Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Film / News In Park Slope, Could Gentrification Kill the Video Store?
Posted by Henry Stewart on Wed, Mar 9, 2011 at 8:54 AM
"I agree with the others, it's our loyal customers who sustain us," she wrote. "When I ask my customers why they like my store the consistent answer I get is that they like the experience—being able to browse, look at the artwork, read reviews and interact with a live person who knows film. It's like joining a film club more than a video store." But are these loyal customers a dying breed?
"Our numbers are definitely down from our previous years, and it's due to the instantaneous streaming of movies, especially TV shows on Hulu," she continued. "Our demographics are changing a lot, so the more rounded film lovers or artists are being replaced with a more homogeneous or gentrified community, who are more into blockbuster titles and mainstream movies."
Much ink has been spilled as of late on how the Atlantic Yards project could draw an undesirable element to Park Slope. Could it also draw enough philistines that the neighborhood's hitherto Rasputin-strength independent video stores are finally put out of business?
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