College Town Seeks To Define 'Chain'

New Paltz does not want the special charms of its small town, collegiate business district chained down.

1 minute read

December 7, 2005, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"It's no secret that the Village Board wants to keep New Paltz unchained by large, out-of-town corporate businesses.

But what exactly is a chain? Is a chain composed only of hundreds of links or just a handful? And what if that handful is owned not by some faraway corporate group but a guy just down the road?

Those are the sort of questions Mayor Jason West says the Village Board is researching in light of the expected arrival of Blockheads, a Mexican restaurant that hopes to open its doors in the spring in the space now occupied by Ariel Booksellers."

Ariel Booksellers, a 34-year-old, locally owned bookstore and fixture in this quintessential college town, bit the dust on Nov. 11.

Nationally, locally originated and owned stores in college towns are being replaced by the cookie cutter franchises familiar from any mallscape.

Thanks to CollegeTownLife

Tuesday, December 6, 2005 in Times Herald-Record

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Archway made of bikes in Knoxville, Tennessee over Tennessee River.

Knoxville Dedicates $1M to New Greenway

The proposed greenway would run along North Broadway and connect to 125 miles of existing trails.

15 minutes ago - WATE

25mph speed limit sign with digital "Your Speed" sign below it.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot

The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.

2 hours ago - WHYY

UPS delivery cargo bike with covered front seat in New York City

NYC Delivery ‘Microhubs’ Aim to Cut Down on Truck Pollution

The hubs are designed to provide parking for large delivery trucks, which can pass on their cargo to bikes or other zero-emission vehicles.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive