First, a study of the demographics of the Cedar Lane neighborhood. Who are we? What are our needs? More stores for seniors? More ethnic restaurants? New services now absent? Additional nearby housing? Improvements in parking and public transit? What did other business districts do in the past 10 years that has proven successful? Smart public investment might attract smart private investment. Design a proper survey form using the Township website or the Patch.
My personal preferences are these:
A circulating bus to bring residents to/from all Teaneck shopping districts.
Remove a lane of cars order to have wider sidewalks. Stop planting trees where the sidewalk is 5 ft wide!
Take out the bus stop bumpouts which takes up two lanes of traffic. Also take out the sad looking planting areas.
Replace the worn, dirty "Parking" direction signs with new ones.
Bus shelters, of course.
Nearby, mid-rise middle income housing perhaps near our Stop and Shop.
Consider building a central parking structure and turning the other parking lots into commercial or residential property.
Replace the energy inefficient street lighting. The poles are too high!
Cooperate with the County engineers and designers.

I'd like to see some type of casual, all-inclusive family spot for the community. Or maybe a retail store (i.e., Gap) or revisit talks with Starbucks (don't know the specifics re: last communications). Teaneck is a wonderful town, but if small businesses are not doing as well, wouldn't it be better to explore other options other than seeing store closings and vacant retail space?

I think a PayLess show store might thrive on Cedar Lane. There's an empty lot near Stop and Shop. Perhaps it can be turned into additional parking.

Take a look at Westwood and Ridgewood. Both have thriving downtown areas that are a pleasure to visit and shop along. I can get craft items and cosmetics at a discount, a choice of clothing stores, and a variety of restaurants in either town. I can't even get a cup of coffee in a coffee shop since Blast closed, much less a Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks on Cedar Lane. Bring in another drugstore chain! We don't have enough of them in Teaneck!

Starbuck's would be a great start to getting other good businesses. We don't need anymore eateries or hair/nail salons.

LOWER RENTS!

We definitely need more options for non-kosher restaurants, both dine in and take out -- Japanese, Italian, seafood, vegetarian, etc... A good deli offering delicious soups all year around with garden or outdoor seating would be great. The hole left in Cedar Lane by the loss of ANIMATIONS needs to be filled, and some other clothing store options would also be good (no offense to existing stores).

We don't need another pharmacy - that's for sure. It would be great if the theater would open as an arts theater. It would be great for the Bergen County community. That would help existing and new restaurants and shops to survive. I'd love to see a bookstore like Balabans - perhaps with a cafe.

We do NOT need another big box drug store. There was a Walgreens on Cedar Lane that closed. A priority should be to re-open the movie theater with upgrades...it would be an anchor that would draw crowds and allow other businesses to flourish. There are already some great stores on Cedar Lane that deserve our business. Simply The Best for clothing, Teaneck General Store, Larry's Auto Repairs, Bischoff's and some great restaurants. Ultra Chic for accessories, Brier Rose for books...and many more. Check them out.

1. the idea to make the street narrower in favor of more street-side parking is a great idea! Lack of parking is something that often makes me eschew Cedar Lane in favor of another shopping destination like Englewood
2. consider sidewalk outdoor dining for the numerous restaurants in town. I personally find this very appealing, and we do seek that option out elsewhere
3. NO MORE PHARMACIES -- that doesn't drive in business at all
4. Starbucks (my own personal first choice) or Panera. I work from home a lot, and i would definitely work at Starbucks at least twice a week if we had one (wifi)
5. We have enough Chinese/Japanese food. How about a beautiful brunch spot?
6. a movie theater or other performing arts place is something that makes downtown a destination. a comedy club, maybe, I don't know that much about how one creates such a thing, but I imagine it's be very appealing.
7. other places that are important enough to be anchors -- gap, old navy, chico's, massage envy, the list can go on and on. we need anchors, though, which will ultimately help the support-type stores we have an abundance of.

i think that we could use a botique movie theatre that allows you to eat while you watch the movies. it could serve kosher and non kosher food.
families could go here people of all ages.
they could use local resaurants for food or have their own kitchen.
david wank

I love the bookstore and cafe idea! Also, some sort of toy store that has stuff that the Toys R Uses doesn't have. I wish people had supported Blast enough to keep it here. I will be very upset if Walgreens opens where Louie's was - we have enough pharmacies and we should support the ones we have.

