No, there are no plans for a WalMart to be built in the neighborhood (that we know of). However, with all of the buzz and opposition coming to the proposed "neighborhood market" concept store in Lakeview, we're curious if WalMart would be welcomed or opposed to our neighborhood up here in the north. Vote in the poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Your source for news, events, and information about Chicago's Edgewater & Andersonville neighborhoods
Monday, May 2, 2011
WalMart in Edgewater/Andersonville?
No, there are no plans for a WalMart to be built in the neighborhood (that we know of). However, with all of the buzz and opposition coming to the proposed "neighborhood market" concept store in Lakeview, we're curious if WalMart would be welcomed or opposed to our neighborhood up here in the north. Vote in the poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
32 comments:
My other comment didn't seem to go through. I am opposed to this. Walmart is a magnet for trash and crime. A recent study found that target is cheaper than wal mart. Why ruin our neighborhood? It is bad enough we have an aldi. Some of the people that shop there have no regard for other people or community. Shoes, garbage and even car seats are left out in the parking garage where the aldi is. Walmart is just as bad and they don't care if it is dirty. Target at least keeps their garage and store clean and it is a much more pleasant shopping experience. Wal mart only has 3 out of 20 lanes open and the wait is awful. No no no no no!!
I have no plans to now, but would absolutely move out of Edgewater if a Walmart set-up here.
No thank you!
www.peopleofwalmart.com
Take a look, tell me if THOSE are the kind of people that don't ALREADY live in Edgewater. Ha.
I'd think about moving too. Kill me please if there is a Walmart across the street from my home. A) It would ruin the neighborhood by driving out the small businesses we cherish and B) It would bring in hella "interesting" characters - see itonyathome lol
Can we organize protests against this sort of activity? As property owners, renters and small business owners, we should have a say in what types of establishments open in our neighborhoods. :(
In the words of Scottie Pippen, "HAY-yell NO!"
we should have a say in what types of establishments open in our neighborhoods.
I agree, however what about all the "junk" stores in and around the Bryn Mawr red line stop and then all up and down broadway? How many places that sell cheap knock off Fub-like products, fishnet stockings, a ukellees (spelling?), cheap plastic crap, and other sundries does one REALLY need, when we can just have ONE Wal-mart to put them all out of business?
I believe the point I am trying to make with this post, and the one about Peopleofwalmart.com, is that we ALREADY have "crazy", "homeless," "trashy" and "tragic" even without a Wal-mart. Building a Wallyworld would just drive most of the smaller and junkier stores to close and give all the Crazy a "headquarters" if you will to hang out at.
Contin...
Meanwhile, Target being practically around the block (cemetery) from Andersonville has not destroyed the small town atmosphere, or shut down the smaller mom and pop stores. They seem to be thriving. Sure some have shut down, but many more have moved in, even in a toilet economy.
Where to PUT the wal-mart would be the problem. Land? What land? Sure, I can see one going in off Lincoln by Lincolnshire, or MAYBE on Western where one of the old car dealership closed. But that is far away from Edgewater enough that
a)we wont really see the tax benefit
b)there is enough crazy to go around out there we wont notice
c)our own Edgewater crazies wont be able to afford the bud ride down peterson to make all that big of difference, keeping those tiny Crap-stores in business and the Crazy walking around trying to Hook a John or ask for your spare change.
Finally...
Now. What we DO need, and what we DO have room for are smaller chains. I could see a Potbelly at the Bryn Mawr red line stop. Maybe a Caribou. Add in a couple more MOm and Pop stores that DONT sell Fubu, and perhaps a Trader Joes in one of the abandoned theaters along broadway and THAT would elevate Edgewater.
Greatings EdgeAndersonwatervillites,
On Granville between Sheridan and Broadway there are four mini-food-marts and one store that sells cheap wigs, pantyhose, and polyester cheeta-print blankets. While I support and encourage smaller businesses such as Metropolis, M. Henietta, Bannanas Foster, Fig Media, Computer Den, and Summer I'm not opposed to the idea larger chains moving in. I'm not talking about Walmart specifically. Just in the general sense. A neighborhood that has a good balance of large and small businesses is economically healthy.
Besides, those "degenerates" that shop at Aldi (I shop there, thank you very much) already live in the neighborhood.
