It was an early morning last week as I stumbled from my house a few blocks south to get my morning mud fix. As I exited Dunkin Donuts and the first dose of caffeine slipped into my system the haze lifted from my retinas and revealed the candy stripes of the iconic 24/7 mainstay of quickie marts.
Just across the street from DD’s on Manhattan and Greenpoint Ave is a fresh new 7 Eleven. And, it looks like it will be opening real soon based on the number of workers inside and the progress they have made each day since my discovery. Now, before you all get crazy and start panning the chain store gentrification of Greenpoint, let’s take a moment to reflect on a few positives this might have.
1. Memories. Yes, that’s right who hasn’t stolen a random kiss in a Sev-O’s parking lot on a late Saturday night after sneaking out of their parents house to grab a six pack and meet up with friends. Ok, maybe that’s a bit of LI talking. But urbanize that and you have a similar story.
2. One word. Slurpees.
3. When you fall out of Blackout bar at 4am and need something to eat that does not require a 45 min wait at the horrific McDonald’s on the corner or Grnpt and Manhattan where do you go? Nowhere. Now you go across the street and have you pick of terribly delicious post drinking snacks.
4. Two words. Big Gulp
5. Last but not least. No locks on the doors. Consistency is the mainstay of variety. Allow us millions of options and then feed it to us with availability 24/7 and we, as Americans I mean, are in our happy box. Think a 24 hour Duane Reade when you need toothpaste. You could sit there from 3am to 4am just deciding if you want tarter control or flavored paste. But, hey, that’s another post.
So, give it a peek. Perhaps we hold a grand opening, flash mob and try and empty the Slurpee machine in under an hour. Stay tune for details 🙂
My main beef is the squeeze this puts on our other bodega friends – personally, when I'm drunk and it's late there's no need for thought, the answer is always "God Bless big oozing falafel sandwich"
To each his own. There's a good chance that, as it still is with the Starbucks, I'll never set foot in the place.
But if it keeps your Blackout crowd out of the way and shortens the line so I can more quickly get my 4 am Philly cheese steak at the Greenpoint Deli, or a gyro or falafel at God Bless, OK… enjoy your microwave-heated frozen bagel.
The hysterical thing is the local Greenpointers I've spoken to (born and raised here and used to visiting family in Queens & Long Island) are looking forward to it.
Personally, I don't consider 7-11 "gentrification". And I also don't consider 7-11 food edible. So while I *will* be drinking me some Slurpees I'll refrain from the taquitos.
Yep, Justine, I'm sure that if a 7-11 had opened here ten years ago everybody would have been happy. "Gentrification" wasn't on anyone's mind; it would have been seen as simply convenience and progress.
Like I said, I'm not likely to patronage it… but that's mostly because I don't like sugary syrup-based drinks and think there are far better food choices available around the clock from places that are already here.
The main reason I've never been in the Starbucks, similarly, is that I don't like their coffee or their prices.
In either case, they're businesses that I just find unnecessary and second-rate — not invasive and repugnant.