the LES wants change

Lower East Side businesses are expecting change for the better after this Election Day, if Sen. Barack Obama is elected, that is.

Storeowners in the neighborhood characterized by vintage shops and independent boutiques have been feeling the pain of the recession in recent weeks but with Obama elected, they hope people will be more willing to spend their money.

Today, Robert James, owner of the Robert James boutique on Orchard Street, dressed his mannequins in t-shirts that read “vote”. He wears a Barack Obama t-shirt, leaving no mystery as to the candidate he voted for.

“The country will be in better stead under a Democratic president,” he said. “That’s the way it’s been in recent times, economically and environmentally.”

James’s boutique has only been in business for two months, but has already seen the effects of the recession. In fact, he obtained his loan on the day the stock market first fell dramatically and says its amount dropped significantly.

“I’m just holding on for dear life now," he said. "The numbers right now are good, but it’s tough.”

Kris Jensen, owner of Hello Sari, a clothing store on Broome Street, agrees with James’s choice of president. She says business for her has been bad for at least a year and has only gotten worse recently.

“When Clinton was president my business was great,” she said.

For Lower East Side storeowners the choice is clear: a democrat in the White House will restore confidence to shoppers who, today at least, were few in number.