Queens merchants’ launch initiative
Ciaran Staunton, owner of Molly Blooms
Daily News
A new group focused on revitalizing Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside kicked off its agenda yesterday with some simple yet key goals – Shop local, buy local and free up some parking spaces.
“How can we entice you to shop more in your community?” Ciaran Staunton asked a large gathering of residents, elected officials and property owners at his pub Molly Blooms on hand to launch the Queens Blvd. Merchants Initiative.
“We have 200,000 people who pass here every day going to and from Manhattan,” he pointed out. “How do we get them to stop?”
Staunton, a local resident, has long pushed for a more attractive streetscape. That section of Queens Blvd. is pockmarked with empty storefronts, iron gates and shabby awnings.
He is hoping the grass-roots program, pairing property owners and community members, will help find resources and ideas to improve the area.
First on their list is lifting the parking restrictions on Queens Blvd., which bar cars from using the meters until 10 a.m.
“By 9:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. traffic is not there to the degree that you need five lanes open,” said Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens/Bronx), who attended the event to show his support.
City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and a representative for state Sen. Michael Gianaris also promised to back the fledgling effort. Van Bramer said he is lobbying the city to change the parking rules.
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Lifting the parking restrictions would be a step in the right direction. Let’s make it happen.
Its great to have plans. But I’m more interested in results. I will be watching closly.
I would like to see all those livery cabs picking up on 46street out of the areas. I don’t understand how they are not allowed to pick up on the street yet they do. Sometimes you cant find parking infront of lets say Alpha Donuts becasue these livery cabs are blocking the entire block. I am for supporting local business’ with the neighborhood but business’ go wrong when they start catering to one particualr area or group. It has to be an equal balanced start to attract all types of paying customers.
lifting parking rules would do two things. Either you will park forever or you will shop longer and spend more money. You need some kind of balance or we need more parking somewhere to shop close by.
Maybe have the sanifation come in earier in the am and free up parking during the day and kill parking in our town near the blvd and skillman and green point to shop all day.
Let the banks invest in our business to incubate our town for new buisnesse to thrive instead of going out of business.
More p.r. and publicity for the neighborhood is needed.
This site does a good job of getting the word out about Sunnyside and people all over the world can read it.
and vids like this recently featured here….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI7K34XhCJM
Word of mouth, internet…the people who live here are the best ambassadors.
I paid woodside and sunnyside a visit. There are no decent stores to shop in. The olde place aint what it used to be.
The main thing are the stores. We have NO decent shopping in Sunnyside beyond April Glass. With the exception of our restaurants, there’s nothing to do here.
You can’t shop in Woodside/Sunnyside for many basics. What has Joe Crowley been doing all these years anyway?
Bravo to the progressive elements in our Sunnyside, Business and residents, this looked like a smashing sucess, on NY1 AND
John
• 8:59 am
Weiner has a point. And I’m glad he has the balls to say it!
John
• 10:25 am
Its great to have plans. But I’m more interested in results. I will be watching closly
Bravo to the progressive elements in Sunnyside, Business and residents. This looked like a smashing sucess, covered on NY1, and Daily News many Blogs. Congressman Crowley, Council member Van Bramer, more than 70 residents and Store owners showed up.
Question is who is John that posts on this subject?
See his postings below.
Yesterday he was praising Artie Weiner’s negative attack on the organizers.
This morning he is posting, that he will be watching ‘closly’.
Instead of watching closly and praising Weiner, why aren’t you working harder for the neighborhood we all live in?.
Unless, of course John does not LIVE IN Sunnyside…….
Chet
John
• 8:59 am
Weiner has a point. And I’m glad he has the balls to say it!
John
• 10:25 am
Its great to have plans. But I’m more interested in results. I will be watching closly
Just for the record, Chet, the “John” you ask about isn’t me. I don’t know who this person is.
I had intended to attend the meeting at Molly Blooms; but, between my work schedule, and tending to a very sick cat, I was too exhausted to go. I should have gone anyway. I regret not going.
