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dominique vitali
Citizen
Username: Dom
Post Number: 3
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 2:28 pm: |     |
thats all. thats my question. why not more restaurants? or cute little shops? do we really need 4 nail salons? what we really need is a Thai restaurant that delivers. |
Meandtheboys
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 1332
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 2:32 pm: | |
Been there, done that.
This topic was pretty well covered in previous threads. Since this is only your third post, that was probably before your time (unless you've been lurking). Do a search for "nail salons" and I'm sure you'll have plenty to read.
Even so, don't think anyone has an answer to that question. Although the TC did pass an ordinance of some sort.
Welcome to MOL!  |
Meandtheboys
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 1333
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 2:33 pm: | |
P.S. There are four in downtown Maplewood, but I think the grand total for all of Maplewood is something like 18. And to think we really only have 20 nails. |
dominique vitali
Citizen
Username: Dom
Post Number: 4
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 2:34 pm: | |
today is my second day on the blog.
I still think we need a Lemongrass Grill in town. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 2164
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 2:34 pm: | |
You'll have to open a place yourself, or encourage entrepreneurial friends to do so. The reason there are so many nail places is that so many people frequent them, apparently. There is no grand designer who says "Yup, we need two more nail places this year." Rather, freemarket capitalism dictates this state of affairs. If these places didn't make gobs of money here they would go elsewhere.
Cathy
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Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5995
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 7:50 pm: | |
Also, nail salons have very little overhead making it easier for their owners to pay the high commercial rents being demanded by landlords in our town -- especially on Maplewood Avenue.
As long as people keep patronizing the nail salons and nail salons remain one of the least expensive types of businesses to run, we will continue to see a large number of them in town. |
MAPLE
Citizen
Username: Maple1234
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 8:33 pm: | |
The reason is simple, the rents or to high to sustain most businesses and the reason the rents are so high is because our property taxes are so high. My brother-inlaw's business was driven out of town because of the costant increases in rent. |
steel
Citizen
Username: Steel
Post Number: 726
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, August 5, 2005 - 8:49 am: | |
Hey, they're not called "Nail Salons".
-As noted and termed in Maplewood's Economic Redevelopment Plan 2004 there has been:
"an influx of personal service operations". |
marsh_online
Citizen
Username: Marshonline
Post Number: 44
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 7:59 am: | |
Can't help believe that another restaurant for all the St. James spill-over wouldn't do extremely well. Not sure what their margins are, but it looks like they are doing very well, and could even raise there prices a couple bucks. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 8871
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 10:02 am: | |
It would probably do well, but the liquor licenses are too scarce and expensive for there to be another one. So in this case, the regulations seem to be preventing prosperity and the services the market desires.
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Kyle Trama
Citizen
Username: Kyletrama
Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 11:48 pm: | |
I ask the same question.
I'd rather have a GOOD italian restaurant. We do not need 3 nail places, it's ridiculous. If people need their nails done that often and that badly, then I have to wonder what is really going on. Are they offering happy endings at these places or something? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 8920
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 10:58 am: | |
There's a variety of Italian restaurants in Maplewood village. If you don't like any among Roman Gourmet, Village Trattoria, Cent' Anni, and Dasti's, (have I missed any?) then I don't think the hypothetical next one to come along will suit you, either.
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Kyle Trama
Citizen
Username: Kyletrama
Post Number: 14
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 5:10 pm: | |
Dasti's is disgusting, Cent'Anni's is closing. The Gourmet has awful food, decent pizza. And the trattoria is WAY more greek than it is Italian. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 8951
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 10:34 pm: | |
Cent'anni changed hands a few months ago. It's not closing unless you heard something very recently. I was talking to the owners, and they seemed quite happy. |
Peter
Citizen
Username: Peter
Post Number: 23
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 10:07 am: | |
Happy Endings? |
AntoninaKC
Citizen
Username: Antoninakc
Post Number: 69
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 12:14 pm: | |
peter, you dont wanna know! |
BGS
Citizen
Username: Bgs
Post Number: 282
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 12:25 pm: | |
Kyle Trama-do you have anything else to say about the food in our town????? Dasti's has been getting some good raves lately...you are the only person I have heard say something bad about the Trat and unless you have insider information, Centanni's is not going anywhere....
Perhaps your taste is too refined for Maplewood-sorry to come down on you so hard...but WOW!!! what a negative post you wrote...
...and by the way...you are right, three nail places does seem excessive for such a small town,(and I am betting on the thought that two of the 3 will probably close sooner than later) however, unless you are planning to open a business in town and want to rent their space, what difference does it make to you??? Boy, you really got my IRISH up today which is pretty good since I am not IRISH!!!!!
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Richard Kessler
Citizen
Username: Richiekess
Post Number: 29
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2005 - 10:22 am: | |
My wife and I moved here in December and I have to agree with Dominque, as number of nail salons regularly has us saying: WTF? The town is really sweet, in so many ways, the relatively small size, etc. We also wish there was some way to encourage a better balance of services for residents. Me, well, while I do have 20 nails, I have no intention of having them done. |
Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 2105
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2005 - 5:01 pm: | |
Dom and Richard: Welcome to town. Please make sure to patronize the local businesses that meet your needs. It will strengthen them and encourage more like them to follow. Even if it costs you a few bucks more, shop locally.
By the way, I don't buy the argument that rents are high because taxes are high. Landlords charge the highest rent that the market can bear. Whether much of that rent goes to taxes or into their pockets is irrelevant to the rent they are able to collect from their tenants. Believe me, even if taxes fell to $1.00 per square foot per year overnight, overall rents would not change so long as nail salons or whomever are able to pay them. It would just mean more money for the landlords and less for the government.
The reason rents keep going up is because someone is able to pay the higher rent and make a go of it. |
Brick Pig
Citizen
Username: Brick_pig
Post Number: 36
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, August 14, 2005 - 7:28 pm: | |
I had a theory that as the number of nail salons keeps rising, they'd start to specialize. For example, one would do index fingers really really well, while another location would concentrate on, say, the ring finger. Or maybe one place would be for the right hand only, while another would do lefts. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 9166
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 2:51 pm: | |
Rents are high because downtown Maplewood has a limited number of storefronts and is considered a desireable location. Heck, people move here because they like the downtown.
While sometimes I think that Maplewoodians must have the best groomed nails in New Jersey, my guess is that one of the three nail salons will be closing by the end of the year. This is a supply and demand situation.
Before Leo's opened a lot of people were complaining about another nail joint taking up prime retail space. However, once it opened, and apparently it is a good operation, some of the same people were giving it rave reviews. The noise you hear is me banging my head on the keyboard.  |
Chris Prenovost
Citizen
Username: Chris_prenovost
Post Number: 458
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 22, 2005 - 8:09 pm: | |
. . . For a thread that had already been well covered elsewhere, this went on for a while. . . |
SO1969
Citizen
Username: Bklyn1969
Post Number: 82
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 22, 2005 - 8:46 pm: | |
I almost hate to share it with the Maplewood folks, but if high end Italian is what you're hankering for, then go to Antonella's in South Orange. Make a reservation, very small dining room. Not quite at the same level, but also a solid choice is Cafe Arrugula in SO. Save room for the gelato - it's fantastic and the espress-based coffees are the best around. SO also has some good entries for everyday Italian/Pizza - like Bunny's, Reservoir (I'm told), etc.
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Chris Farrow
Citizen
Username: Evrtnjrsy
Post Number: 33
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 11:10 am: | |
Just happened upon this thread from a while back, and to reiterate Tom R's response to Kyle, Cent'Anni's is most definitely NOT closing - I bought it four months ago and it wasn't to close it down.... |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5238
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 - 5:47 pm: | |
Cent'Anni's is also quite good. And American Fare desserts rock (food is great, but I really love their desserts). |
Noglider
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9280
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 - 5:49 pm: | |
American Fare has been closed for months.
