Located in Yonkers east of the Hudson River, between Getty Square and exit 23A-B off the Henry Hudson Parkway, South Broadway is the home of 200 to 250 businesses, many small and ranging from restaurants and apparel stores to local pharmacies and automotive repair shops. For more than 20 years, the South Broadway Business Improvement District (SBBID), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, has collaborated with business and property owners to maintain and enhance the district”™s economic strength and pull.
Thanks in large part to SBBID”™s assistance, South Broadway remains a small-business hotspot. Its location in southwest Yonkers places it within easy reach of people in various parts of New York City and Westchester. It also is accessible by bus or by train via the Ludlow station.
SBBID Chairman Dennis Monasebian cited the immigrant experience and resulting cultural diversity as key to understanding the district”™s character and success. “South Broadway has been consistently serving as a steppingstone to both new Americans coming here and native-born Americans who also want to get a good start on something,” he told the Business Journals.
The street reflects the strong work ethic and authentic sensibilities of the communities that have converged in the area through the decades. Walking along the district, one is met by Mediterranean businesses Grill House and Hala Market and Latin American restaurants La Pupusa Loca and Caridad & Louie”™s. Eateries aside, Optica Latina caters to the vision needs of the Hispanic community in Yonkers and the Bronx.
Since most of its businesses are locally based, South Broadway presents a down-to-earth environment. The large number of small businesses, many family owned and operated, creates an intimate and unique atmosphere for shoppers. The storefronts include nail care salon Valentine Nail and The Brothers Barber Shop on adjacent Radford Street. Some national names also can be found, including Rite Aid, Subway and European streetwear retailer Snipes.
The district”™s healthy economy is partly the result of SBBID marketing the location as an attractive shopping destination. The organization hosts traditional ribbon-cutting ceremonies complete with local media and politicians in attendance for grand openings and spotlights businesses through flyers and updates on its website and in social media.
The nearby half-acre Lincoln Park also is a source of indirect marketing for the BID. At times it serves as a venue for entertainment, contests, giveaways and other activities staged by the SBBID both to enrich the community and to bring people from far and wide to the area, increasing awareness for South Broadway businesses.
Additional efforts to elevate South Broadway”™s appeal include deploying a clean-up crew, the Rangers Clean Team, to keep streets and sidewalks free from rubbish, weeds and snow. Silvestre Gutierrez, the Rangers Clean Team crew chief, was honored with a proclamation from Mayor Mike Spano.
To sustain an air of safety and trust among vendors and consumers, the district keeps a tight-knit relationship with the Yonkers Police Department and has its very own patrolman for added security.
“At the end of the day, in my opinion, the most important thing is a good and effective relationship with the police department, and that we”™ve got,” Monasebian said. SBBID”™s close cooperation with the Yonkers Police Third Precinct has been instrumental in deterring the local impact of spikes in shoplifting witnessed throughout the country.
SBBID helps facilitate financial aid for business owners under its wing, one of the organization”™s most critical functions. It acts as a guide and middleman for the district, directing owners to local banks and raising awareness of grant and loan programs offered by government bodies and nonprofits. The group also helped facilitate one-on-one educational sessions for merchants with personnel from the Small Business Administration.
As for Covid-19”™s effects on the street, South Broadway was left relatively unscathed by the first and more devastating wave of Covid-19 and continues to weather the crisis.
“I think we suffered considerably less than other areas in the entire metropolitan area,” Monasebian recalled. “We lost a few tenants, but nearly all of our tenants who were there before the virus are still there now, and some of them even expanded as we got to the tail end.” He also noted that businesspeople in the area take Covid safety measures seriously.
“We keep getting new and good businesses opening up,” Monasebian said. “A business can open up anywhere they want. If they”™re choosing South Broadway over some other location in Westchester, that says something very significant.”
