Living La Vida Local

In the 2001 film "You’ve Got Mail," when a large chain retailer effectively displaces an independent children’s bookseller, it provides the necessary story arc for Tom Hanks’ character to fall for Meg Ryan’s.

But the reality of big-box stores taking over the sidewalks of our neighborhoods is actually the furthest thing from a love story—at least the way Councilmember Brad Lander sees it.

“While I've been in office, lots of people have talked to us about the small businesses they love,” said Lander. “Local shops provide goods and services with a personalized touch, keep jobs and money flowing in our community, contribute to support local causes, and help keep our neighborhoods vibrant and livable.”

But in a bleak economy, these independent businesses . Rising rental costs, competition from chain stores with large advertising budgets and the convenience of online retailers all make it difficult for the mom-and-pop shop to thrive. 

“The stores and restaurants we love will not make it if they don’t have the support of the community,” Lander said, which is why a new “Shop Local” initiative on his website.

The page spotlights a handful of Brooklyn businesses recently nominated by residents with a descriptive review and offering a discount to readers who mention bradlander.com on their next visit to the local business. For instance, a free coffee with purchase at Brooklyn Commune in Windsor Terrace.

So far, 50 constituents have already nominated their favorite local businesses for a Shop Local Spotlight.

Business owners we spoke to, while universally unaware that the campaign existed, were unanimous in appreciating the support.

“We are all about supporting local ourselves,” said co-manager Cecilia Italiani, who has been with the Seventh Avenue café since it opened 10 months ago. “We use local purveyors for all of our baked goods, so it’s a cyclical relationship. If local residents support us, we can support other businesses.”

But just as many owners expressed cautious optimism and even skepticism that the program would do much to impact their day-to-day foot traffic.

“Generally speaking, it’s always good to support Shop Local,” said Annette Englander, co-owner of independent fashion boutique on Seventh Avenue. “But in our experience, the event is always a bust. It’s not well publicized. We stay open late and no one comes in. How does Lander plan to get the word out about this program?”

Other business owners, like Sonia Kim of , feel reluctant to provide additional discounts to shoppers via Lander’s web site.

“I already work with Groupon and with Yelp,” she said, referring to two prominent online resources for coupons and business reviews. “So I would have to think about it. It’s unlikely.”

Still others suggested that it would be more helpful if local government provided advertising breaks to local businesses for subway cars and billboards or if they were given large window decals. But at the end of the day, Lander said, it is the patrons that have the most power.

“People should take pride in shopping locally,” one anonymous street shopper noted. "Then, turn that pride into an actual purchase."