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Old 07-18-2018, 06:56 PM
 
Location: Queens, NY
436 posts, read 562,608 times
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Anybody who has been in southeast Queens for a while, aside from Jamaica, has likely noticed the lack of premium restaurants and restaurant variety that you would typically find in similarly residential neighborhoods like Bayside or Fresh Meadows. Obviously the demographics in southeast Queens are different, but it's not like there aren't people who don't have enough income to go out eating. The reason I bring this up is because a new pizzeria recently opened up not far from where I live--the signage and interior of the store blows anything in the area out of the water in terms of appearance. The pizza isn't the cheapest but it's not outrageously expensive and is quite reasonably priced for the taste and size of the slices. I won't say its name since I don't think that's allowed here but it's certainly a spot I would be at more if I didn't care for my nutrition. This is the kind of place that is sorely lacking in the neighborhood and is a nice breath of fresh air.


So what exactly is holding back southeast Queens in this regard? Most commercial strips are pretty devoid of anything aside from fast food chains and the occasional West Indian restaurant (not counting the endless insurance agents, hair dressers, bodegas, and storefront churches).
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Old 07-18-2018, 08:23 PM
 
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I am going to go out on a limb and generalize a bit here. The demographics is overwhelmingly west indian/carribean immigrants. They prefer to cook/eat at home. They are not of the eat out everyday and post food porn to the gram variety. For this reason, a wide variety of restaurant options may not be profitable.

The Portuguese restaurant in the area is overwhelmingly patronized by individuals who don't appear to live in the area.
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Old 07-19-2018, 01:20 AM
 
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I work in Southeast Queens and notice the same thing. The variety in most of Southeast Queens (depending on what you consider to be Southeast Queens) seems like mostly fast food, Chinese takeout, and West Indian food (mostly Jamaican). I do like West Indian food a lot, but I would like more variety.
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Old 07-19-2018, 01:25 AM
 
11,445 posts, read 10,407,939 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LOVEROFNYC View Post
I am going to go out on a limb and generalize a bit here. The demographics is overwhelmingly west indian/carribean immigrants. They prefer to cook/eat at home. They are not of the eat out everyday and post food porn to the gram variety. For this reason, a wide variety of restaurant options may not be profitable.

The Portuguese restaurant in the area is overwhelmingly patronized by individuals who don't appear to live in the area.
I don't know if I'd say the demographics are overwhelmingly West Indian immigrants, there are a ton of AAs and US born West Indians too throughout Southeast Queens. I know these groups spend plenty of money in restaurants. Which restaurants would they patronize, that's the question really. I certainly think it's a wider range than just Jamaican food or Soul Food, judging from people I know personally and who I see in restaurants (such as the Cortelyou Road strip in Flatbush).

And interestingly, one of the most adventurous people I know in terms of food is a Trinidadian immigrant, he'll try anything as long as they have pescatarian/vegetarian options.
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Old 07-19-2018, 06:18 AM
 
Location: Queens, NY
436 posts, read 562,608 times
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Jamaica is the most active and commercially diverse part of Southeast Queens, which is why I excluded it. I'm referring the places such as Rosedale, St. Albans, Cambria Heights, Springfield Gardens, etc.


And I've suspected the significant West Indian population in the area may be a factor. There's no shortage of instances where my mother would complain whenever I didn't eat her cooking (very often) and accused me of "eating on the street". This is objectively ridiculous, but it helps to explain a lot of the sentiment when it comes to eating out.

However, there are plenty of non-West Indian residents in the neighborhood, and not all of them are poorer residents or hooligans that you wouldn't see eating out anyway. These are suburban families and older people who have been in the area for a long time more often than not. Where are these people?
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Old 07-19-2018, 07:12 AM
 
Location: In the heights
36,964 posts, read 38,977,429 times
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Maybr there’s an untapped market that you’ve discovered. Perhaps you should open up a crawfish boil or korean bbq place in the neighborhood.
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Old 07-19-2018, 07:27 AM
 
11,445 posts, read 10,407,939 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glacier Azure View Post
Jamaica is the most active and commercially diverse part of Southeast Queens, which is why I excluded it. I'm referring the places such as Rosedale, St. Albans, Cambria Heights, Springfield Gardens, etc.


And I've suspected the significant West Indian population in the area may be a factor. There's no shortage of instances where my mother would complain whenever I didn't eat her cooking (very often) and accused me of "eating on the street". This is objectively ridiculous, but it helps to explain a lot of the sentiment when it comes to eating out.

However, there are plenty of non-West Indian residents in the neighborhood, and not all of them are poorer residents or hooligans that you wouldn't see eating out anyway. These are suburban families and older people who have been in the area for a long time more often than not. Where are these people?
Would a neighborhood with a lot of African-Americans but not a lot of West Indians really be any different in that regard?

I figured it was more a case of people who would open restaurants not thinking enough people in a non-gentrifying black neighborhood would support their business.

Not that it matters for the purpose of this discussion, but I disagree about the "suburban families" thing. Springfield Gardens and Laurelton are still city neighborhoods and are much different from Levittown or Merrick.
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Old 07-19-2018, 07:39 AM
 
33,695 posts, read 46,937,859 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LOVEROFNYC View Post
I am going to go out on a limb and generalize a bit here. The demographics is overwhelmingly west indian/carribean immigrants. They prefer to cook/eat at home. They are not of the eat out everyday and post food porn to the gram variety. For this reason, a wide variety of restaurant options may not be profitable.

The Portuguese restaurant in the area is overwhelmingly patronized by individuals who don't appear to live in the area.
So restaurants don't exist in the West Indies? Lol
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Old 07-19-2018, 07:41 AM
 
33,695 posts, read 46,937,859 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glacier Azure View Post
Jamaica is the most active and commercially diverse part of Southeast Queens, which is why I excluded it. I'm referring the places such as Rosedale, St. Albans, Cambria Heights, Springfield Gardens, etc.


And I've suspected the significant West Indian population in the area may be a factor. There's no shortage of instances where my mother would complain whenever I didn't eat her cooking (very often) and accused me of "eating on the street". This is objectively ridiculous, but it helps to explain a lot of the sentiment when it comes to eating out.

However, there are plenty of non-West Indian residents in the neighborhood, and not all of them are poorer residents or hooligans that you wouldn't see eating out anyway. These are suburban families and older people who have been in the area for a long time more often than not. Where are these people?
Because you live in a mainly residential neighborhood, the demographic of who lives there is not why there is a lack of restaurants. There are neighborhoods in Long Island with similar aesthetics and different demographical composition that also have a lack of dining options.
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Old 07-19-2018, 08:25 AM
 
2,386 posts, read 1,177,475 times
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Try the Bayhouse in Rosedale
155-57 Bayview Ave
Rosedale, NY 11422
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