dunkin donuts

i always have mixed feelings about my neighborhood. . .

the upside:
safe
quiet at night
nice running path along the east river
relatively close to central park
4 grocery stores nearby
bus stop just outside my apartment that gets me to work in 15 minutes
good wing place a block away
nice neighborhood video store a block away where the staff actually knows movies
good bagel place a block away
rainbow- in it's all around weirdness
good "trash"

the downside:
overpriced, subpar restaurants
mostly fratty, sports bars
babystrollers and nannies galore
overpriced grocery stores
lack of cute boutiques and shops
lack of diversity
lack of grittiness
dogs that pee all over the good "trash"

and now to add to the negative list- dunkin donuts- representing the sad but seemingly inevitable sprawl of the chain establishments to all parts of manhattan. . . don't get me wrong- i enjoy dunkin donuts and target as much as the next person . . . but i fear this will take away one of the things the UES still has going for it, the mom n pop stores & restaurants (albeit expensive and not necessarily the best, but at least independent) which help distinguish the neighborhood from the rest of the country.