Have you ever noticed how many banks we have to choose from in our little downtown area of Greenpoint, Brooklyn? South of Greenpoint Avenue, on Manhattan Avenue, our banking options seem limitless: HSBC, Citibank, Bank of America, Dime, Capital One, Chase, Apple, and now, TD Bank.


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For the average non-homeowner with a steady paycheck the levels in service don’t differ much from the green bank to the red bank. For homeowners,…

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    2. The point of the article wasn’t to demonstrate my ability to find every single place to keep your money in Greenpoint. The point was to discuss the omnipresence of banks in our community.

      Please understand the point before commenting.

    3. Good point. It fits Brooklyn Imbecile’s two needs: its architecture is interesting, to say the least, and it hasn’t been accused of effing people over with their money.

      Though if you want outstanding architecture, look at the Greenpoint Savings Bank. Never moving my money out of that baby.

      1. i love that place! i chose to get my mortgage there simply because of the architecture. that being said capital one as a bank blows!

          1. Was bought by North Fork, which in turn was purchased by Capital One. I’d love to switch to ING but I’m too lazy — and it charges people too much money to run in the marathon.

          2. i do all my banking at cross county. they only have like 5 branches and they know me, which i like. they do kill me on the atm fees – which sucks.

          5. Thanks, BI. The next time I need a loan, you’ll be the first person I come to for all your bank knowledge.

    1. People who do their banking and buy their drug store goods from gigantic corporate powerhouses think they are just getting a better deal, but they are in fact, helping the process of turning their neighborhoods into unaffordable, identical outdoor strip malls lacking any unique, local presence.

      Those who complain about young, non-natives and real estate developers invading their neighborhoods, who also shop at mega-chain stores are actually causing more harm than anyone to the fading originality of their avenues.

      1. I like getting 20% off at Rite Aid. And if Rite Aid weren’t there, I’d be using Amazon.com. (Hashtag: corporatewhore)

        1. I just got yelled at. In reality of course supporting the small local businesses is better – even pharmacies. But – they sell a lot of the same shit. Right? Tampax Tampons are Tampax Tampons. And Rite-Aid is also hiring a lot of local people, too.

        2. The Rite Aid by Peter Pan used to be a Genovese (and earlier still, the Meserole), which was purchased by Eckerd and then was purchased by Rite Aid. The one by Dee Dee’s was always a Rite Aid.

          The one in the old movie theater must be doing good business for the company to keep both locations open.

    2. Amen! I was incredibly disappointed once I noticed that they were renovating that beautiful building on Manhattan for a CVS. Ugg! Why is that remotely necessary when we have TWO rite aids and a duane reade within easy walking distance of each other? Not to mention many non chain pharmacies. Ridiculous.

  4. How about this:

    You continue to shop and bank and do business with these mega-corporations. It’s your right to do so, no one is stopping you. But can you at least admit that you understand that if you only spend your money with non-local businesses, you won’t be surprised when there are no local businesses left?

    More importantly, that you don’t blame anyone but yourself for your neighborhood’s loss of identity, because you want to save XX% on your ATM fees or cotton swabs.

    Admit that you understand that real estate values will go up when mega-stores offer to pay any amount to absorb the local market.

    Especially those who grew up here, who are always shitting a storm about how things used be. You’re willfully ruining your hood by turning Greenpoint into Walmart-land. More so than developers, hipsters, homeless people or whoever comes next to shift your blame onto.

    1. I’m being a bad Greenpointer by shopping at the same drugstore I’ve always shopped at while taking advantage of its new-ish rewards program and by keeping my money in a bank it’s always been in thanks to my grandmother setting up a college-fund account.

      Also, your comment may be the first one to include the word “hipster” since the “Die Hipster” post. Kudos!

  5. i agree with Sherry – the banks with the best architecture are the best. that has not failed me yet, and i have banked all over.

    I-)

    1. The point of the article was to try and have people wrap their head around the fact that your bank has in fact failed you. Not that they lost your money, but there’s a lot of factors to consider in addition to your personal wealth management, as stated above. To say that your specific bank hasn’t failed you while being conscious of all that’s been going on in the industry is an ignorant stance. It’s a common stance and it demonstrates an inability to question the status quo. Some of the most beautiful architecture in the world houses protected child rapists from ever going to trial.

        1. I made $37 in interest with my savings from last year. Yes, minuscule, I know. I’d happily trade that cash in for one less bank on Manhattan Avenue.

          Obviously this is the wrong forum to get philosophical about our surroundings. I was attempting to have a conversation that goes beyond our own personal wad of savings. (waving white flag).

  6. I know it’s only a small step, but I just moved all my money from HSBC to Apple Bank, which is a lot smaller and (I think) only operates in NYC. Anyone heard anything about them that I need to know?

    I have friends that use them and the organization just seems a bit more responsible then many of the others.

    Plus, I couldn’t do business with HSBC after the drug case. Can you believe those executives get a slap on the wrist when your average person would be doing jail time for lesser crimes?

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