Our community is what WE make of it regardless of what the name on the building is. Those who oppose larger business moving in, whether it's a Walmart or any other store, because they feel it will degrade the neighborhood need to ask themselves, "what have I done to make this a better place? What is my impact on those around me? Who have I helped lately?" Write your answers down and compare those answers to those businesses and entities you feel are bad.
Paul
15 Year Edgewater Resident
Paul, you're spot on with your assessment. WE are the communtiy, not the eateries, the boutiques, the retailers - they are more of a reflection of commercial real estate values and overall capitalism.
If you want less junk retail, call your local and federal representatives and advocate for either a tariff on Chinese imported goods, or at least an import tax. Most of all, you yourself could stop buying only the lowest priced items and/or taking your business from locally owned enterprises to corporate owned ventures because you got a better price from them. Simple economics of scale apply, and obviously someone buying for 100 stores is going to be able to deliver the product cheaper than someone buying for 1 or 2. Sure, in a perfect world, we could all buy locally and smaller retailers would be thriving; that unfortunately is becoming increasingly unrealistic in addition to being an unworkable business model.
We can't keep kvetching every time someone with a plan that could actually bring some revenue to our neighborhood via tax dollars as we will lose whatever opportunities may lay for us as a community in the future. I for one find that not only shortsighted but reprehensible, as we will have eventually forestalled progress for idealism, and will have caused our own blight.
I like to see the plans and then make a judgement. NY has brought in the 1st Walmart Boutique and Edgewater has an Aldi and Target boutique store. I would think Target is more of a retail threat to take away business from a mom and pop, Walmart is Walmart. People said the world would implode if Aldi's at 6000 Broadway would come and yet life continues. Unless the businesses have another view point, I'm inclined to wait and see the plans and the planning before I vote yea or nay.
Are you kidding me? Aldi is thriving as students,yuppies,hipsters,the elderly,etc all go there. It's not some huge store so Edgewater didn't die because it moved in there, if anything it helped.Get off your high horse and move back to bufu land where you came from. Someone was right to say look at all those stores on Broadway, they are fub-like products.
Seeing a lot of comments that reek of "Not in my backyard". I too was sadly disappointed to learn Aldi was going on Bway, instead of the rumored trader Joes (although TJ's owns Aldi, so perhaps not too much a stretch of the truth...), but it has not destroyed my neighborhood (2 streets West). If well placed, a small-Mart could help economically, and actually help the lower income people (who live here already) buy food they need, cheaper (I'm not opposed to that either...WalMart carries organic, and I can actually put money away toward retirement instead of spending $8 for a gal or organic milk at the store across from Dominicks). Biggest issue is traffic flows. Perhaps that eyesore Edgewater Hospital?
And a lot of those smaller businesses selling crap...many of them were here first before most of us would have considered Edgewater. Bryn Mawr had a Woolworth and crappy stores 20 yrs ago; now there's frou frou desserts. I walk down Granville daily, past the eyesores of the Anvil, Gerber Hart, the Human Hair junk store, and reality is, they were here 10 yrs ago when I moved in. Now, I may want them to clean up or get out, but that's my snobbery. Why do we think we have a right to complain they are there? Because we're not "keepin' it real" in Edgewater; we're hoping for gentrification. Be honest.
I really like the idea of Wal Mart at the Edgewater Hospital, in fact (yes, sorry to those who live up against it). The quality of groceries in A'ville is appalling for the most part. Wal Mart has better groceries than Jewel in my experience.
Such appalling suburbanite mentalities so many posters here seem to have. The so-called "junk-shops," whether you like them or not, are all small, family-run businesses.
Basically, if you people want to live in Lincoln Park, MOVE to Lincoln Park. If you want to live in Schaumburg, MOVE to Schaumburg - you'll get all the cutesie, sanitized, character-free, cookie-cutter chain stores you can handle, and the rest of us will be well rid of you.
Also, to Hopped Up, you might want to try the Devon Market on Devon or Edgewater Produce on Clark.
Trader Joe's does not own Aldi's, Trader Joe's is owned by the family trust of one of two brothers who used to co-own Aldi's in Germany. The two brothers split Aldi's in Germany in half, geographically, and the brother who doesn't own Trader Joe's started an offshoot in the United States, also called Aldi's. Then, the other brother bought a chain called Trader Joe's from the founder Joe.
So, two chains (in the US), owned by two brothers, with no overlapping ownership. There, aren't you glad I made that clear?
