Some Park Slope residents are unhappy about the increasing number of frozen yogurt shops in their neighborhood. Even frozen yogurt's biggest fans have got to be questioning how much is enough. And...they're all chain stores.
Meanwhile, on the Upper West Side, two more frozen yogurt shops are scheduled to open soon on Amsterdam Avenue, bringing the total to eight on the stretch from 72nd to 86th. Every one of them is part of a chain.
Chain stores, with their overabundance and sameness, are among the many negative results of gentrification. The space they take up--one, two, or three stores' worth--would be better occupied by independent small businesses that cater to the needs of the neighborhoods they serve.