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We Are All Ikeans Now: Big Box Begs Big Questions
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 18, 2008
Modified Jun 23, 2008
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 18, 2008
Modified Jun 23, 2008
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The exhaustive coverage of today's Red Hook Ikea opening here and elsewhere around the web was the inevitable climax of a perfect storm of storylines: Rough-edged neighborhood with a lot of history gets another turn in the spotlight – or are those cross hairs? Has Red Hook now sacrificed too much of the charm that made its sleepy waterfront streets so appealing to artists? Or is the arrival of big retail business just what the neighborhood needs to help the lower-income locals – whose streets are hardly sleepy – rise out of poverty?
At one point this morning, during the first flood of shoppers, the area at the top of one escalator became so crowded that it was suddenly impossible to get off. For several panicky moments, it felt like a human avalanche was inevitable, until enough people forced their way through to make room. The incident seemed evocative, in a way, of Red Hook and Ikea’s troubled relationship – this thing could go either way, and if even if Ikea prospers here, the price of success may well ruin what made this little community so appealing to newcomers.
What’s certain is that Red Hook residents aren’t the only ones intensely watching Ikea’s opening; the Daily News has it that other big box stores have been encouraged by Ikea’s opening victory here. If Wal-Mart and Target follow Ikea's lead, Red Hook’s post-shipping era could skip over the long-anticipated full-gentrification stage to become something else entirely: a sort of big box shopping destination that’s more like a factory outlet mall than a neighborhood. Or is a balance between big business, small business, and residential interests possible? As Ikea's first day draws to an end, it's still an open question.
Tagged
brooklyn
ceremony
contest
grand opening
ikea
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new york
news
open
opening
red hook
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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