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Problems in Ridgewood’s CBD it’s more than just Parking

Ridgewood CBD

January 28,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Check this article out – Englewood has over 2000 parking spaces available, including a 345 space garage, many new, upscale downtown housing developments, and still stores are closing. It has nothing to do with the lack of parking or limited foot traffic/customer availability; it’s the changing face of retail merchandising in America.

Shopping habits have changed dramatically, it going to take more than parking to keep the downtown prospering.

https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2017/01/in_bergen_county_an_upscale_downtown_struggles_for_answers.html#incart_river_index

13 thoughts on “Problems in Ridgewood’s CBD it’s more than just Parking

  1. Many long timers seem to be opposed to nail salons, restaurants, banks, and other providers of amenities/services renting space in our CBD. But, these types of business are currently in vogue – retail is dying a slow death.

  2. The main thing to understand is that the real need for parking is for commuters. We let the Exxon station next to MacMurphy’s become a bank and now Ken Smith has slipped out of our grasp. Those two lots would have solved ALL THE PROBLEMS.

  3. Restaurants and hair/nail places are probably the only types of businesses that will have any future in a suburban setting. Everything else is either gone or in the process of going. Banks are slowly migrating to online only and I predict will have no brick-and-mortar presence 10 years from now.

  4. @1:07,agree the real need is for commuters but buying those two lots would never solve the problem. Fact is, we could never meet the demand of every commuter if they decided to drive. Even at 1k each the train passes are sold out. And do we want to build massive garages for that purpose anyway? The beauty of a commuter town is that you can walk, get a ride or ride share to the train or hop on a bus more locally. If you want to drive and park by a station, Ridgewood has never been that town. Not sure how changing that will help our downtown, the stores or anything else for that matter?

    And retail is dead. Services are where the money is.

  5. 1:38, it’s 1:07. I was not suggesting any garages at all–just flat parking. Those lots are enormous. For decades, people quietly rented spots behind the Exxon station and took the train. I did it once or twice maaaaany years ago when I had to take a train but couldn’t find any spaces with 12-hour meters. This was before we had the free resident parking stickers.

  6. 4:08 all very valid comments..however the 1000 train station parking passes caper was a screw job test as to who the new sheriff was and the Wall Street highlanders took the bait.Very bad precedent when we have a town that sees basic parking as a revenue base to jack up a basic function rate to the highest bidder..let out the names of the Main Street up for Bid like everything else it seems is fee based.the loss of 12 Hour coin parking for commuters was the beginning of a who new agenda by the Aronsohn and some of the current VC,

    The Doomed Garage is a red herring which permits the circular debate to continue on the merry go round here,Many have said screw it and are on the Bus.many Wall Street and midtown firms are heading to the west side Hudson Yards where the Bus is a very viable option..no stores to support on bus stops south of town.

  7. I do not commute to NYC so naturally I do not see commuter parking as the main problem for the CBD.

    Online shopping has cut into the sales at Macy’s, Sears and other large dept stores. They and a lot of other retailers will be closing stores. This business dynamic is hurting local stores and large retailers.

    What brings shoppers to town? Maybe it is time to do a CBD survey.

    People now come to eat and run errends. I do not buy clothing in town. I go to the post office, bagle store, and drug store. I may not go often but the shoe repair shop is a godsend. I have lunch and dinner in town (not at the restaurants that were aggressively lobbying for the garage). BYOB makes great restaurants affordable.

    I don’t know if you can draw shoppers back to town. The malls are having a difficult time keeping customers.

  8. Ridgewood is a destination. If you park them they will come. Parking is not just for commuters. It’s for restaurant goers, shoppers and patrons of other businesses. But sadly that ship has sailed. So Ridgewood’s reputations as the town with no parking will continue to proliferate, drivers will continue circling as pedestrians continue having accidents, and the types of businesses we would like to attract will avoid us without assurance of parking for customers. Lack of forward thinking is keeping us locked in a past that is no longer viable and now the damage is beginning to show as businesses leave town. Ridgewood is not a mall, and we should not equate failing Macy’s or Sears with Ridgewood’s CBD, which offers a completely different experience of boutique shops and specialty stores, restaurants and pretty park. I don’t come to town to get my shoes fixed or my nails done. I come to Ridgewood because it’s a nice place to go. The parking garage was a good idea, the study was done, the plans were made – it should have moved forward.

  9. Nice try 11:45 former Gorilla tactics failed..start a company and bond the garage yourself on Private land..good luck..towns taxpayers have enough crap on our plates already to take on your restaurant owners agenda.

  10. 2:31 I think it’s Guerilla not Gorilla lol. We have nothing on our plates but education, education and more education. Maybe we can start funding something that benefits the rest of us. And I have no agenda for restaurants or otherwise. I’m just a regular homeowner and taxpayer here 25 years who would like to see some progress in much needed areas such as parking and housing.

  11. @11:45, other downtowns that are also destinations are struggling too, and they HAVE parking. Englewood, Summit, Westfield, even Glen rock. Retail as we knew it no longer exists and while many think banks and nail salons are low end businesses, services are what will keep town alive. BYOB’s are great but I think town can actually handle a couple more liquor licenses. We need to give people more reasons to come to town and shop around.

    Re: housing, high density housing that is not age restricted at all will only hurt our taxes. Even without age restrictions, 12-18 units/acre was permissible under the old master plan and if not for the developers seeking every inch Arohnson would throw their way, would have been built already.

  12. Paid $750 last year for a resident parking pass. Always found a parking spot at the either the Train Station, Chestnut or Hudson lots. Bought a $1000 RPP this year to have the same available lot options. Have yet been able to find spots in any of those lots since many of the spaces are now for shoppers. I am relegated to parking at the municipal lot on Walnut which is the furthest from the station. The plan to convert spaces from commuter to shopper spots was never brought up when I wrote my check in December. If this is the strategy going forward I guess we will have to vote in favor of a parking garage.

  13. Commuters get screwed by the VoR Council. Not only did we lose our commuter tax break, we now have to pay an extra $250 a year for the now $1000 RPP for a parking space further away from the station. Meanwhile, anti-development zealots post pictures of empty parking spaces midweek during the work day – are you doing this to rub it in? We’re in NYC not Ridgewood at 1:00pm on a Monday, sorry. And as the poster above correctly points out, this Council’s plan to convert spaces from commuter to shopper spots was never brought up when commuters wrote their checks for a parking space in December.

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