From The Daily News:
Queens aims for Apple core
Developer angling for iconic store in Forest Hills
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| Could this be the location? I think this used to be Mandee, down at 7000 Austin. And I think it's still empty, but someone correct me if I'm wrong. |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Austin to get Apple Store?
From The Daily News:
Queens aims for Apple core
Developer angling for iconic store in Forest Hills
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Wow ... that traffic would be great for the store owners on Austin Street and could potentially lead to some new, super cool establishments moving in to the neighborhood. We certainly have enough vacancies!
ReplyDeletePerfect location for this would be the old Annie Sez/Mandees location.
That...would....be...awesome!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy fiance and I were JUST talking about how Queens needs an Apple store and how this exact location would be the perfect spot! This would be so cool ~ and great for the small businesses!
ReplyDeleteNow we only need a Whole Foods store... I only wish!
ReplyDeleteFor all you Whole Foods aficionados, go to the link on the Whole Foods site to request a location in 11375: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/company/contact_submit.php
DeleteMaybe they'll listen if enough of us show interest!
You can also contact the Whole Foods broker for Queens directly if you have any location suggestions: Chase Welles, chase@nwatlantic.com
Here are the guidelines they suggest:
If you have a retail location you think would make a good site for Whole Foods Market, Inc., please review the following guidelines carefully for consideration:
200,000 people or more in a 20-minute drive time
25,000-50,000 Square Feet
Large number of college-educated residents
Abundant parking available for our exclusive use
Stand alone preferred, would consider complementary
Easy access from roadways, lighted intersection
Excellent visibility, directly off of the street
Must be located in a high traffic area (foot and/or vehicle)
I think we have a few locations in FoHi that meet the guidelines! How amazing would it be to have an Apple Store and Whole Foods in FoHi?!?!
Seriously-I cannot understand why FOHI of all places does not have a Whole Foods!!!!
ReplyDeleteBecause Whole Foods is really whole paycheck, lol. Seriously, do you think the majority of the people who live in Forest Hills, as well as nearby Rego Park and Kew Gardens could ever afford to shop in Whole Foods? FoHi is not a wealthy area overall, and there is no way it could survive with what the median incomes are in our area.
DeleteTHIS WOULD BE EPIC! loooovvveeee #FoHi
ReplyDeleteI really hope Apple opens on Austin, but I also heard that space may become an Asian supermarket? I guess time will tell.
ReplyDeleteThat space is way too small to be an Asian supermarket.
ReplyDeleteI hope it becomes an apple store but there are tons of other spaces on Austin that could also be an Apple store...they should also bring a Terri and Organic Avenue to FH!
ReplyDeleteI don't even own any Apple products but a lot of others do use them.
ReplyDeleteIf they want to put an Apple store on Austin street in that store front there, so be it. Its a good utilization of an otherwise empty location.
Considering computing accelerates economic activity, it isn't a bad thing.
But face it, Forest Hills hasn't seen any real developmental growth in architecture.
Remember the Heskel Hotel which was planned and never made it off the ground?
Apple could just move some employees here and stock its goods and sell them and keep up and maintain that existing space with new Apple signage. If the population wants it here, so be it if it would work out for the company.
But after what happened to previous Heskel projects, like the Heskel Hotel, we haven't seen real projects getting off the ground here, which have been mostly delegated to other communities.
I do agree, Apple store if it does come would lead to further progress, so I am for it. That space has been vacant for a long time and Apple could surely get a cheap rental deal plus the population seems to want it so its a no brainer, wouldn't you think?
Whole foods coming here or not has nothing to do with income levels here whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joes is here on the south side and the income levels in this community are very high.
It is possible a Whole Foods could come to the area in the future IF they could find retail space to accomodate it.
They are now expanding their facilities in the City markets such as 250 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022 which will open up soon. So if there is space for it somewhere in this area they will do it if they felt there was enough market demand for such. Even in the wealthiest zipcodes in Manhattan there are no whole foods.
In general Whole foods tend to be larger than that Austin Street space, but if they could accomodate one there, so be it. Whole foods if they will be able to make use of the size constraints or an Apple Store.
