the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The “Ridgewood Guild” is an organization that, according to their website, is”dedicated to making Ridgewood a more enjoyable place to shop, dine, and visit.” The site also claims that they want to “create a better Ridgewood.”
Why, then, do President Tony Damiano and Vice President Tess Giuliani of the guild have a WITCH HUNT to try and stop a new business from succeeding? Besides being on the Guild, they are also members of the Historic Preservation Commission which is an ADVISORY body, with the keyword being ADVISORY. The HPC has zero authority, other than to give advice. Damiano and Giuliani argue loudly and regularly that the store color of this new business, Racefaster, must be changed. They state it at Village Council meetings and HPC meetings. They speak their opinions to anyone whose ear they can bend on the street. They use subjective and insulting words like “garish” and “gaudy” to describe the lovely warm shade of orange. They truly portray themselves as the arbiters of good taste which is, we all know, completely subjective and open to many opinions. The orange, by the way, is not an arbitrary color; it is the company’s color used at all their locations. Many other businesses in the Central Business District have brightly colored facades and awnings. And towns that are way way older than Ridgewood (which is only 125 years old) have gorgeous brightly colored stores. AND… the HPC did ok their color choice, even if not by a unanimous vote. Remember, they are only advisory, not a policy-making body.
It is truly sickening that an organization that wants to improve Ridgewood is doing everything in its power to squash the success of a new business. Damiano and Giuliani should be ashamed of themselves. I hope the good folks at Racefaster know that these two self-important individuals do not in any way represent the good folks of this town.
Orange is wrang (wrong) for Ridgewood’s CBD. Spoils the historic architectural appearance. So forget about it already. If a business thinks they cannot succeed without having a loud garish appearance ; they probably cannot succeed anyway.
I am sickened that anyone would try to prevent a business from succeeding. This color was APPROVED, they did nothing wrong in painting it. And a-holes like the Guild members and the first commenter here should get over it.
But they have no trouble with the garish walls (built with someone’s approval) in Greece?
Perhaps Racefaster refused to join The Ridgewood Guild?
Does damiano pay property tax in Ridgewood?
Its Greek to me is bright blue. Lisas Mediterranean is red and gold. Jekyll and Hyde is green Let’s face it, there is plenty of color on Ridgewood stores but for some reason these two do not like the organge Racefaster. It is disgusting how this new business is being treated and it is certainly not reflective of a newcomer should be welcomed to town.
Where in Greece ? at the Parthenon?
What colors do they have in Iceland?
We should always copy what others are doing!! Hey, hey!! that is what Bill Gates did. That is why he is so rich. Never have your own standards. Your own ideas.
Always follow the loud garish empty people; Way to success. And beauty. Ridgewood CBD is beautiful; keep it that way. Wanna be loud and garish; go find another town.
Why do you insist on mucking up Ridgewood CBD. Because you think you will attract $$$$$$ people. Well, I am not buying. Go find another town; there are plenty of them. The rich here don’t want you.
I think it’s extremely smart in business. You need to use color to attract the shop resign. Smart advertising works. And the village needs more color thank you. And if some of you stop crying what a bunch of crybabies. I need to get out of your bo I think it’s extremely smart in business. You need to use color to attract the shop reside. Smart advertising works. And the village needs more color thank you. And if some of you stop crying what a bunch of crybabies. I need to get out of your Bubble! Some of you try to dictate what Nazis.
Maybe people just don’t like what they don’t understand.
Denise Pima is another one who is fighting against this new business. What a bunch of nastinseess
Damiano said that it wasn’t approved. That they all voted no except Susan and Melanie. What is the truth?
Home Depot, Amazon, Dunkin Donuts, FedEx, etc. Orange is a power color, and seems rather friendly to me. It’s not like the storefront is painted in stripes or graffiti or a pattern that is hard on the eyes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Ridgewood and every other town should celebrate and encourage variety in storefront colors.
The color is BAD…. but the GINORMOUS Garage is OK.
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OK. Right.
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these people are so screwed up.
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Home Depot , dunkin donuts etc in bright colors, HIGHWAY STORES, to let you see them as you are whizzing down the highway. I think highways are supremely depressing and ugly. I like it when there are only trees and woods on the side of the highway….open space. I used to get filled with anxiety as I saw more and more open space destroyed by all the crap stores. I don’t know about you; but I take care of all of my stuff and I never needed to buy very much even raising a family. I hate stores. But now, hey, I am resigned to the fact that wildlife and plants and trees and butterflies and bees and climate , is destroyed.
The CBD is not a highway. And ya know what. I am desensitized to the loud colors. Not attracted. I will avoid a store that is loud colors. Barnes & Noble isn’t loud. Steinway and Sons isn’t loud.
WGARA
I agree with Who Gives A Rats Ass. The color is fine. Why the hell does anyone want to stymie someone’s new business? Bunch of losers. Move on
Amen people. And amen if Susan and Melanie voted in favor.
The crew against this have so much agenda stinking them up.
What do they want to see??? The whole town Lilly white??
Tony damiano should check out his chatcki shop and maybe clean up how dumpy it is.
He’s the tackiest Sheila around.
Who is Tony Damino
Now someone is suggesting we need to avoid pink too? Give me a BREAK. Let’s paint the town colorful
Ridgewood, NJ – “A Village in Turmoil”
Here’s an idea: let’s lobby the counsel members to change the building code so that all structures (houses, businesses, everything) must be black and white. That solves the problem… 🙂
Times change and lord knows we have more important things to worry about. But can we let Tito’s now go back to the original color that they wanted?
Color is permitted on accents/moldings of buildings – so they can highlight orange, just like J&H use green. This is the ordinance, period. If this town continues to allow variations (zoning, planning, HPC) than why have the ordinances. It’s a compromise – why does this town need to be all or nothing?
For the people that think 3 feet of white paint will make a business unsuccessful, than they have bigger and better problems. Who decides to shop at a store because of the color of the building. What market research study have you been reading or smoking? Oddly enough, their logo/brand (two green running figures across an orange looking road/path) isn’t even on their storefront. THAT’s what resonates with people. Like the Nike logo . So if the store wants to be successful, that’s what they need to be advertising and it can go on the corner of the building against a white background … helping to solve the problem not call people names
It’s true that this is the first year that Racefaster have not renewed with the guild, so you do the math on the guilds motivation. Tony certainly comes off as a hyprocrite, telling the guys at Racefaster that he “has no problem with it”, while doing everything in his power to shut it down. Is it sour grapes? Tony has been trying to sell his business for years and although Racefaster is bright, at least it’s new and clean versus the eyesore of Tony’s dilapidated store .
Like it or hate it, Racefaster is trying to do their best in a struggling town. They have three mall locations so they certainly can pull up stakes if they choose to, but they don’t. Their loyalty to the town is written all over their store – literally everything in their stores are named after streets and in Ridgewood. They employ several ridgewood residents and they support many local events in town.
The same people complaining about the orange store will complain about the empty store fronts, and complain about the developments, and complain about the garage, and complain about the taxes and on and on.