I wish all parties who are making an effort to improve the business climate of our Neighborhood nothing but the best. We should all thank them–whatever group they are affiliated with. If some few persons feel aggrieved that one group is “upstaging” another…well, perhaps the resulting competition will spur everyone to greater effort.
Stay cool, everyone.
Krissi I agree with you completley what we need is a citizen group that help direct and cordinate the business in our area. What business come here and why. How do we get around when we cannot walk for what ever reason. All these groups serve their purpose but the residense need a group of our own for our own needs.
We need to have a web site meeting with brammer for all of us that may not be able to get out of our house and go their.
Krisse what stores are you looking for. we need a comercial re for our citritzens to see what businees know what is available .
Our main drag is nothing short of creepy. Communities ARE judged by initial outward appearances whether we want to admit it or not. Standards need to be raised, met, kept and enforced as a first step to improvement.
People have so many more choices for shopping today that retail environments need a “hook” to pull people in. If local people coming on and off the trains can’t support the merchants then we must attract shoppers from around the region. So, yes, increase parking, make the place consistently attractive, develop marketing and advertising campaigns and give them something to buy. A good clothing store, a book store, galleries (the idea of galleries in un-rented storefronts is WONDERFUL), street entertainment, gardens. Maybe a weekend flea market under the El with consistent sellers. Make it affordable, accessible, beautiful, interesting, a pleasure to be here.
“Maybe a weekend flea market under the El with consistent sellers. ”
That’s a great idea.
Mr. Staunton, in the slim chance you’re reading this – I went to your bar not too long ago after highly anticipating its opening.
I really, really wanted this place to be great. And I was impressed at first. However, the woman who tended bar that night wound up treating me like a piece of shit and did something extremely petty. And my wife and I are the types of people you want in your bar – non-troublemakers with lots of money to spend.
So, instead of raving about it (which I hoped I’d end up doing), I now am determined to ensure I and everyone I know never goes again.
The male bartender was pretty cool though. Unfortunately, she apparently out-ranked him. Perhaps she shouldn’t drink while on shift anymore.
“So, instead of raving about it (which I hoped I’d end up doing), I now am determined to ensure I and everyone I know never goes again.”
WOW…and you’re calling the bartender petty? I would love to know what she did that you are now on a mission to make sure Molly Blooms goes out of business. I’m sure the bar is better off WITHOUT the likes of you and your wife. I for one have been to Molly Blooms multiple times and in my opinion is one of the best bars Sunnyside has right now.
Sunnysider, the parking restrictions in question are the ones that prevent people from parking on the North side from 7-10AM and on the South side from 4-7PM. This is not for cleaning or anything, it’s done out of fear that car traffic will get backed up and drivers will complain to the DOT.
It’s an extreme policy, especially in this recession, and the result is that we get five lanes of speeding traffic in one direction and four in the other. This is bad for business and bad for safety.
The proposal is simply to have the same meter regulations ($0.75 per hour, two hour maximum) from 7AM to 7PM on both sides of the street. I’m very glad to see that the Merchants Initiative is making it a priority.
Actually, let me correct my previous post: I think the meters run until 10PM on Queens Boulevard, except for street cleaning every morning.
That taxi stand has come in handy several times. I think legalizing it would benefit a lot more people than chasing the cabs out so that six or eight more people can park.
I went on a Sunday to hear the live music. I found the bar absolutely lovely in its appointments with quiet patrons speaking civilly to each other. The bartender was a young man who treated me with polite ease. I had a very good cup of Irish tea. The back area looked pleasant. One unpleasant bartender doesn’t spoil the bar.
“WOW…and you’re calling the bartender petty”
First, thanks for your response, although my post was really directed at the owner.
Second, I assume your quoted comment is meant to call me petty b/c I have the temerity to encourage my friends to not patronize a bar that I had a really bad experience in. I suppose you continue to give your money to businesses that treat you poorly too? In a capitalist society, what then is the proper response to extremely bad customer service? When did truthfully relating what happened to you become taboo?
And I promise you, I’m not popular enough for my criticism to make this place close down.
