A “multicultural, full-service salon” has its eye on an Irving Street property but needs a waiver from the Redevelopment Agency to operate at the proposed location.
Lisa King presented her plan for “Heavenly Hair Styles” to the Redevelopment Agency Wednesday night. A city ordinance does not allow personal service businesses within 1,000 feet of each other and since the property is within a redevelopment area, the Redevelopment Agency would have to grant the waiver. A barber shop, Earl’s Cuts and Curls, is located a few doors down from the site. A similar waiver was granted this summer for Carriage City Cleaners to operate in the hotel building while Fulton Cleaners is only a block away.
Elizabeth-based Silcon Inc., which constructed Carriage City Plaza, renovated the property at 1645 Irving St. for some Hotel Indigo operations. The space would be subdivided for the salon, King said. It would occupy about 1,350 square feet on the first floor and basement.
Redevelopment Agency Attorney Frank Regan said a recommendation on the waiver request would be made to commissioners at next month’s meeting on Oct. 1.
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We all know what “multicultural” means.Don’t get me wrong. I love diversity. It’s one of the reasons I like living in Rahway. But there’s the “multicultural” barbershop, the “multicultural” music store, the “multicultural” art gallery, the “multicultural” book store. For me, an average white guy, there’s not of lot of downtown options that market to me. How about we create a town with a general bookstore or a general music store, ect so that they are welcoming to all people, regardless of race. I think this kind of approach would help the local businesses also.
Chains and then internet sales from places like Amazon put local book and music stores out of biz. Besides, there's a B&N in Clark and one in Edison…do they even sell CDs anymore?Sad, but true…I don't think an interesting used book and/or music shop could survive in downtown Rahway. People here don't really care about that kind of culture.
A “multicultural, full-service salon” called “Heavenly Hair Styles” is not the type of business for which Rahway should be making exceptions. It’s not going to signal a new direction for the town, and it will do nothing to give the town a new image, yet alone help make the town “the next Hoboken”.The ordinance against multiple personal services businesses within close distance of one another is there for a reason. Towns that don’t implement such rules often end up with stretches of commerical space that consist entirely of nail salons, hair salons, barber shop, chinese/pizza/chicken food joint, repeat …I know Rahway needs to bring businesses downtown, but as with the housing, I’ll say it again: I’d rather see the town develop slowly and get it right rather than rushing forward and ending up with a redeveloped town that falls short of its potential.My 2-cents.
A restaurant like Sylvia’s (Harlem) would be a perfect spot to open. Its geared towards the multi-cultural crowd but also appeals to a celebrity chasing crowd. Even Bill O’Reilly would want to eat there. I don’t blame Masterpiece Theater Cafe for not wanting to open downtown just yet but we need a few less hair braiding places and a few more cafes and organic food markets.
To be fair, in her presentation, King specifically talked about there being places that cater specifically to one group or another but she’s aiming for a fancy salon “with New York decor and ambiance so all walks of life could come.” I didn’t include those from my notes only in an attempt to keep the post from getting loo long.”multicultural”: “of, pertaining to, or representing several different cultures or cultural elements.”
Please, please please let there be no new hair and nail salons downtown…with all of the competition, one would think that a haircut would cost $5.
yea don’t let them. all those poisonus chemicals being dumped in the river there and washed down the drain,lol. we don’t need no stinkin multicultral hair saloon. we need a white mans barber shop. no chemicals.
“multicultural”: “of, pertaining to, or representing several different cultures or cultural elements.”That may be the official definition, but everyone knows that “multicultural” is code for “every culture except European”.The point is, hair salons and nail salons are not something we should be making exceptions for in downtown Rahway. A few, sure. But they should play by the ordinance rules, which are there for a reason.
FYI the Main St barber shop is for white people,I go even though there may be “non white” people there! The hispanic guys sure give me great hair cuts. I agree that another “braiding” shop added to the scene wont make the downtown sizzle. I wish I knew about the dry cleaner situation since it doesnt seem fair to the guy who’s already established.
A “multicultural” hair salon is not going to be inviting to a working young white woman to go get her latest “in” hair style. It’s just not. Now, if Rahway would invest on a “regular”(non-multicultural), elegant and modern hair salon, that would help attract young working families that are looking to move from the NYC area into a train-commuting NJ town” as well as give the local white woman of Rahway a place to go without having to go out of town.
lamar will protect all the chicks in town getting there hair done,lol. 😉
To be honest Rahway needs more food selections. If you look at hoboken they have a vast amount of places to eat. that would be nice to be able to find something that appeals to you.On Irving St you need something thats going to keep the people in town once the event is over in U.C.P.A.C. No one is staying to g there hair done. No knock on the Bus. but we are not Linden with a bunch of 99cent stores and nail salons. We can’t except that
I agree, I would love to see more nice restaurants, couple cool coffee shops, and a really great bakery with fresh bread every morning.Heck, I would let my hair grow long if I had the cool eateries and the fresh bread right in downtown!
Along Main and Irving Streets downtown — barely a one-mile stretch — there are no less than four salons and barber shops by my count: Earl’s and Bragg Hair Center on Irving, Main Street Barber Shop and Community Barber Shop on Main. And there’s Rahway’s Finest Barber Shop on East Cherry. Not enough? Too many?As for the dry cleaners at Carriage City, if I recall correctly, commissioners considered it would get its business from Hotel Indigo.
Too many. Way too many. And Skyview doesn’t need the dry cleaners either, there’s one right across the street. I’m sure the 15 people living in the building can walk across the street. That’s unfair to the existing cleaners to lose business also. Silcon has cash to buy Mayor Kennedy and bend the rules for Silcon. Or should I say “Conference Room Kennedy” per the meeting facility in the Skyview building named after him.
For those of you who have been following this story and the other story posted by mark "agency passes on salon", Heavenly Hair Styles was able to secure another location. For all of those who have been following this story, Heavenly Hair Styles was able to secure a new location. And we will be open for business on November 5th. Our new location is:1735A St. Georges Ave in Rahway(732) 381-1116Parking in the Rear on Union St.Our hours will be Tuesday – Friday From from 10AM to 6:30PM & Saturdays 8:30AM to 4:30PM.Visit our website @ http://www.heavenlyhairstylesonline.com and also check out our blog at http://www.heavenlyhairstyles.blogspot.comFeel free to email us with your comments heavenlyhairstyles@gmail.com