Store Vacant at Entrance to the Five Towns

The 1,000-square-foot former Verizon Wireless store on the corner of Reyem Drive and Rockaway Turnpike has been on the market for the last year, and at $3,500 a month is a steal, according to Lori Lewis, the listing's agent at Pugatch.

Between its heavily trafficked location at 636 Rockaway Turnpike and the building's great visibility at the entrance to the Five Towns, Lewis said she is confident the property will bring in business.

“It is right by the gateway to [John F. Kennedy Airport] and it is surrounded by a lot of national retailers now,” Lewis said, referring to the  across the street. “It is at a traffic light too, which is very important.”

While the property only has 15 parking spaces, shared with and , Lewis admits that all types of businesses will not work there.

“It’s good for any retail type of use, but not a restaurant because it doesn’t have great parking,” she said. “The main thing it’s good for is another cell phone store or a UPS store.”

Jesse York, the manager of neighboring Mattress Factory Outlet, has seen the positives and negatives of operating in Lawrence over the last 15 years. He said much of the store's success has to do with faith in one's investment, advising new business owners to allow some time for growth when moving to Rockaway Turnpike.

“I have days in the store where nobody comes in for 10 or 12 days out of the month, but then there are good days, so you have to be prepared for that,” York said. “You should just expect since it’s a new business, it will take time to build up customers.”

Although big business like and currently rule the block, York said he feels the area could use something smaller and more intimate for the space.

“I don’t think electronics can go here because you have so many here already, but a showroom-type-place would work,” he said. “We need a locksmith.”

York boasted the neighborhood’s diversity, and agreed with Lewis that the location is what really makes it such a thriving place to operate.

“You have a lot of good stores here and people come from all over,” York explained. “Mostly people from Queens and most of Long Island comes here.”

Pete Parpounas, co-owner of , agrees there are a lot of people from outside the Five Towns shopping on Rockaway Turnpike, however, he is not confident that smaller businesses benefit.

“Sometimes traffic helps and sometimes it makes people that live around here avoid the turnpike,” Parpounas said. “If the turnpike is crowded all the time why not go somewhere else?”

His only suggestion for operating in this economy is to invest everything you have and take the risk.

“People don’t spend like they used to now, and they are watching every penny,” Parpounas warned. “It is so tough with an economy like this, so you have to be the best.”