But yes, I’m one of those wackos who think there should be some kind of consequence to outrageously bad customer service. Like, I dunno, fewer customers.
And I’m also one of the wackos who truly wants to support my neighborhood businesses. So, if you read my comment carefully, you’ll see the parts where I indicated that I sincerely hoped that this place would be great.
It’s amazing how people can add their two-cents to an issue that they know absoutely nothing about. I make a sincere post about my unfortunate experience, and your response is to denigrate the “likes” of me and my wife. I can make a whole bunch of assumptions about you too. But I won’t.
So because you went there “multiple times” and had no issues with a horrible, obnoxious bartender, it therefore follows that no such incidents can possibly occur, right? And if it did, it’s obviously the fault of the patron, right? So you’d rather assume that your neighbors are assholes than actually accept the possibility that maybe, just maybe, your neighbor’s experience was actually off-putting? Logic isn’t your forte I see.
And Neighborhood Observer, I absolutely agree that “one unpleasant bartender doesn’t spoil the bar.” And as I said, the male bartender was cool. It was his female colleague, who I assumed was the owner b/c she had authority over him. He knew she was completely out-of-line but was powerless to do anything about it.
Indeed, now that I know that she is not the owner, I’ll give Mr. Staunton the benefit of the doubt and assume that he would not condone what happened. Maybe I’ll even return, provided she’s not there.
Chet raised a great, yet unanswered question. Who is John.
out of 75 coments about a better Sunnyside, John was the only anti!!!!!!
So, can the real John, comment posted below, please stand up, and identify yourself?
You have written that you ‘will be watching closly”.
Whom will will you be watching “closly” on behalf of?
In what capacity will you be watching ?
As a Resident?
As Store owner?
As Representative of Real estate interests?
other?
Please John, be brave, stand by your comments, !!!!!!
Tim
John
• 10:25 am
Its great to have plans. But I’m more interested in results. I will be watching closly.John
• 8:59 am
Weiner has a point. And I’m glad he has the balls to say it!
come on Time’s Up, why don’t you just lay out some details of this horrible, life changing experience the bartender put you and your wife through. It sounds like you’re going through some difficult times getting over it, so maybe talking about it will help.
In all seriousness, it’s kinda lame to hint at such a terrible experience that would put you on this mission, but to not provide details to that the people you’re trying to influence to not go there as to what exactly happened.
I gotta say, I hope Blooms, with its great beer selection and inviting atmosphere, becomes a trend here. Whenever I’m in there I see Ciaran running around making sure his guests are taken care of.
Huh. I’ve never been to Molly Blooms, but because of Time’s Up, I think I’d like to see what all the fuss is about!
Time’s Up, thanks for being truthful about your experience, I’m sorry it was awful and I’m sure Mr. Staunton is glad to know who in his employ is mistreating customers. It’s hard enough to earn money, it should always, always be a pleasure to spend it.
Exactly, I was going to mention that this guy doesn’t even share his anecdote of what actually happened in the bar. You’re right about one thing, your popularity will not help shut down Molly Blooms. Your post was juvenile and I called you out on it.
in my opinion as long as the drinks keep coming who cares what the bartender does.
Shop local, buy local sounds a grand idea – but there’s virtually no shopping in Sunnyside! It’s simply bedroom community for most of us who work in Manhattan. Pleasant and all, some okay places to eat and drink, but shopping – no. The biggest shops are the dollar discount stores! With all the talk about food shopping, most people in my building shop at Trader Joes, Gourmet Garage, etc in Manhattan where are prices are actually lower.
Maybe the new merchants group should take a long look at who actually lives in Sunnyside, what ithe median income is, what ithe actual unemployment rate is, what kind of disposable income do people actually have. Perhaps the neighborhood is not as affluent as many business owners and politicians want to believe. What exactly is the economic plan to entice new businesses?
And for all of Mr. Staunton’s forward-thinking, did Sunnyside really need another Irish-theme bar? Perhaps he should have taken his own advice and opened an art gallery himself.
