Infinity. Bruce’s. Posture-Line. Classico. Panchos. Bevanda. Camp & Campus. These were a few of my friends’ favorite local haunts. Now they’re gone – and soon, I may be too.
I am a Great Neck millennial. I was born here in 1993. My family has lived here for 50 years. And with the exception of college, I have always lived here. While I am a resident of Great Neck, I spend most of my time outside of Great Neck. Sadly, this is the case with almost all of the Great Neck millennials I’ve grown up alongside.
Whether we spend our time in the five boroughs to the west or out towards Eastern Long Island, none of us have any desire to return to home. While any other community would (and should) find this to be a surprising and concerning trend, I doubt I am breaking news to any resident reading this.
Growing up here, I had never imagined I would come to feel this way. Neither did any of my friends. We grew up in the greatest suburb of the greatest city on the planet, and I have always been proud of our town. Yet these days, the prospect of enjoying a dinner date, a drink with a friend, or a cup of coffee in town has become more and more inconceivable.
For almost a decade, Middle Neck Road has been desecrated by eyesores; vacant and decrepit buildings line the town’s main thoroughfare as empty buildings have outrageously been allowed to sit empty in a state of squalor for years.
I was curious why our town has had such difficulty retaining the suburban charm it used to have as retail outlets continue to shutter. After looking into it, I realized Great Neck’s difficulties have not been a result of greedy landlords, poor business plans, or any natural disasters. It’s because a handful of residents have selfishly protested the perfectly reasonable construction of brand new buildings.
It should be simple math – new construction attracts, newer, younger, families and individuals. In turn, a larger population base allows for the growth of more successful businesses, pizza parlors, coffee shops, clothing stores, gyms, and the like. Once current and new businesses are able to thrive, the positive outcomes multiply– more housing and businesses create a larger tax base, allowing for greater public improvement in infrastructure, schools, and other town amenities.
In turn, a more desirable town, with better schools and roads, operating restaurants and shops, and safer and cleaner public spaces, attract more residents, which starts the process anew.
Market data affirms this tragic tale. In the decade following 2009, neighboring towns have seen home prices skyrocket, while Great Neck is the only Gold Coast town that has seen an overall decrease in home prices:
Critics have voiced complaints in this paper and at community meetings about road congestion, overcrowding, noise pollution, and more. These concerns are almost always without merit.
Recent research indicates a 1 percent increase in city population will result in a less than 0.5 percent increase in traffic congestion, an essentially unnoticeable amount. 2020 construction provides for top-of-the-line noise insulation. And besides, I’d like to ask my fellow constituents – which is a more pressing issue: an additional minute or two added to your commute or the fact that town businesses and the next generation of residents are moving out in droves?
I implore our community leadership to focus on the real issue: Great Neck’s turnaround. Do not get distracted by the loud but small minority looking for anything to arrest any progress. To the mayors, school board members, commissioners and trustees, please allow for cooler minds to prevail. We need champions for growth and advancement.
There have been a few notable efforts. Former Village of Great Neck Mayor Ralph Kreitzman bravely faced outrage when he supported turning a closed-down gas station into a 7-Eleven on Middle Neck Road. Of course, the 7-Eleven has been well received by residents, as many people will happily attest to. In fact, most of the people who protested its development can be seen regularly making use of its convenience!
In 2015, Kreitzman’s successor, current Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral, attempted to pass a new zoning package with the stated aim of revitalizing the Village to its former glory. However, he could not get the zoning passed; as usual, a small group of loud and unreasonable voices demanded that we continue to let Great Neck die simply because they fear change. Unfortunately, most of the projects proposed in the Village are still held up for the same reason.
I am calling on my fellow Great Neck millennials. If we want to feel hopeful about Great Neck’s future, we need to wake up. We need to get involved. We need to stand up and demand that our leaders deliver. We need to fight for new housing, commerce, culture, food, and a town we can be proud of, instead of embarrassed about.
Joshua Kadden
Great Neck