The first things we need to do, which I haven't seen discussed are the parking and the cops. The parking situation is terrible. Englewood completely redesigned the parking on palisade ave which allowed them to grow the area. The parking on cedar lane is limited and inconvenient. Secondly, with all due respect to our police dept, teaneck cops have a reputastion for being extremely nasty and ticket hungry. i hear people say that they dont even like driving through teaneck beacuse of the cops. I myself have gotten a parking ticket on cedar lane for parking outside the painted lines. i am much more apt to go to a starbucks in hackensack because i can get out of town easier to not have to deal with the cops. perhaps if the parking enforcement were more reasonable, people woud come out and support their own town

make it similar to palisades ave in englewood. gamestop, panera, delis, arcade, movie theatre,more trendy cafes,and possibly a burger spot like 5 guys.taco bell

Former Teaneck resident (born and raised) who still brags about her home town, its amazing schools (THS Class of '77), fantastic library, and a great downtown. I am glad to see that Bischoff's is still there. I hope that J&J Pharmacy, Gretzels, Butterflake, Harry J's, Rocklins, Davis Toystore, etc. are still there. Please do not over national chain the place - it will ruin it. I think Art Vatsky had some of the best ideas but I remind all to take into account how the disabled will manage with central parking. Some need the equipment found on public buses in order to get into the bus in a wheel chair. Without it, the disabled will not be able to shop on Cedar Lane. Other thoughts: Starbucks, yes; another drugstore, no; an art theater with an upscale restaurant, yes (look up the Angelika Theater in Houston, TX - a huge success); sidewalk dining (cafe style), yes. I could go on but this is hopefully enough from someone who loves and is proud of her dear home town. Lori Jean Meyer Khan

We agree with all of the above, lots of good ideas. Even though we moved away from Teaneck we are still there several times a week. Above all Teaneck needs a good marketing plan and follow-up to revitalize Cedar Lane. Get the landlords and the Chamber of Commerce to invest in a good Cedar Lane Development effort before it's too late. Thanks Patch for doing this. Ruth and Peter Adler.

More stores that cater to teenagers/young adults/college students! Teaneck is a great family town but young people also want hang out spots of their own and places they can shop and afford

Since Blast went out of biz, there's no place to hang with a cup of coffee. I'd love to see that here.

Something similar to Starbucks. How about Coffee Bean??.?

Why do we need another pharmacy on Cedar Lane?

would love to see Starbucks!

Heard from someone that knows Tim & Steve from Larry's Sunoco that they may sell to Walgreen's . What they would do is turn Louie's and Larry's Sunoco into a huge Walgreen's. I really hope they don't do this. I think it's stupid since we HAD a Walgreens down the street and they closed, plus you have CVS right there like 3 stores away and we have J & J pharmacy right across the street. That would put J & J out of business so how is that saving Cedar Lane. I really hope they don't sell to Walgreen's but ya know money talks and that's what's going to happen. I for one will NOT shop in that store. I love J & J pharmacy and that's where I will go. I used to go to Walgreen's and the service was bad, went to CVS only because it was 24 hrs. and we had kids at home at the time, service was bad there too. Still is. When my last kid left home I switched over to J & J and I love it there. I never have to worry about our prescriptions, everyone there goes out of there way to help you and answer all your questions. Too bad J & J couldn't buy out Louies and move over there.