A couple of months ago, a taxi driver picked me up at the airport and when I told him where I lived, he said he used to live in the same neighborhood, just two blocks from me. He moved away two years ago, but lived in Sunnyside for 15 years – and his take was that it has always been the same, businesses coming and going, the boulevard always noisy and dangerous, no change for better or worse even as the economy went up and down.
Angus Grieve Smith we can cleam out streets at night and solve that probem. We can have pick up fares on the side streets or under the train. We can free up parking on both sides of the blvd for shoppers and kill the meters.
we just started a new meter plan a few weeks ago a we both know and others. All our probloems can be fixed brammer is doing a great job I hope he run again. but we need to solve our business problem with rents and getting more shoppers here.
Basic marketing…we need banks to give us stimulus checks for our town and our rsidentse to spend money…we need town wide sale days many times a year. I would love to help with that. we need to be creative.
“Your post was juvenile and I called you out on it.”
Thanks again for the attention. And the fact that you actually think you “called me out” on something is adorable. And by the way, when people dis themselves it’s a sign of humility, so the whole “your popularity will not help shut down Molly Blooms,” was unnecessary (in addition to being nonsensical).
Anyway, your response to my original comment is plagued by two indisputable facts: (1) you have absolutely no idea who I am (and please leave my wife out of this); and (2) you have absolutely no idea what occurred.
So, instead of asking what happened, you decided instead to just insult me and my wife. We could be fuckin saints for all you know, and the bartender could be pure evil. But in your infinite wisdom, you just assume that I am the one who’s wrong. I don’t know if that qualifies as “juvenile,” but it is needlessly offensive and mean, as well as suffering from a logical failure.
Again, perhaps you enjoy being treated like shit and return to the offender for seconds. I, and most people I know, do not.
And if you would’ve just asked, I would’ve been happy to share. But I see you’re not very bright and would rather reflexively shit on your neighbor than accept the possibility that a drunken bartender can do something rude and offensive. So, I won’t bother – it’s too off-topic and nobody but you cares. You can read all about it on a pretty popular website though.
I’d love to shop locally but the stores here are awful except a couple new shops on Skillman. No decent food markets, no good specialty shops, just pawn shops, 99 cents stores, chain stores, and thrift/ junk shops.
Oh and yes PLEASE get rid of the livery cabs on 46 and queens Blvd.
We have the artisic group that uses queen of angles rectory too bad they cannot get a special discont and rent out stores on the blvd on the weekend and have an open gallery couple that we a few jazz concerts and we can keep our empty stores fulll and interesting with art and music and what ever we want.
Who likes that idea?
Ha! Sunnysider, you think removing the meters would free up parking for shoppers? No, the spaces would just be filled all day with the cars of merchants and their employees, and probably some residents.
The fact is that most shoppers in Sunnyside come on foot, by train or by bus. The main value in removing the rush hour parking restriction would be a safety one. By contrast, the livery stand is not a safety hazard.
Hold on while I get my violin.
this area is not manhattan. maybe someone can tell me the best places to shop in sunyside/woodside. guess what there are none.
Angus Grieve Smith how about an experiment with the blvd of death remove all traffic for a few houus on sat or sunday and see how freely our town will move about and shop like crazy because the safey issure will be gone.
I have been a resident of Sunnyside for over 30 years — I am only hoping & praying this does not become the next Brooklyn! The yuppies who couldnt afford Manhattan drove the long time residents out of Brooklyn because with their overinflated salaries…could pay more a LOT more. I already see the bugaboo strollers with new time residents and wanting their high end boutiques and markets…guess what? It is not going to work! If you lived here long enough with the mixed class of people, you would know about the actual crimes, and why storesfronts have the gates…whats the idea Ciarnan push them all out? Great idea a few more Irish Pubs along the blvd. High End Boutiques for a few select. We already have the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, BID and the great one and only Cathy Nolan. What we don’t need is another group to tear the Community apart and it seems to me you and Crowley have your own sweet agenda….hmmmmmm makes you wonder
Finally, someone willing to declare the truth. Thank you Susan.