When I first started to dabble in real estate many years ago, first as an investor and eventually as a realtor to better integrate into my hometown community away from Madison Avenue, I remember so clearly the questions my first buyer client asked about my town: “Does it have a Starbucks? And how close is it to a Costco?”
At that time, we didn’t have a Starbucks or a Costco, and my prospect decided eventually not to move to my area of specialization in upper Westchester and, while she never disclosed her reason, I did wonder whether it was the lack of a Starbucks and a Costco. As it happens she bought in Connecticut close to, you guessed it, Costco’s.
By way of disclosure, almost 10 years later, I was contacted by the developer for Costco asking if my PR firm -- my original gig -- could set up an information program for the company as it wends its way through the approval process to set up shop in my hometown, Yorktown. Because I am a firm believer in intelligent and responsible commercial development which I know Costco represents, I agreed.
With that disclosure out of the way, I can say that I have worked with many towns in my region where I sell real estate, hanging around town halls and following community news online, and each seems to have a personality built on the way the town chooses to develop its commercial areas.
In the Hudson Valley region served by Patch, we have both exclusive communities with quaint downtown areas for shopping (Chappaqua, Pleasantville, and Katonah for instance) but more often than not, we have bedroom communities that offer shopping at malls, as in Yorktown.
In my town, there has not had a single major commercial project in almost 30 years, while another town just to the west of us, Cortlandt, has been thriving with commercial opportunities that my town turned down.
At the same time, to the east of my town is another community, Somers, where many of the people I know there say that they feel “isolated” when it comes to their shopping needs, and perhaps some prefer it that way, but it seems that the majority does not.
New research shows that options for shopping may be more a determinant for community choice than even schools. A survey conducted recently by Coldwell Banker shows that the first three features home buyers consider when buying a home are: the condition of the home, followed by opportunities for good shopping nearby, and coming in third, concern about schools.
I was surprised by that. Maybe it’s because I’m not the shopper in my family. It’s my wife who loves shopping in all its guises, and while I have rarely been inside a big box store, I do love it when she finds a special brand of baked goods at BJs, like its wonderful Mudslide Brownies that I’m sure would win a culinary contest in its category. Now, I’m anxious to see what kind of special, quality products she will find in our newest commercial outlet in town.
Shoppers and shopping are fascinating studies. At a recent public hearing devoted to the Costco development, a citizen expressed concern about what would happen to BJ’s if Costco is just diagonally across the road from it. Interestingly, studies have shown that when a Costco revitalizes a commercial area, all the other businesses do better. And in fact, the owner of the BJ’s shopping center has gone on record as welcoming Costco to our town.
And, our local appliance store owner, Rich Leahy of Atlantic Appliance, supports the development saying that he’s not concerned with competition, and what retailers should worry about today is competing with online shopping.
And in that vein, it’s interesting to think about the new online shopping as a revival of the shop-at-home concept developed at the turn of the last century by Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward catalogues. Are you old enough to remember?
Bill Primavera is a licensed Realtor® associated with Coldwell Banker and a lifestyles columnist who writes regularly as The Home Guru. For those seeking advice on home maintenance or who want to buy or sell a home, visit his website, www.PrimaveraHomes.com, or call him directly at 914-522-2076.
I'm looking for a house for my family. I don't care about whether it has four bedrooms. Nor does it matter whether it's on a quiet street so my children will be safe. In fact, a four-lane highway might be better as you'll soon understand. And style, schmile. A sleek glass-walled contemporary will do me just as well as a charming 1810 Colonial. Price, no problemo. Nah, nor I don't care what the taxes are, nor for that matter, which school district it's in. Let's cut to the chase about what really matters in my hunt for the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood. My two absolute musts: It must be within 3.5 miles of a Starbucks and no more than five miles from a Costco. And don't bother to tell me that there's BJ's nearby. That simply won't pass the sniff test. Now that you have this crucial information in hand, I look forward to seeing all the great houses you can show me. Sincerely, A Prospective Client Who Has Her Priorities Clear
And when it opens its doors it will be as outdated as any fortress: a monument to a dying way of life. The internet has already spelled the death knell for this kind of thing. Ask your kids how they shop these days: the best deals are online, and it gets delivered to your door within days. Sure, it will attract a lot of visitors in the near future; the traffic is going to be a nightmare. Except for the four lanes they've built right in front of their development. But proper planning means taking the long term into account; and the chances are excellent that we'll be left with a deserted, decaying mausoleum, a monument to the 20th century. You don't think so? It's already happening -- just drive around and you'll see plenty of desolate reminders of the fate of big box retailing. Some will survive, of course -- but not if you can get the same thing online.
