AM New York had a good article this morning highlighting the burgeoning population of bank branches throughout the city. Just this past month the spot of the famous Second Avenue Deli was overtaken by a Chase Manhattan bank branch. The $33,000 a month rent had something to do with that. Banks can easily afford the ever-increasing prices to do business in the city, but local spots are not. Thanks to the high rents, New York is increasingly becoming more and more corporate.
From AM New York:
All told, 168 new bank branches opened in Manhattan in the years between 2000 and 2006, a 36 percent increase, according to state figures. This equates to four bank branches per 10,000 residents. The Bronx, by contrast, has just one bank branch per 10,000 residents.
"This growth is reflective of a strong economy," said Mike Smith, president of the New York Bankers Association, a trade group. "More branches mean more convenience, and this can only be viewed as a positive development."
But others see a booming bank presence as a threat to the city's character, and the latest signpost along the way to a bland, overly corporate New York.
"There is a difference between economic measures of vitality and social measures of vitality," said Rob Hollander, an East Village resident and activist. "There was a long time when we had few banks but a lot of art. Now there are a lot of banks, but is there a single artistic movement growing here?"
The New York of 2007 looks nothing like that of even ten years ago. Not only are banks sprouting up everywhere, many different corporate chains such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and now we even have the franchising of the Soup Nazi. When the "soup as art" spot that used to be on 55th and 8th Ave is being duplicated as a clean and hospitable chain all over the city (and now the nation) we don't have much to look forward to in terms of creativity.
The village was the heart of the counter-culture in the 60s, now it is becoming increasingly trendy. Don't get me wrong, I like Max Brenner's down on 2nd Ave in the East Village, but when is enough enough?
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