Ladies and gentlemen: Businesses decide to invest in hopes of making a profit. A number of years ago, we had a plethora of bagel shops on Cedar Lane. The market soon sorted things out. Sitting in your armchair and opining on what kind of business should or should not invest in Teaneck is plain dumb. I, personally, believe that J&J and CVS are sufficient for the demand. So I would not invest my money to compete. But If another business thinks they can compete, and wishes to try and offer residents more choice, then who are we to argue? If the newer store does a better job, it will prosper. If older stores feel the need to modernize, lower prices or whatever to compete, then we will benefit. Please stop trying to push a socialist agenda. Stay out of the way and let the free market work. Remove impediments. Don't sit there inventing new ones.

I really think that threads like this are useless. Why suggest what you "want" and not what you are willing to go to? A coffee place? One just closed. You didn't go. Movie theater? Same thing. Non-kosher restaurant (a La Ms. Ostroth)? Closed also. But let's not have any more of the stores that are still open.

And let's emulate the angled parking in Englewood which is such a constant traffic nightmare. While we are at it, let's copy Englewood and have a Burger King on the main drag also.

All of our pipe dreams are useless. We keep looking for some magic bullet to bring in outsiders but we don't find any fault in ourselves. We did spend enough stuff at Animotions or Mabat or Louie's or Cravings or one of the other tens of stores to have closed in the last 20 years. We did not allow even higher taxes in order to create subsidies. We insisted on more parking instead of encouraging walking. We found reasons for not supporting what we had or recognizing what we have. And now we make lists of what we want to see instead of being thankful for anyone willing to invest in our real estate and survive to pay his rent.

Maybe Dollar stores, pharmacies, nail places and banks aren't glamorous. But they stay open. Probably because people use them.

when we came to teaneck, we had a beautiful gift shop /card store on cedar lane. we had a movie house , and the town had a charming feel to it. yes, times have changed, a chain coffee house large enough to hold a crowd and decorated to entice people to come would be wonderful news !!! of course, opening the theater with some art and foreign films, perhaps some boutique clothing shops, and a gap would round things out. perhaps anthropology? cedar lane is not even charming to look at !!!.... we need a whole lot more "charm" to make the area inviting !!...i agree that westwood, and ridgewood are my places to go !! also the area in edgewater that has beautiful upscale apts in the same small shopping center as ann taylor, ulta ( makeup),cafe's, chico's.... use some successful areas as your models !!!....the "brainiacs" who forsee a walgreens as the answer, should be given a HUGE BACKSEAT in this decision !!!!

I think these comments are worthwhile. No one has mentioned the idea of a Teaneck circulating bus to get residents to ALL our business areas. Teens, seniors, non-drivers, could meet their needs somwhere in Teaneck. For instance, dining at Japanese East, Classic Quiche, or Taipai Noodle House would be on the route. Council, can we try it for the summer?
Sorry to say it, but I would trade one row of parking (or traffic) for 10 feet extra sidewalk width. Cedar Lane sidewalk is five foot wide in some places. You can't even stop to think about going into a shop without blocking other pedestrians.
Outside dining would be possible with wider sidewalks.
Remove the bus stop bumpouts but keep the crosswalk bumpouts.
We have a sign machine. Can we have some nice, new "Welcome" and "Free Parking This Way" signs installed? If you were a first time visitor to a commercial area, wouldn't you like to greeted that way?

I enjoy reading these ideas on here. It is interesting to see what other Teaneck people think about Cedar Lane. I am most surprised that i see a good amount of people agreeing!! I find there to be a more "civilized" discussion on here. Letters in the Suburbanite are usually very strange and its always the same five people so I like the comments. Of course there is onuly so much that us citizens can do. It is amazing to me that council has still not proposed any marketing plan to major effort to take care of Cedar Lane. Yes, other business districts have big problems too but Cedar Lane has the history of Teanecks primary downtown. Also location is most ideal. There is already amble parking in several large lots. Art, yes signs would be nice. Anything to upgrade the general shabby appearances of Teaneck's downtowns. However we still need better stores there.

