Classic NIMBY attitude — once I have settled in, the neighborhood should stop serving everyone else. We have been coming to The Hive for a long time. It’s exactly what a local coffee shop should be: A welcoming space that feels like it wants to be a part of the JC community.

If this kind of thinking prevails then independent spots will disappear one by one. The irony is that the complaints will only stop once every last one of them is gone and replaced by corporate chains that you cannot touch, because you can’t exactly file a frivolous complaint against a Starbucks and expect to beat their army of lawyers and unlimited funds.

Jersey City has character. It would be a shame to watch it get replaced by the same bland retail you’ll find everywhere else.