-Katonah, NY 7 Billion, Meet up group
The bigger issue, underlying this post, and which the proponents of the planned Costco trumpet, is that Yorktown should attract stores which in turn will attract people from a wide area. Think about that for a minute. Yes, there is the implied benefit of more local jobs and additional tax revenue, but are we not selling the rural, small town atmosphere that attracts people to the town and which defines its character (and surely appeals to most home buyers!) for more traffic, more homogeneity and the kind of regional center that has evolved in places like Danbury and Tarrytown? I for one would have not chosen to come here had that been the case. Bottom line: I need to shop like everyone else, but I don't want to live in a place that is defined by its shopping. Or needs to attract outsiders to survive.
Too you both I say please move. I say that because you should not live in a place that does not live up to your expectations. It is better to be happy, since life really is short and you should be happy, and I truly mean that. We have some people I suspect are the same person who feel COSTCO and the like are overpopulating the Earth. OK that was amusing and creepy if nothing else. Johnathan, you speak of a quaint small Town. I would like you to go here: http://giswww.westchestergov.com/gismap/. You will find a Westchester map , and take note of Yorktown, Click on Yorktown and you can see aerial maps from 1927 onward. Also see how far you have to zoom in to find the COSTCO site in Yorktown. Have you really taken a good look at Danbury? OK, we have a post or two about historic Revolutionary era homes being bulldozed and none of you seem to care, these homes are the truly Historic quaint things you say you want, but nobody responded. Is there a shortage of center hall Colonials with brick veneer in Yorktown? Not a word from any of you. That is tunnel vision.
I'm surprised you're so stridently pro Costco; you seem so reasonable otherwise. If you "zoom into that area" on a GIS map, you'll see that the site is 4 separate lots with for distinct uses. The simple act of combining those lots runs contrary to the comprehensive plan. It's too deep a discussion to have in the comments, Bob. I hope we get the chance to meet in person on the 29th.
Plans have come and gone, business after business was turned away or just gave up. When the guy opened the Coffee shop which became Starbucks put up the Antique pedestal clock it was an issue, a Clock!!! People would come to School Board meetings with grandiose plans for this and that. We had no cash, leaks in every roof, leaking oil tanks, a wall in the High School that was literally separating from the building, did I mention no cash. We squeaked a bond through and got the emergencies fixed. This is a big Town, maybe too big and too clumsy. COSTCO and I mean this is a nothing issue. I say that because this Town is so big it can absorb this speck on the map, and if you are 1/4 mile from it, you will never know it was there. I have lived in Scarsdale which is a manufactured Town. I know people in Edgemont that has Central Ave running through it.and it is a nothing issue. Old Army Rd, $1m+ homes runs parallel to Central, you would never know Central was there. If COSTCO goes through and they make money, money follows money. More of the stores you lust after will want to come here. You know I am very pro open space, anti high density housing. I actually want what all of you want and maybe more.
Second: Bill, wouldn't you prefer to see our housing market bloom because of all the six fig jobs in our local area? Coscto/Starbucks, whatever, won't bring them. Not now, not ever. Third: General question I've asked before, why can't York/Peek/Cort/ Somers too for that matter, put down their city/town borders for a moment and get together and lobby to bring in professional jobs, which in turn grows everyone's local shop? Since Bill mentioned Coldwell's research, listen to this: Demographics of the next gen say most definitely, and clearly describe the future ''community'' as smaller, tight, walk to work/store/school, drive very little, but be able to tap a larger city. Bingo, that is us! All of us, just 40 min away from NYC. Lets put the big box, cheap labor stuff on hold and start building our communities with real, sustainable jobs and companies that stay, so that 10 and 20 yrs from now we are all patting ourselves on the back for having the foresight for improving everyone's quality of life in York/Peek/Cort/Soms. Then - we can see whether or not we still need a Coscto.
You willing to offer major Tax breaks for them to move in? Where are they getting the capital to start up. What about the mass transit? Dreaming is great and then you wake up.
Peekskill for certain has at least one paid employee who is suppose to be doing the work you just asked me to do. He makes $100K, has city, county and state databases and research to tap for free -- and I have nothing of that nature making $50K for 80hrs a week and no vacation since 2003. York/Cort./Som may have that headcount too, I do not know, nor did you elect me to find out. Chose to sit there laughing at dreams; just don't cry the day Costco opens and feeds the nightmare with $8per hr jobs, because no one thought first to tap the resources, data, political power and knowledge that are already flourishing here.