Arlington Business District survives Black Friday

The doors open at 5 a.m. People start lining up hours beforehand for absurdly good deals on whatever toy might be big this year, flat screen TVs, washers and dryers, vacuums, and so on. Finally, when a man in a red vest makes his way over to open the doors, the people, ravenous to save money while spending it, crash through the doors and quickly take over the store.

This is what Black Friday might have looked like at Target in the Poughkeepsie Galleria, but it couldn't have been further from what the Arlington Business District, the boutique and café-lined neighborhood near Raymond and Collegeview Avenues, experienced.
"It's not been busy," said Walter Effron, who's owned The Three Arts Bookshop for the last 27 years and whose family has owned the shop since it opened in 1946, in a phone interview. "I would think back on what Christmas business has been in the past—it hasn't been that way in about 15 years. We couldn't really expect to see the business that we used to see." He was quick to add, however, that he has had a steady flow of customers and made a few nice sales on Friday.

Shops specializing in maternity, skiing, children's clothing, books, candy and unique gifts characterize Arlington. "This type of business doesn't attract the big crowds like some of the big-box stores and places like that," said Ed Cooper, manager of Potter Brothers' Ski Shop.

A few doors down, at Dreaming Goddess: Unique Gifts, owner Rhianna Mirabello prides herself on going against the traditionally frenzied Black Friday with her annual White Friday event. The store doesn't open early, employees wear white outfits, white wine and white chocolate are served, and the deals offered are not necessarily for her own store's promotion but to promote a sense of community. For example, if you spend about $50, you get a discount at a local food vendor. "We offer a calm shopping experience," explained Mirabello.

Black Friday was particularly calm in Arlington last year, when residents were still getting used to the replacement of the streetlight at the intersection of Raymond and Collegeview with a roundabout, among other changes.

There have been a few concerns regarding the changes in the area. "The biggest concern for the businesses in the area is parking," said Cooper. "I'd bet at least a third of the parking spots are gone." At Bittersweet: Chocolate, Candies, Gifts, owner Heather Lent attributed much of last year's slow turnout to locals' apprehension regarding the roundabouts, but expected this year to pick up again. "People have realized that the roundabouts [are] not actually horrible and they can still operate their vehicles," Lent joked.

Business seemed to pick up this year for most vendors in the area. "We're swamped," said Jenn Sullivan, owner of Waddle & Swaddle on Raymond. The store, for the first time this year, made use of a Black Friday promotion, marking down their entire inventory at least 20 percent. According to Sullivan, it was working.

Most stores put on sales, including Effron at The Three Arts. But at Elizabeth Boutique on Davis Avenue, owner Beth Madsen reported that she was busier than a normal Friday, even without Black Friday gimmicks. Madsen said the sales and giveaways don't fit the description of her shop, but her scarves and jewelry were popular among customers.
Regardless of whether it saw the same turnout as the Galleria, the district proved that the day after Thanksgiving is good for shopping.