Red Bank is the New Hoboken, or Vice Versa
The Asbury Park Press has an extensive article comparing Red Bank and Hoboken. The only similarities between Hoboken and Red Bank is that 1.) its nearly impossible to park in both towns and 2.) both school systems suck.
Snip...
[Red Bank could be considered Hoboken by the beach. It's already been on the radar of both scenesters and savvy business people as the next big thing — an established downtown with a cultural life attracting customers from near and far.
"Is it becoming Hoboken? We are Hoboken," said Jones in her Broad Street store. "The stores here are primarily independently owned, similar to Hoboken. That's what keeps it unique."
Like Hoboken, Red Bank could be at a crossroads for the future.
High rents are pushing mom-and-pop stores from Hoboken's main drag of Washington Street onto the side streets. Red Bank residents and business people worry about the same thing happening here.]
More...
Snip...
[Red Bank could be considered Hoboken by the beach. It's already been on the radar of both scenesters and savvy business people as the next big thing — an established downtown with a cultural life attracting customers from near and far.
"Is it becoming Hoboken? We are Hoboken," said Jones in her Broad Street store. "The stores here are primarily independently owned, similar to Hoboken. That's what keeps it unique."
Like Hoboken, Red Bank could be at a crossroads for the future.
High rents are pushing mom-and-pop stores from Hoboken's main drag of Washington Street onto the side streets. Red Bank residents and business people worry about the same thing happening here.]
More...
posted by Little_Silvered at 4:43 PM
2 Comments:
So, independant retail is what makes Red Bank "Hoboken?" Puh-leese.
Until Red Bank is overrun with dry cleaners, korean delis, cell phone shops, bars, asian-theme restaurants and Italian restaurants with Frank Sinatra pictures everywhere, it won't begin to be Hoboken.
You'd also have to add legions of vastly over-paid wall street kids and blocks and blocks of pre-fab stack-a-yuppie style condo buildings.
Oh yeah, don't forget a political system that mysteriously enriches the insiders.
I've lived in both places. Red Bank is far from being Hoboken. And that's a good thing.
Red Bank isn't even "Red Bank" i.e. it doesn't even live up to its own hype let alone Hoboken's.
Drive down Broad Street right now and you will see at least seven empty store fronts in the heart of the business district.
If you know a merchant there and can get an honest answer, ask how the holiday season is going and you'll likely get a tale of woe.
Finally, Red Bank's parking problem, which always had a level of mythology to it, is non-existent as far as finding a space goes. The town's real parking problem is meters everywhere and exorbitant ticket prices. If you were looking to write a case study on how to destroy a small town business district, you would definitely want to include metered parking when every other area within 40 miles is free.
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