>Downtown shopping districts have changed dramatically over the decades. What was once known as the ‘hub’ of great shopping towns had gradually dispersed to the malls. The great seasonal sales with long lines of shoppers waiting for doors to open in downtown shop areas of Ridgewood, Hackensack and Paterson have disappeared. The department stores of the Meyer Brothers, Quackenbush, Sealfons, MacHugh, many jewelry stores and specialty shops are gone from the downtowns, and they’re not coming back. The retail trend has been the malls and highways, location and variety that draws foot traffic and free parking.
Heard a few shop owners moved out of CBD to nearby towns, because of the high rents in Ridgewood. Its well known, the rents drove out the smaller specialty merchants in the 70’s, in 80’s recession and 90’s even greater mall expansions. Its not just in the CBD, the retail sector in general has been hit hard with the current economy, some large chains closed locations and offer online shopping to cut overhead. With the closing of shops in small towns and also as malls struggle, small stores come and go there too, will our only option become the virtual online shopping? I hope not. The parking meters are a deterrent, people have to hope they have change in their pockets, if they keep them, roll back the meter fees, the increase was not the right thing to do.
