Oyster Bay hopes Billy Joel's store sparks downtown revival

Sitting in the back of his spotless new motorcycle showroom, Billy Joel bemoaned the erosion of the Oyster Bay he grew up with.

"This used to be the place where all the good mom-and-pop shops were," he said. "Then they started putting up the strip malls all around. They kind of chopped the head off. It looked like the town had turned its back on the waterfront."

With Main Street revivals occurring across Long Island, the singer-songwriter is hoping his contribution pushes downtown Oyster Bay above the rest.

20th Century Cycles, which opened this month, offers motorcyclists a place to meet, talk and trade ideas, but local officials are looking for benefits far beyond Joel's storefront.

"It's the most exciting thing to happen in decades," said Isaac Kremer, executive director of Oyster Bay Main Street Association.

Although the Audrey Avenue showroom is closed weekdays and is primarily a place to study vintage-looking custom bikes, Kremer believes it can lead to significant spending in nearby businesses.

"When this place opened, everybody's business became more valuable," he said. "Obviously Billy Joel has name recognition and star power, and hopefully some of that will brush off downtown."

To one business owner, it already has. At Bonanza, a family-run food stand, Joel's Nov. 6 grand opening coincided with an afternoon rush of about 70 customers.

"I don't know if it's just the beginning buzz, but we do see more traffic," Phil Bonanza Jr. said. "It was because of him."

In the past two years, more than two dozen new businesses have opened in downtown Oyster Bay, Kremer said, while private developers have spent millions on improvements to historic buildings.

Joel's shop already has brought in something other projects have not: winter visitors.

"This town just dies," said Ed Bartell, an employee at the popular Gooseberry Grove confectionary. "People go inside and hibernate." Last Thursday, under overcast skies, three motorcyclists chatted outside Joel's closed shop and numerous passersby stopped to peer through the windows at a majestic espresso machine on one side of the room and a new Kawasaki on the other.

"His glass is going to get so dirty," quipped Rob Lucas, a 48-year-old Northport resident who rides a new Harley-Davidson Limited.

"It's an attraction," added Korey Raphael, a 28-year-old Central Islip man with a Harley Sportster 1200. "I came for this today, and I'll probably go get a coffee now."

Joel said weekend riders on Long Island often have "nowhere to go." He assured the crowds attracted to Oyster Bay will prove bikers are a desired demographic.

"People were worried about this becoming . . . 'The Wild One,' " he said, referring to the Marlon Brando film immortalizing unruly bikers. "There's a lot of upscale people riding motorcycles."

Downtown businesses had trouble finding something negative about Joel's impact. George Gowe, a manager at the century-old Nobman's Hardware on Main Street, suggested the extra summer crowds could clog parking and discourage regulars from shopping downtown. But even that came with a disclaimer.

"It's a two-way-street," Gowe said. "But if it's going to bring people here, then hell yes, it's fine."