Please... not another bank.
I have been a resident for over 40 years. Back in the 70's and 80's there were shoe stores and clothing stores and they were successful. As the needs or what the "needs" pretended to be changed.. business failures followed. If you do not need to bank, eat or have your nails done, you so not need to come to Cedar Lane. And yes.. I agree...CVS... we have plenty. Walgreens was located below IHOP and failed. Putting it in Louies spot with little or no parking... Not good. I also agree that we need to go back to a Payless or Gap or mainstream retailer.. SUCCESSFUL RETAILER.. and lure them in for the long term. Good Luck Teaneck.

Do we actually know that Walgreens failed? There could have been a corporate decision to consolidate due to economy at the time and now their business model is saying time to open again. I agree with David. Let the market work. I had a fish restaurant on cedar lane for three years. I wasn't able to get the non kosher community to come in numbers Kosher minded consumers can only support so many places. The stores that open on cedar lane have to be able to reach EVERYONE.

We need another theater back on Cedar Lane!!! What a pleasure it was having our own theater which showed mainly adult and independent films.
The last thing we needed was another chain drug store. How about a Starbucks?

Forget The GAP or Payless. Both chains have closed hundreds of stores and will close more this year. Why would they come to Teaneck? A fastfood place as horrible as it may seem to some is an attraction. Wendy's and McDonald's are both located in downtown Englewood and do well. People want a quick, cheap place to grab a bite while shopping. And, yes, it is an alternative to a kosher restaurant though there is nothing inherently wrong with those.

Looks like Viet-Nam will get a Starbucks before Cedar Lane...sniff, sniff. If we can believe the NY Times that is.

the jitney idea is EXCELLENT! Is it financially feasible? We live about 1.5 miles from downtown Cedar Lane. It's walk-able or drive-able, of course, but if we could jump on a jitney we'd go there a lot more often. We'd be there all the time! I would consider letting my 13 year old son meet friends downtown if there was a jitney. That would be a nice way to transition him into more independence. I like this idea a lot.

There is a jitney bus in Englewood. Perhaps we can learn from out neighbor.

I think these comments are great but I think the emphsis should be on the shopper not the store type. I am sure there are people and companies much smarter than me who match socio economics with buying habits. From there you decide what sotres to reach out to. This however has to be a clearly planned effort over time.

How about the Elie Y. Katz museum.

taking away a lane of traffic for more street parking is insane. One simply can't drive as it is in the slow lane because of all the double parking. Cedar lane needs a parking structure badly.

Cedar Lane is a county road. They have jurisdiction, not Teaneck. Please remember that there are stretches of it that are 2 lanes. Taking a lane of parking and using it to widen the sidewalks say, five feet on each side of the street, would improve the sense of place/destination that we want Cedar Lane to be. Shoppers at malls walk much farther to get to a store than a Cedar Lane shopper who knows where to park. That is why parking signs are so important. A first time visitor is surrounded by cars, buses, trucks, jaywalkers, ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, sirens, sun glare, traffic lights with turn signals. It is almost like our Cedar Lane is designed to discourage new shoppers. Where are signs that says "Welcome to Cedar Lane. Parking this Way . . . "

How about a Chipotle restaurant?

Except for Starbucks all of these, Chipotle, McDonald's, BurgerKing, etc are franchises. Put your money up and open one.

