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Some of this is a product of our city planning. We’ve built cities such that goods and services are in one area and housing is in another. It makes it more conv

Some of this is a product of our city planning. We’ve built cities such that goods and services are in one area and housing is in another. It makes it more convenient to order online. In Manhattan you can find everything you want within a few blocks.

mruts 8y ago
I'm not sure why mixed use developments fell out of favor for a long time, but that's the solution, really.
- dragontamer 8y ago
  Mixed use developments don't really have giant stores. They have hangout spots. Ex: Restaurants, Pubs, Cafes, Board-game "stores" (which are really Magic: The Gathering / Dungeons and Dragons meetup centers), Salons and Barber Shops. When someone wants to shop, they want to have as wide of a selection as possible. Amazon is the generic marketplace. However, Amazon is losing trust (at least with me, not with a lot of others), so I've begun to shop at other online stores: Jetpens.com, RightStuf, NewEgg, BarnesAndNoble, Adafruit, Wayfair. The specialty stores simply have a better layout and better assurances against counterfeits. Amazon hasn't really done anything to stop its counterfeit problem: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13924546 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13924546 But still, one can't deny the fact that Amazon is the largest marketplace, and therefore one of the most convenient browsing spots on the internet.
  - virusduck 8y ago
    Interesting. In Atlanta, a large number of "mixed-use" developments over the last 10 or so years are all anchored by one or more big box stores or at least a grocery store.
    - dragontamer 8y ago
      Hmm, Mixed-use in my eyes is apartment buildings (or condos) where the 1st floor is dedicated to shops. Perhaps its just the culture of my area in the mid-atlantic. Basically apartments / condos on the 2nd floor and up, but shops on the 1st floor + lots of parking. I can't really think of a traditional anchor at these locations...
      - mruts 8y ago
        I dunno, a lot of people in NYC live above Duane Reade’s, or Best Buy’s or whatever.
        virusduck 8y ago
        Yeah, we've got those too. Some have giant parking lots associated, some don't.
dragontamer 8y ago
I live in a neighborhood with a Walmart + Sams Club center exists. Its walking distance (roughly .8 miles) from my house, and it is BEFORE the first traffic light. Extremely convenient. My roommate orders everything from Amazon. Creature of habit? I dunno. I don't really understand it myself (especially because Amazon's pricing has gotten much worse). Mail-order catalogs were still used back in the day when you had to fill out forms and mail things to PO Boxes, there is certainly a convenience factor and greater selection of goods.
kalleboo 8y ago
Japan here. I live a 3 minute bike ride from a large supermarket/department store, and within 10 minutes bike ride I have a large discount supermarket, a food wholesaler, a big box electronics store, a fashion mall, 2 furniture stores and countless convenience stores, 100 yen shops, smaller supermarkets and electronics shops. Me and my wife still buy lots of stuff online since it's still more convenient. You think of it, you order it, it shows up some time in the future.

mruts 8y ago

I'm not sure why mixed use developments fell out of favor for a long time, but that's the solution, really.

dragontamer 8y ago
Mixed use developments don't really have giant stores. They have hangout spots. Ex: Restaurants, Pubs, Cafes, Board-game "stores" (which are really Magic: The Gathering / Dungeons and Dragons meetup centers), Salons and Barber Shops. When someone wants to shop, they want to have as wide of a selection as possible. Amazon is the generic marketplace. However, Amazon is losing trust (at least with me, not with a lot of others), so I've begun to shop at other online stores: Jetpens.com, RightStuf, NewEgg, BarnesAndNoble, Adafruit, Wayfair. The specialty stores simply have a better layout and better assurances against counterfeits. Amazon hasn't really done anything to stop its counterfeit problem: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13924546 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13924546 But still, one can't deny the fact that Amazon is the largest marketplace, and therefore one of the most convenient browsing spots on the internet.
- virusduck 8y ago
  Interesting. In Atlanta, a large number of "mixed-use" developments over the last 10 or so years are all anchored by one or more big box stores or at least a grocery store.
  - dragontamer 8y ago
    Hmm, Mixed-use in my eyes is apartment buildings (or condos) where the 1st floor is dedicated to shops. Perhaps its just the culture of my area in the mid-atlantic. Basically apartments / condos on the 2nd floor and up, but shops on the 1st floor + lots of parking. I can't really think of a traditional anchor at these locations...
    - mruts 8y ago
      I dunno, a lot of people in NYC live above Duane Reade’s, or Best Buy’s or whatever.
      - virusduck 8y ago
        Yeah, we've got those too. Some have giant parking lots associated, some don't.

dragontamer 8y ago

I live in a neighborhood with a Walmart + Sams Club center exists. Its walking distance (roughly .8 miles) from my house, and it is BEFORE the first traffic light. Extremely convenient. My roommate orders everything from Amazon. Creature of habit? I dunno. I don't really understand it myself (especially because Amazon's pricing has gotten much worse). Mail-order catalogs were still used back in the day when you had to fill out forms and mail things to PO Boxes, there is certainly a convenience factor and greater selection of goods.

kalleboo 8y ago

Japan here. I live a 3 minute bike ride from a large supermarket/department store, and within 10 minutes bike ride I have a large discount supermarket, a food wholesaler, a big box electronics store, a fashion mall, 2 furniture stores and countless convenience stores, 100 yen shops, smaller supermarkets and electronics shops. Me and my wife still buy lots of stuff online since it's still more convenient. You think of it, you order it, it shows up some time in the future.