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5239
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 - 6:56 pm: | |
Oops- Terra is the name of the new place in the old space.
Smartass.  |
Noglider
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9281
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 - 11:01 pm: | |
I am but not this time. I thought you've been too busy to know.
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5243
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 7, 2005 - 9:45 am: | |
Yeah - been pretty busy. Anyway, we've been on restaurant hiatus, but these are our priorities for the fabulous local places we've been neglecting:
1. Try the "new" Jocelyne's (haven't been since they changed over).
2. Go back to Cent'Anni to try more wonderful things on the menu.
3. Come to a decision on how to manage my love of Terra's desserts with my need to lose 20 lbs so that I can fit into my winter clothes.
4. Antonella's - when I remember to make a reservation in time!
Get a manicure & pedicure. Not at Nail House. |
Richard Kessler
Citizen
Username: Richiekess
Post Number: 52
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 11:57 am: | |
I still can't quite get my head around the number of nail salons. I know this has been covered ad nauseum, but somehow I can't believe there is enough demand for the supply. Do people come from South Orange, Millburn, etc., is it that we've become a regional hub for those who seek manicures and pedicures? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9801
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 12:10 pm: | |
Those are nice conjectures, Richard, but the truth is stranger than fiction. Nail salons have become plentiful everywhere. I can't fathom it, either. The truth is, more people are getting manicures, and everyone is getting them more frequently than before.
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Richard Kessler
Citizen
Username: Richiekess
Post Number: 54
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 12:14 pm: | |
Tom, you'll have to allow me my cognitive dissonance on this one. It's just too bizarre. Can't these people get into drugs or something a bit more productive? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9809
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 3:10 pm: | |
You may put your disbelief into what ever form you prefer. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6457
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 9, 2005 - 4:05 pm: | |
When the nail salon bubble bursts, will we have a lot of empty store fronts or a plan to replace these businesses with another kind of business which can survive in our present economic climate? |
fredprofeta
Citizen
Username: Fredprofeta
Post Number: 97
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 9, 2005 - 11:47 pm: | |
Joan:
Under the scenario you project, the Directors of both the Maplewood Village Alliance and the Springfield Avenue Partnership will be very active in recruiting replacements. They have performed this function well in the past, and I imagine they will do it again. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6460
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 8:43 am: | |
Fred:
I wouldn't have imagined any other possible response. I'm just wondering what other kinds of businesses would be able to survive given the present high rents in town. Restrictions such as the "close proximity" measure presently under consideration would clearly act as a deterent to one kind of business (personal services such as hair and nail care) but does nothing to try and recruit and retain other sorts of businesses.
I was wondering if the town were considering establishing a volunteer core of knowledgeable business people who could provide a free or non-profit low cost to cover expenses consulting service to help new businesses succeed in town once they are here and to help existing businesses with operating problems they might have.
A similar program exists in NYC and has been quite successful there. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9931
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 9:09 am: | |
Joan, I think you left out a critical word in your sentence, by accident. "...who could provide a free or non-profit low cost ___BLANK___ to cover expenses..."
I'm not sure what you mean.
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Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6462
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 11:02 am: | |
Tom:
What I mean is that with our tight budget, we might be unable to fund even the incidental costs surrounding such a program. Charging a low fee for the service which is just enough to cover basic expenses and as an added advantage would give business owners some incentive for following through on suggestions (which they would be less likely to do with a free service), would make such a program more viable.
I know that we already have at least four business organizations in town -- Chamber of Commerce, Village Alliance, Springfield Avenue Partnership, and SOMBI -- but I don't know that any of these equipped to offer the kind of service I am contemplating town-wide. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 9491
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 11:10 am: | |
We have three nail salons downtown because the economics of their business can pay the rents. I am sure that should one of them fail, there will be no shortage of new applicants for the space.
