Local economy much better, but still not back
A couple of months ago here, there was an observation that this local suburban area had revived from the dismal days of 2008 and 2009. It was simply based on the observations that there was considerble traffic in both our little town and the next one over and that parking was difficult to find. Then a thought clicked in my mind that there was a tremendous difference in the number of folks at the best local diner and same for the deli. It was reported here that all was finally well.
Several days ago I met with my long time painting contractor, a family business, who knows everyone here well. We need long overdue work done on one room and a few other odds and ends. He came over promptly, looked over the job, and agreed to send me an estimate in a day or so. I asked when he would be available and the answer was next week.
That led to a "how's business" question from me, tactless maybe, and he said everything is still down but not as bad as a couple of years ago, just never really recovered though. "The diner is off 30%, the deli is off 40%, so and so business on our main street closed(so and so is eleven stores in the last twelve months or that's what he told he me). The fact that this well known boutique painting enterprise was available immediately was perhaps more telling.
So my more updated positive conclusion a few months ago was premature. Maybe I was comparing it to the absolute wasteland of 2009 and not thinking back to 2007. Maybe there's still the traffic and activity but most people are spending a lot less.
I should have remembered the comment here five months ago about the time in the fall when I took the LIRR train at 6:53am that had been packed every weekday morning for the 18 years that I was on it. I had the pick of the seats that day, no jockeying for position, or being forced to sit in a middle seat next to a person with a big bacon and egg bagel and coffee balanced on his briefcase. Those don't look like days to be repeated anytime soon, and the money does not come back into town on those night time trains like it did in the past.
Several days ago I met with my long time painting contractor, a family business, who knows everyone here well. We need long overdue work done on one room and a few other odds and ends. He came over promptly, looked over the job, and agreed to send me an estimate in a day or so. I asked when he would be available and the answer was next week.
That led to a "how's business" question from me, tactless maybe, and he said everything is still down but not as bad as a couple of years ago, just never really recovered though. "The diner is off 30%, the deli is off 40%, so and so business on our main street closed(so and so is eleven stores in the last twelve months or that's what he told he me). The fact that this well known boutique painting enterprise was available immediately was perhaps more telling.
So my more updated positive conclusion a few months ago was premature. Maybe I was comparing it to the absolute wasteland of 2009 and not thinking back to 2007. Maybe there's still the traffic and activity but most people are spending a lot less.
I should have remembered the comment here five months ago about the time in the fall when I took the LIRR train at 6:53am that had been packed every weekday morning for the 18 years that I was on it. I had the pick of the seats that day, no jockeying for position, or being forced to sit in a middle seat next to a person with a big bacon and egg bagel and coffee balanced on his briefcase. Those don't look like days to be repeated anytime soon, and the money does not come back into town on those night time trains like it did in the past.
posted by John Borden at 12:14 AM
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