Foolish Foodies in America

     During our last 9 years in Astoria, many good-quality eateries closed due to a lack of support.  It's a tremendous shame, because their food was great: homemade, plentiful, delicious, nutritious, seasonal, locally sourced, and courteously served.  The public didn't care.  They were all replaced with hamburger eateries or chain-restaurants, which is what most people crave instead.  As a result of such ignorance, the neighborhood lost distinctiveness.  

Each picture is a different place that tried to bring "quality" to the neighborhood but went out of business because locals prefer "junk food" (which is cheaper, thanks to the USA's tax-paid subsidies to corporations that manufacture such "foods").

This place was the best teashop, and many people loved it... but not enough people.  Now its another burger eatery.

After several years, vendors were not allowed to continue their weekend Greenmarket in the local park.  It was the second Greenmarket to be closed.  There were none in 2019.

The men who sold superb coffee in the park (for years) were also discarded... and not invited back.  (A fancy coffeeshop opened near the park and wanted the customers).

This European-style cafe had the only gas fireplace in the entire neighborhood.  It's now a place that specializes in hamburgers and American "comfort food".

This restaurant was the only venue for local "struggling actors" to perform.  It's now a pizza parlor.

In contrast, when this low-quality corporate-chain restaurant opened on Sunday, a line of eager buyers stood in the 23-degree cold air for hours before its 10am Grand Opening.  
It shows their sense of priority.

Four years ago, this situation became bad for society.  It continues to worsen.  Please read this related blog entry for a notable example:

https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2016/06/losing-brasserie.html

Whether they use a Mercedes or welfare Food Stamps, typical Americans want corporate-operated "fast food" (usually via a Drive-Through).  They wait on long lines for it.





They adore "junk food".  









They choose to stand and wait inconveniently on long lines (in all kinds of weather).

To compare, look how few corporate "Fast Food" places exist in Amsterdam.  The capital of the Netherlands only has several.  Like ants following grease, they form a line from the Central Train Station down to the largest museum.  Clearly, they are there for tourists who take that route.  Nobody else seems to want those foods, as evident by their absence anywhere else.

Compare that to the same sized map of Queens County, and notice that twice the quantity exists.  By itself, the borough of Astoria has more than the city of Amsterdam.  Obviously, people here crave more unhealthy junk food.

Now, look at how many McDonalds are in Amsterdam.  Do you see the same pattern of locations?

Examine the same radius in NY.  Just the area of Queens County has nearly the entire quantity found in Amsterdam.

For further comparison, here's the quantity of Starbucks in Amsterdam.  Notice the same trail of locations.

In the same sized area, 160 exist in New York!  They're like weeds.  I only included one map picture, instead of all 8.  (Those 160 don't include other locations in the city beyond this map!)

Evidently, Astoria loses higher-quality eateries because its population prefers corporate food and junk food.  They are victims of inundated advertising and corporate sponsorships.  American schemes allow junk food to cost less than nutritious food, funneling more consumers.


I wrote this blurb in 2013, yet nothing changed by 2020!  (Tap on the image to make it bigger and clearer).





Thankfully, Lewis and I are inclusive; we eat all kinds of cuisine.  During our time in Amsterdam, we explored many areas and happily discovered a greater quantity of nutritious eateries, with hand-crafted foods.  It's a cultural difference, and a different level of wisdom.