Courageous Civilian Attempts to Rein the Marc Jacobs-ification of the West Village

Per Curbed today, there is a grassroots force fighting the good fight against Marc Jacobs' slow and steady, and then fast and furious, takeover of the West Village. Gary Stern, a resident of Abingdon Square, will stop at nothing (well, maybe he'd stop for a generous gift card?) to keep Bleecker Street and its environs -- which currently sport six Marc Jacobs stores with a cafe on the way -- from getting too "fancy."

According to the Villager, Stern tracked down Mike Joyce, the guy behind the "More Jane Jacobs, Less Marc Jacobs" T-shirt campaign of a few years ago "in hopes of jump-starting a new movement." And he's asked Community Board 2 to implement restrictions on "certain kinds of stores in a certain area."

But C.B. 2 Chairperson Jo Hamilton told the paper that in the absence of commercial rent regulation, not much can be done to prevent Jacobs' gaping (but stylish!) maw from encompassing all in its path. And, since luxury stores can generally afford to pay the rents...well, it's a pretty pickle we've gotten ourselves into, isn't it?

Stern, for his part, misses the '80s, and shopkeepers who used to talk to customers, and so forth.

Well, we all miss the old days, when we could actually afford Marc Jacobs. Or Marc by Marc Jacobs. Whatever: This, and bedbugs, is why we don't even shop anymore.

Stern, once you're done with your campaign over there, can you come to the Bowery and work some magic? Oh, and in the meantime, could you do something about all the fucking cupcakes?

[JDoll]