Pix 11 News

Rising Rents Blamed for Disappearing Gas Stations

Real estate prices in Brooklyn’s booming neighborhoods could make it harder for drivers to find gas in the future. In Crown Heights, some are blaming the closure of two neighborhood gas stations in the past month on the rising rental market.

“I think the landlords, they’re the ridiculous ones because they’re closing up all the gas stations in order to build buildings for residences and things like that,” said Randy Perotte, of Crown Heights.

Most say it’s not a big surprise, considering studio apartments in Crown Heights now average more than $1,500 a month.

“The land is changing, the area is changing, look they’re putting up a 15-story building here, and the prices are being raised all over, even in the supermarkets,” said resident Sybil Henry.

While most drivers agree that it’s still a lot easier to find a gas station in Brooklyn than across the East River in Manhattan, some are worried that won’t always be the case.

“We could use more,” said Crown Heights resident Shawn Chalmers. “Those were very convenient, the ones that they’re shutting down now.”

And with fewer places to pump, and more people living in the neighborhood, drivers are worried that the gas stations that stay open will empty their wallets when they fill up their tanks.

7 Comments

  • k

    Danger! Between the lines it blames the Jews!

    The rents are controlled by the landlords…a politician named the Jews as the landlords.

  • High Gas Prices

    Did anyone think to blame the high cost of gas? What do you think it costs the station owner to fill his 10k – 20k gallon tanks for each grade of gas?

  • Ritva Rashba

    Wait a 2nd it sounds acc 2 this article that the gas stations r bein offered $$$ 2 buy the land of the gas stations so they could build buildings ? Who says the gas station has 2 sell their land, they could do watever they want with it, they don’t have 2 sell it, so who is sayin that bec of “building buildings” that is the reason there will b less gas stations ? Come on plz

    • Milhouse

      That’s silly. The only reason a gas station exists is to make money. If someone offers the owner more money than he can make by keeping it open, that it would be silly of him to refuse it, unless he expects that next year or the year after they’ll offer even more.

  • New Jersey

    Who buys gas in NY anyway? Blame the state taxes you pay for your high gas prices.

  • declasse' intelectual

    #2) their are places in the United States where gas is way under $3.00 a gallon.
    One reason the gas prices are so high in new yorkm is all the taxes–just wait until the new mayor gets his way!

  • CR

    When Manhattan became too expensive the downtown yuppies found more affordable digs in Park Slope and Borough Hall. When those neighborhoods became out of reach they headed to Williamburg. Now Crown Heights is on their radar. In another 20 years there will be a clear line of gentrification extending all the way to East New York.