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Homelessness and empty stores becoming the new normal in NYC
nypost ^ | July 8, 2015 | John Podhoretz

Posted on 07/08/2015 8:35:57 AM PDT by PROCON

If you’ve been out and about in Manhattan over the past six weeks and you have eyes and ears, you know something’s happening — something worrisome.

The urban streetscape is ­degrading.

Take a walk down Broadway on the Upper West Side from the 100s to the 70s, as I did Sunday, and you’ll see it everywhere. It seems every barren storefront with a rental sign in the window has ­become impromptu outdoor housing for a homeless person.

There are many such storefronts — ironic signs of prosperity, not recession. Rents have risen so high that small businesses often can’t afford to continue and landlords will keep a storefront unoccupied for a very long time to secure a wealthy customer willing to take a very lengthy lease (i.e., a bank).

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: deblasio; economy; homelessness; liberalism; newyork; newyorkcity; nyc
So, can we assume this bleak picture is a result of liberal policies?

Of course. I remember how, in the 80's, the media used to report stories every week about the "scourge of homelessness" under the Reagan administration.

**Crickets** nowadays.

1 posted on 07/08/2015 8:35:57 AM PDT by PROCON
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To: PROCON

Surely this can’t be!? I mean...we’ve been told, repeatedly, that Obama’s economic prowess has saved this great nation!


2 posted on 07/08/2015 8:39:43 AM PDT by ItsOurTimeNow (Cleganebowl 2016 - GET HYPE!)
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To: PROCON

I hate to burst your bubble Podhoretz but empty storefronts are not signs of prosperity.


3 posted on 07/08/2015 8:42:45 AM PDT by slumber1 (Islam delenda est)
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To: PROCON

“Homelessness and empty stores becoming the new normal in NYC”

With all the riots that are taking place in liberal cities, a favorite chant of mine has become “Burn obamatowns burn!”, but this ‘homelessness and empty store’ problem they are having is just as heartening.


4 posted on 07/08/2015 8:43:22 AM PDT by Vision Thing ("Community Organizer" is a shorter way of saying "Commie Unity Organizer".)
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To: PROCON

Even the relatively good cities such as San Jose are looking war weary. The sidewalks are unkempt and have grass and weeds growing out of them, SO MANY of the old established Mom&Pops are Out of Business, homeless and jobless people are roaming around downtown or just sitting in an abandoned doorway, it smells like marijuana,.....it’s SAD.....this once great thriving place is going down....


5 posted on 07/08/2015 8:45:24 AM PDT by uncitizen (PC is lying, any way you look at it)
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To: slumber1

Pod implies the empty storefronts are signs of prosperity during this time of high rents because the owners are holding out for rich customers (i.e. banks) to rent them.


6 posted on 07/08/2015 8:47:46 AM PDT by Vision Thing ("Community Organizer" is a shorter way of saying "Commie Unity Organizer".)
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To: PROCON

Thank you, Warren Wilhelm aka Bill de Blasio


7 posted on 07/08/2015 8:47:54 AM PDT by Ray76 (Obama says, "Unlike my mum, Ruth has all the documents needed to prove who Mark's father was.")
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To: PROCON; All

“The urban streetscape is ­degrading.”

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

All hail the all mighty obamalamadingdong and his tremendous economic prowess.


8 posted on 07/08/2015 8:48:22 AM PDT by areukiddingme1 (areukiddingme1 is a synonym for a Retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and tired of liberal BS.))
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To: Vision Thing

The fact that merchants can’t afford the rent isn’t a sign of prosperity


9 posted on 07/08/2015 8:50:05 AM PDT by slumber1 (Islam delenda est)
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To: PROCON
Rents have risen so high that small businesses often can’t afford to continue and landlords will keep a storefront unoccupied for a very long time to secure a wealthy customer willing to take a very lengthy lease (i.e., a bank).

Guess they are oblivious to the fact that the long-term trend for banks is to CLOSE branches and to encourage their customers to use ATM's and bank online. Shoulda re-upped with Papaya King.


10 posted on 07/08/2015 8:51:12 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: slumber1

What it is, is a sign of chains driving out small stores. It’s happening all over the country, not just in NYC.


11 posted on 07/08/2015 8:55:02 AM PDT by sakic
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To: PROCON

Comrad DeBlasio’s economic policies are being successful.


12 posted on 07/08/2015 8:58:06 AM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: PROCON

So? Fill the empty stores with the homeless. Where’s my grant money?


13 posted on 07/08/2015 9:04:31 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS (Has anyone seen my tagline? It was here yesterday. I seem to have misplaced it.)
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To: PROCON
All New York City dwellers need to do is look at pictures of Detroit, the city which once had the highest income per person in the United States to see what is coming.


14 posted on 07/08/2015 9:07:21 AM PDT by fireman15 (Check your facts before making ignorant statements.)
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To: ItsOurTimeNow

If they just had more money, this would not happen. It is the fault of the GOP for not approving more funding for (whatever cause seems to be relevant). (/s)


15 posted on 07/08/2015 9:13:42 AM PDT by NEMDF
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To: fireman15

Ah, the Packard plant. Closed sice 1955. Exhibit “A” in what happens in liberal cities.


16 posted on 07/08/2015 9:18:30 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (Sufficient unto the day are the troubles therof)
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To: sakic

“What it is, is a sign of chains driving out small stores.”

This may be true in other locations but it is my understanding that there are no chain stores in NYC because the unions have kept them out. Same same in a lot of big libtard cities. My son lives in Seattle and the nearest Walnart is over 20 miles away in one of the suburbs.


17 posted on 07/08/2015 10:01:47 AM PDT by 43north (BHO: 50% black, 50% white, 100% RED.)
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To: fireman15

A good pic as to why to avoid living in rack and stack housing cells.


18 posted on 07/08/2015 1:03:59 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: 43north

Wal-Mart is not the only chain store.

Every mall within 50 miles has almost exactly the same stores. You can’t walk a quarter mile without seeing a CVS and Walgreens.

Most non-chain stores in NYC are restaurants/bars and most of them go out of business within 5 years. The small store owner is a victim of runaway rents.


19 posted on 07/09/2015 9:44:57 AM PDT by sakic
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