SeeClickFeast: Shake Shack comes to New Haven

Like every member of the New Haven Community, our stomachs rumbled in approval at the recent news that Shake Shack will be opening a location here in town; in fact, it will be right down the street from our office on Chapel Street.  For those of you who don’t know, Shake Shack is a mini-chain that originated in New York that has developed a devoted following, especially for its signature “roadside” burgers.   A problematic temptation for those trying to abide by diets? Perhaps.  A positive development for the “thrilling urban renaissance,” in the words of Shake Shack Founder Danny Meyer, currently underway in New Haven? Definitely.  

In fact, the restaurant will open in a space that is owned by Yale University, but has been unoccupied for years.  For some New Haveners, this became a source of frustration, because they felt that this prime location should not have languished, underutilized, for so long.  Where do engaged citizens turn when they want to express themselves on an issue relevant to their community?  SeeClickFix, of course.

In SeeClickFix Issue # 14074, New Haven residents bandied about ideas for the space, and encouraged Yale to find a suitable tenant for the location.  The issue received a lot of attention, garnering nearly six thousand views.  Yale representative Bruce Anderson even contributed to the comment thread, writing, “...we are within 30-60 days of announcing a tenant for this space.”  This is another great example of how we’re helping to bring communities together, and its especially satisfying since it concerns our own neighborhood.

So, a hearty welcome to our soon to be neighbors, Shake Shack.  We look forward to enjoying a burger in the near future.

More Crime or More Eyes?

Owners of a Peruvian restaurant in a high-crime area of New Haven were denied permission to build a porch for outdoor seating at a zoning hearing last week. Local cops claimed that a porch would further aggravate crime. SeeClickFixers, however, are suggesting that more eyes on the street could be better for that corner.

Local developer De Frutos points at the corner in question, overgrown and underused. Photo courtesy of the NH Independent

What do you think? How have similar issues played out in other cities? Will building a porch help take back the street, provide a high-concentration of potential crime victims, or none of the above?

Check out the New Haven Independent article that brought the issue to light and the corresponding SeeClickFix thread. It will be interesting to see how this issue unfolds.

SeeClickFix: Journalism in its "Purest and Rawest Form"

An article published today in a blog by The Guardian makes an emphatic case for why SeeClickFix is such a great tool for journalists. Local news reporters can use SeeClickFix to glean important facts and quotes for a story, reducing the cost of pounding the pavement for cash strapped publications.

Author Dan Kennedy (pictured at right) uses SeeClickFix's partnership with hyperlocal news-site the New Haven Independent as a case study in the relationship between SeeClickFix and local journalism. In doing so, he provides some serious publicity for a SeeClickFix issue about an unattractive storefront in downtown New Haven, which the Independent turned into a news story in January.

Thanks again to the author Dan Kennedy, who stopped by the SeeClickFix office in May to chat with Ben.

Kennedy describes how the Independent's managing editor Melissa Bailey used SeeClickFix to assemble the facts for her story:

I spotted the SeeClickFix ticket when it popped up on our homepage through an RSS feed [...] The story was perfectly lined up – I had the location (pinpointed on a map) and a stream of quotable comments critiquing the facade. All I had to add for the story was a photo of the storefront and a call to the owner.

Kennedy writes that while many internet forums on news-sites degenerate into "banality and sheer nastiness," SeeClickFix manages to "channel audience participation in constructive, useful ways."

The article presents two different perspectives on the relationship between SeeClickFix and journalism, one from CEO Ben Berkowitz and from New Haven Independent Editor Paul Bass. Surprisingly, the more glowing review of SeeClickFix came from outside the company.

While Ben said that he does not consider SeeClickFix to be journalism but a "tool for journalists," Bass called SeeClickFix journalism "in its purest and rawest form." According to Bass, SeeClickFix:

"brings out information that journalists wouldn't have known about, information that often leads to good stories upon further investigation. It also makes things happen. In New Haven it has restored my faith in democracy as I've watched city officials monitor the site and act upon its complaints."

Please click here to read the full article! And check out Kennedy's interview with Ben that served as the basis for the Guardian piece.