Nice "liberal" neighbors we have in this area of the city. Move if you want. No one is holding a gun to your heads to keep you here.
Now we are going to have Walgreens in Andersonville at old paint store location and have Akira (sp?)
What is next Dominicks or CVS?
No one is holding a gun to your heads to keep you here.
Well... we ARE having guns held to our heads... but not to keep us here. Just for our wallets to buy drugs and guns and cigs...
I love the posts by people like this guy:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/sometimes-i-feel-like-im-the-only-one-trying-to-ge,11249/
Entertaining comments! I especially like the ones that sound like this guy:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/sometimes-i-feel-like-im-the-only-one-trying-to-ge,11249/
Sorry for the double post! Yeah, I have multiple accounts. Got 'em mixed up ...
I live in the building that the aldi is located in. Everyday when I drive through the parking garage it is filled with garbage. Yesterday, I saw a tire. I am not saying every person that shops there is bad. My husband shops there on occasion. I am just saying that the garage is covered in litter. I have also been in parking garages where a Trader Joes is located, they are much much cleaner. The clientele is much different. I have to deal with the people who shop at aldi ignoring the signs and parking in the driveway leading up to our garage. I have had to honk for long periods of time because they block the entire driveway. That is my problem with aldi. The amount of garbage left in the garage is astounding. Boxes, wrappers, McDonald food bags tossed out of the car. Yesterday, I saw a mom with her child. The child handed her mom a wrapper and the mom tossed it on the ground. That is exactly the kind of thing that happens at walmart. I am from a suburb. When a walmart opened up, it put independent grocery stores out of business. I, for one, do not want to see that happen. I do not want a place for all the crazies to hang out. As someone who has experienced what this can do to a community, I am against it. I understand why some people would be for it. I do. I suggest taking a trip to just about any wal mart that has been around for a few years. They start out nice looking, but end up filthy and smelling slightly of urine. I guess that is something we would be used to for anyone who has been on the EL. ;)
SummerFreckles, I would complain to the store manager of Aldi's. Whenever I see the graffiti on the back wall of the Walgreens at Glenlake& Broadway, I go in and tell the store manager(very nice woman) and the next time I go there, it's gone. Actually, I call on any graffiti I see and have been surprised at the response time.
I think letting the store managers know about something, besides maybe getting it fixed, lets them know that we, in the community, are paying attention. They can't fix what they don't know is broken. Just a thought.
As far as the mother teaching her child it's ok to litter, I have seen CPD litter as well. We seem to have lost all sense of manners and respect:( Very frustrating.
NOOOOOO Walmart! Keep your traffic out of my neighborhood you BIG-BOX'D-BULLY of a mom n pop killer! I'm a great proponent of new development where there are gaps but not of this nature. I'm sure all of the major chains are eying that HUGE lot on Broadway just north of Foster. Think it was once a funeral home. Does anyone know anything about this property?
To: "itonyathome"
"
I could see a Potbelly at the Bryn Mawr red line stop. Maybe a Caribou.
"
This is a joke right?
It has to be.
You know what I want less than a Walmart in Edgewater?
The suburbs moving into Edgewater.
Why worry about Walmart. If it takes as long as Nookies, we won't see it in our lifetime.
To be clear - there are no plans for Walmart to come to the Edgewater/Andersonville area.....
We simply posted this hypothetical to get people's opinion since Walmart does appear to be trying to break into the City (Lakeview, south side). There have been some great discussions and viewpoints!
I'm not worried about Wal-Mart. But thinking about new stores does make me wonder about our historic opposition to chains. One of the negatives of such opposition is that we do have more than our share of marginal, dirty, poor-selection, dusty-merchandise, overpriced little dingy shops and lots of gaps in what's available in this area. And too many street-level stores occupied by professional offices or other non-foot-traffic businesses. Not to mention empty places. Very depressing to walk on Devon around Lakewood, or Broadway around Rosemont. A lot of nothing to attract anyone. And it still takes a bus trip to find a decent greeting card, or men's clothing, or...
If I can buy a rifle there and hunting gear I'm in! I can hunt down suburbanites for beerrecorder, shoot someone if they litter at Aldis and most of all snipe watch out for mothers who teach their children to litter, OMG what have we come to? I taught my children the good things like how to roll my cigarettes and make my martinis. Litter never.
Post a Comment