Sorry, Trader Joe's is a GREAT store, but one with very reasonable prices for the level of quality they sell. The income levels in FH are NOT very high, excluding the little hamlet of Forest Hills Gardens. While it may be true that Whole Foods require a larger space than that of the Mandee/Annie Sez space on Austin St., my point is that even if the space were large enough for them they still would never open in FH since the majority of the people who live in Forest Hills, as well as nearby Rego Park and Kew Gardens could never afford to shop in Whole Foods. Again, FoHi is not a wealthy area overall, and there is no way it could survive with what the median incomes are in our area. FoHi is a working/middle-class neighborhood, there is no doubt about that.
ReplyDeleteYou are talking as if time stands still. New York City has seen a tremendous amount of change over the past 20 years, and it is only continuing. With Manhattan only affordable today for the very wealthiest it is inevitable that we would see more upscale redevelopment ripple outwards to the other boroughs. And that is precisely what we are seeing.
DeleteIt's no coincidence that we are seeing a flip-flopping of quality of life in New York State, with more crime now occurring outside New York City rather than in it.
This trend might not occur smoothly, there may be fits and starts, but it is inevitable as long as NYC continues to be considered the one of the greatest cities in the world.
How could you say forest hills isn't wealthy? Do you have any idea how much apts at the Windsor cost? Or any condos in the area for thy matter? Have you no idea that houses in this area do not sell for less than $600,000, with the homes within walking distance to the subway costing close to a million except in the gardens where they cost well over that? Yes, it's not Manhattan, but whole foods exists outside of manhattan In area, like Stamford CT, where housing per sq ft costs less than FOHI property. Fresh Direct isn't cheap either, yet they deliver here regularly while they won't even deliver in LIC where they are located.
DeleteYou are not talking about the average here. The condos and homes you speak of are a tiny fraction of FH. The majority of people living here either own coop apt units that are worth, on average, between 150k and 300K. Many more are renters and subletters. Get real here, no more that 10% of FH would ever be considered wealthy by anyones standards. The rest is working/middle class.
DeleteForest Hills is definitely not working/middle class. The average income in forest hills is around 70k - which yes, is not nearly as high as most neighborhoods in Manhattan, but is much more than most other neighborhoods in Queens. Rents are also higher here than most neighborhoods in queens.
DeleteI'd like to comment that 70k average income is most definitely working middle class. Forest Hills residents are mostly commuters who have jobs that pay well under 100k on average. Contrast this with other neighborhoods in Queens, Bayside, Hollis Hills, Jamaica Estates just to name a few where incomes are significantly higher due to many residents being professionals such as physicians, etc. as well as business owners and the like. Working middle class people tend to move to FH because it is a subway zone for commuters. The wealthy who live in more affluent parts of Queens tend to choose non s
DeleteI would have to disagree and say that Forest Hills is one of the wealthiest communities in Queens in addition to Malba. That being said, I just don't see a whole foods opening up here unfortunately. When you consistantly see people shopping in our "C-town", you know that high quality organic food is not at the top of peoples lists that live here.
ReplyDeleteI would love a whole foods and would absolutely do all of my shopping there if it opened up here in Forest Hiils.
Considering how well Boulangerie is doing-I think there is a need for artisanal/specialty food options in FH. And many people who are not "wealthy" shop at Whole Foods for specialty items, organic and sustainable foods. And it is not like this area is uber-poor. Look at all the Fresh Direct deliveries...
ReplyDeleteI'm calling BS on the original Daily News article. Maybe it will happen someday, but I don't see this as news of any interest on Apple's part on opening the store. Of course the landlord wants an Apple Store in a space that has been "No Store" for as long as I've lived here (besides the temp Toys R Us). Maybe it's true that Apple contact him back about the space, but for all we know, they could have called him to say "please stop calling."
ReplyDeleteNot BS. They wanted to do the Heskel Hotel too but it never got off the ground.
ReplyDeleteIn fact has the property on the North side of Queens Boulevard even seen construction?
They haven't done anything of significance here in terms of development, even the expansion of the medical facility hasn't even been completed.
The economy is still in a recession as of now unfortunately.
Muss development owns 7000 Austin Street, and it has been vacant for a substantially long time. One of those Toys R US stores came in and out really fast.
ReplyDeleteThere is still work being done to the area. But will another tenant wind up coming in? Probably. Will it be the Apple Store? If it is profitable for Apple to do so. I don't see it as a ploy.