While we all like to play "I wish someone would open a...", the economic reality is that there are a finite number of retail locations downtown, it is viewed as a desireable location and rents are high. In the end rents are going to dictate what type of businesses can survive. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5506
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 11:38 am: | |
It's a real Catch-22. I try to put my money where my mouth is. If there is a choice between going elsewhere and paying a little more in town, I shop here.
Then again, a back-of the envelope look at the expected effect of gas and oil prices over the weekend shows an additional $450 bite out of our monthly budget. The first casualty of that will be paying a little more for things I can get cheaper elsewhere, getting my nails done weekly and eating out 3-4 nights a week. There will be no remodeling projects this year, so I won't be buying furniture, fixtures, etc.
I imagine I'm not the only one thinking this way.
So, landlords can continue to charge $6k per month rent because this is America & they have a right. But, as places start to close down and they find themselves filling store fronts, they might want to take an active role in recruiting tenants who have some long-term viability. Even if it means cutting their profits a little and charging a bit less rent. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 4182
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 12:10 pm: | |
“the Directors of both the Maplewood Village Alliance and the Springfield Avenue Partnership will be very active in recruiting replacements. They have performed this function well in the past, and I imagine they will do it again.”
Fred, I’ve noticed your willingness to continue to participate on-line regarding a variety of different community matters. I’m sure it’s greatly appreciated by many of us who also participate on-line, and it’s another reason you’ll be getting my second vote this November.
This weekend I happen to read a draft of what I suspect is a pending new ordinance to regulate the Massage business in town. Some of the nail salons and beauty salons also provide massage services. I would like to try to make a point about how sometimes too much of a good thing can backfire. I guess this is as good as any place to make a point about the Partnership, Alliance, and government regulations and its effect on our business community.
Although I wasn’t able to attend the Wednesday, October 5th discussion at Town Hall regarding the Massage Business Ordinance, I did get to read it. I don’t know who wrote it, or if it was copied from somewhere else, but it’s so overkill it reads like a medical journal. To my point; I’ll be surprised if very many businesses will even bother to register.
Furthermore, I can’t believe this ordinance is the result of one old whore on Springfield Avenue, and anyone so excessively strict in their morals that they found it so necessary to incorporate nine legal size pages of regulations “ to insure the health and safety of consumers of massage within the Township of Maplewood.” You have to read this thing to believe it!
As a small example: You must be 18 years old or have your parents signature or have them in the room to get a massage; no animal therapies, colonic irrigations, prostrate massages, vaginal or penile massages, decongestive therapy, and get this Mem, NO BUTTOCKS MASSAGES either! What in the world are they going to do with all their Hot Rocks?
BTW, can get the author of this ordinance to whip up a little something for the B&B Ordinance the town has been workng at for the past five years?
God forbid...
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 5508
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 12:22 pm: | |
Art - there are so many problems with sexual abuse of young people, I can't imagine a massage therapist wanting to work on a minor. This would help protect all parties. Now people can get carded before they take their clothes off!
Not seeing the problem with defining "massage". I believe that those definitions probably jive with the national guidelines of the professional massage therapy organizations.
As for colonics - that is administering "medicine" to an area with very sensitive, thin tissue. Quite easy to damage. I have no problem with that, either. I don't know what decongestive therapy is- is that aroma therapy? Not sure what that one's about. Butt muscles (for those of you lucky enough to have them) are quite legitimate.
As for the others, I can see the point: "your honor, it was a mallofaxial penile massage. I would never be so crude as to give a b*&^ j&@ for money".
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9945
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 12:25 pm: | |
Let's start a new thread on the massage ordinance, OK?
Kathy Leventhal and the township lawyer wrote the ordinance. It's a rewrite of one they proposed and voted down a few months ago.
My wife, Carol Reingold, has volunteered to head the citizen's group to help revise this ordinance, since she is a body worker.
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ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 4183
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 12:33 pm: | |
...sure, be my guest Tom. I believe Carol called my wife Libby about something to do with Massage. I'm afraid I didn't get a chance to find out what it was all about. |
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