but true.
>
> MY favorite line of course:
>
> >>>It's a lot more complicated than greedy landlords trying to raise the
> rent," said Ennen
>
> Especially where taxes continue to rise, and, THAT is true and more so
> in residential (more so in pricate home rentals).
>
> Example:
>
> 700 sq ft house in Ocean Twp.
> Landlord charges $1000 month in rent
> Pays mortgage on $181,000
> Pays RE Taxes of $3700
>
> So for a small operator who did BUY their building or location, you
> have to compete with the nationals or those who have deeper pcokets for
> your space at the end of your lease.
>
> If the government wants to control rents and keep those moms and pops
> in place, then the government will have to control TAXES or build their
> won government owned or subsidized commercial centers.
>
> Many businesses struggle. As the article pointed out, the INTERNET can
> kill you.
>
> Like my own kid, asking to stop at EB games when I left the home depot
> to get MADDEN NFL. Told him to go home and order it off Amazon. He
> laughed at me and what save $2.00? Told him yep. COndier the fact that
> the taco bell I got him cost me around $4.00.
>
> Lastly, many of the chains are taking steps to conform to local
> neighborhoods so they "blend" in. Hence the "lifestyle centers"
> intended to tone down strip centers and malls. And it will Asbury from
> the boardwalk to Cookman. Common sense. Oh - there goes that word.
>
> Here's a thought. When I left Wegmans last night, I turned around and
> looked at the building. Actaully kind of ugly in it's own way. It
> reminded me of something and I remembered - Wesley Grove along Cookman.
> Take a look.
>
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