People have suggested Panera, Chipotle, McD's, and other fast food places. I'm not against any of these as they draw people to the area. But, as you state they cost a lot of money to put up.
Ten years ago the section West of the RR tracks in Englewood with their steel shuttered windows looked like the South Bronx. This is not the case today; Englewood accommodated a supermarket along with a small shopping center. I believe that helped build up the area that now exists on the West side of the RR tracks. We could have a similar venture where the Stop & Shop is located. But I'll bet there'd be an uproar from residents in Teaneck. Remember the uproar that went up when Edwards proposed a supermarket. People are comparing Teaneck to Englewood and Ridgewood. Apples and oranges. Look at the layout of these two other towns. Side streets with shops to the side of them. Teaneck has one small St., Cedar Lane. To the East of the RR tracks is all professional buildings and a 3 banks and a very small number of shops and a couple of restaurants. Certainly not conducive to walking around but just to get to the place you have your business to tend.On the West side of the RR tracks on Cedar Lane are a number of hair and nail salons. There are three stores that sell religious items. All but Judaica House I've never seen anyone in the other two. There are 7 banks and numerous restaurants along with some shops. All in a distance of 1/2 mile.So, what is the problem on Cedar Lane. PARKING!...

...I've come to the conclusion that the best that could happen to improve the Cedar Lane shopping district is to raze the place and put up apartment buildings with shops underneath. Look to Englewood for guidance in this.

There is plenty of parking in the downtown area and it is free, unlike Englewood & Hackensack. Street parking is inherently limited, aside from double parkers who should be arrested and sent to prison, ten years hard labor. We can't expect to get the princess spot every time we park. For the majority who can, park in the FOUR free public lots and walk. Englewood built a public pay for parking lot on the edge of their shopping district ; I don't think this is an good example for Teaneck.

I don't understand why some people are complaining about lack of parking. There is plenty of parking behind the stores. You just have to walk around the corner. Good exercise and you can quickly get to the stores. I do agree with the brunch restaurant idea and would love to see one on Cedar Lane.

We've spent over a decade investing in Cedar Lane...where is the wish list and investment into Teaneck Rd. I go into Englewood and support the stores & Starbucks before i support the mess that Cedar Lane is. Its a headache to drive thru, a headache to find parking, and the stores look unappealing. Why should my tax dollars support a continuous investment into one part of town only.

Cedar Lane needs a bagel store

Teaneck’s Cedar Ln –a commercial area- needs reinvestment and redevelopment. It is helpful to get suggestions from the public about businesses they would like to see. Let’s add some practical business thinking to the mix. First, please keep in mind that for the most part, you are dealing with the private ownership of property. These are small business people, they pay taxes, they create jobs and they have protected rights. It is a fact that market conditions determine investment choices. Like most NJ towns the buildings are old and need to be upgraded, improved or replaced. Somebody has to finance this work. It is also a true that most NJ towns make getting approvals for new uses and improvements too expensive for small businesses which are preferred by the public. And yes, that may mean additional parking spaces and better enforcement policy. You have choices. Accept decline or encourage your elected officials and municipal administration to stimulate reinvestment. This usually means changes to land use regulations and the approval policy. Be open for business, encourage reinvestment and new businesses will find Cedar Ln.
Robert Steelman
Broker, 4a Realty

@Barbara, Amen about the double parking and the ''entitled'' who double park because they are only in to a store for a minute. They are not only ''entitled'' they are selfish and inconsiderate. And angled parking ala Englewood would be welcome. I'm still mulling the meter situation though.

If anyone has gone to Tenafly Gourmet Farms,I would love to see something like that here. I also feel a nice diner would be a great addition now that we have lost Louie's.

Let's see a question and answer survey. . This open forum is probably not going anywhere although it is good for venting. I would love to see our downtown mirror Englewood's with ethnic restaurants that reflect Teaneck's wonderful diversity also clothing boutiques and maybe nail salons (joking!). Walgreens at Louie's is silly. There's no parking and we already had a Walgreens and it closed.

