Some Residents Not Happy About 7-Eleven On St. Mark's Place
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A new addition to the East Village isn't sitting well with some of the locals.
WCBS 880's Alex Silverman On The Story
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Some say the 7-Eleven that's about to open on St. Mark's Place between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue is unwelcome.
The shop, which will open at the end of the month, is part of 7-Eleven's aggressive expansion campaign. The company is planning to open 20 new stores in New York City every year until 2017, reported WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.
For some residents of the East Village, the store doesn't fit with the counter-culture character of the neighborhood.
"As it becomes more and more like any, forgive me, strip mall outside of any town, USA, it starts bothering me," a woman named Phyllis told Sliverman. She says she's lived in the neighborhood for 42 years.
"Takes away from the uniqueness," another resident told Silverman.
"It doesn't make me happy," said a third.
Community Board 3, which handles East Village issues, had no jurisdiction over the store's opening, District Manager Susan Stetzer told the Daily News.
"The community board is concerned about the number of chain stores coming in," Stetzer said. "They've never said we don't want any, but they're concerned about the volume."
The Daily News reported that 7-Eleven already has 93 locations citywide.
Are you concerned about the "strip mall" effect? Sound off in the comments section below!