I am surprised to see people suggesting parking like in Englewood's downtown. One of the reasons I avoid that area is the horrific parking. It's a pain to back out into traffic and anyone parking or leaving a space causes a traffic back up.
Love the jitney idea! It would also add jobs to the township while providing a safe way for our teens, seniors, and other non-drivers to get to Cedar Lane.
Definitely bring back the theater!
When I was growing up in Teaneck, we had some good, basic clothing stores - non boutique style. While I enjoy Simply the Best, I can only shop there for myself - not my children. Farfalina sells beautiful children's clothes, but it's usually out of my price range. (Are they still open?) I'd love to see a store in Teaneck where I could get clothing basics for the whole family.

A Carvel and we could use a good bagel store

It seems that the consensus for a movie theater is overwhelming. Resources should be invested in helping it reopen.
The jitney idea is great. With some key stops up and down the main avenues.Angled parking is difficult, but a parking garage might work better, or expansion of municipal parking.
In terms of the types of stores, it's up to potential store owners to do their research and open if they're interested. Most everyone would like a diversity of types of stores.
Revisiting the blue laws would help as well!

I think Wendy accurately captured the actionable items on this thread. Bravo.

It seems that everyone here seems to not get it.

I live in Teaneck, on Walraven Drive and have a car. Why would I possibly want to drive to Cedar Lane instead of the Garden State Plaza and surrounding stores??? In order to get some crappy chinese product from a store that has limited hours, no websites, terrible return/exchange policies, stores not listed on google maps and not to mention large privately-owned climate-controlled walkable bazaars (malls) with large parking structures attached.

If I am taking the car out, trust me - I am not heading to Cedar Lane unless it is for food and a parking garage or angled parking is not going to change that.

 I do regularly goto the West Englewood Avenue Business District -
I WALK to the :
Restaurants
Mister K convience store
Cleaners
Supermarket
Chase Bank
Walgreens
Dunkin Donuts
NJTRANSIT 167T State Street Stop
Mexicali Live
Post Office
State Farm Insurance Office

I have noticed that around lunchtime on West Englewood Ave, many workers from the nearby offices eat lunch at the restaurants.

The office parks on Cedar Lane are seperated from the business district.

In my view, every side street on Cedar Lane should have WALKABLE office buildings in order to provide the "warm bodies" to keep the district alive. Next, the offices should transition into apartments, then small homes.

You make good points. We need more "walkable" areas with stores that attract foot traffic and housing options. Have you seen the high end apartments over Englewood downtown? No TAXPAYER money should be directed toward opening a movie theater at all. The Cedar Lane cinemas was actually a laughing stock around town and bergen county for how run down it was. Unless it's a modern theater to compete with malls then not worth the effort at all. I am still sad about the loss of louie's... walgreens is a disgrace

I'd like to see a group of ethnic kiosks under one roof. We have a diversified population, but not all nationalities are represented. Vendors could offer gifts, jewelry, books, music, clothing, art, and food items from "the old countries". It would connect generations within individual families and educate others.
Nancy

Trader Joe's?

I would love to have a Trader Joe's in Teaneck, but since there is already one in Paramus and one in Westwood, I doubt they would consider another one in Teaneck.

Retail stores, fast food restaurants, coffee shop. Anything but a bank or a drug store.

Yes to Trader Joe's, bookstore, and reopening the movie theater. No to another pharmacy. Driving on Cedar Lane is a nuisance. Cops should ticket double parkers and the traffic blockers at Dunkin Donuts. I miss the farmer's market when it closes.

I've always thought those double parkers on Cedar have a right to be there.
We already have a bookstore. Forget Trader Joe's, there is no parking on Cedar Lane. The movie theater is re-opening. One of three ain't bad.

There is space for trader joes where the old Walgreens used to be. They simply must get rid of those specifically ethnic stores that are overpriced and constantly empty that have been opening and closing cyclically in that spot since Walgreens closed. Everyone would appreciate the great prices of trader joes and the neighborhood aesthetic will improve immensely.

Well, then we just have to change our form of government in this town to allow for a dictator so these types of stores cannot open.

Or just someone to think for five extra minutes past what the current regime is doing so they can look at past history and see these stores don't work.