Anyone Been to Leica NJ? Paint a Picture?

[barjohn]

I have this picture in my mind of strip warehouse offices with a receiving counter and a big open area with dead or dying M8's strewn about and only 4 people trying to answer phones, fix cameras and deal with UPS and FEDEX bringing in more of the sick & wounded. Some one yells triage and they quickly shuffle those to Solms, those to surgery and those to the mortuary. When a caller calls to inquire whther his beloved patient is ok the service/nurse says she hasn't a clue but that you will be contacted to make arrangements soon.

Faxes and emails are scattered about un-answered; "If its important they will send them again" seems to be the attitude.

Am I wrong or is this an accurate picture? So far, emails go unanswered, phone calls are uninformative, faxes are ignored, either these people are very busy or they don't care. In desperation I sent an email to Germany too. So far no response.

[misha]

was there last week. (backfocusing finder). adjusted in 20m. usual corporate nj strip mall. 4-5 rooms. felt like a large optometrist office

[barjohn]

Somehow, I knew that.

[J_Brittenson]

It's Jersey! I'm thinking more along the lines of a bunch of fat guys with movie accents, smoking cigars and looking for opportunities to create 'business'.

[scott kirkpatrick]

Originally Posted by J_Brittenson

It's Jersey! I'm thinking more along the lines of a bunch of fat guys with movie accents, smoking cigars and looking for opportunities to create 'business'.

Google Maps tells me that Allendale is west of the Garden State parkway, out towards Ringwood and Greenwood Lake. That's where the new economy flourishes, not vigorish and racetracks. Think "The Station Agent," instead of "Guys and Dolls." Or Mahwah, NJ, where the gigantic Ford plant isn't any more.

scott

[cometsoft]

Funny you mention "The Station Agent". I've been driving around Westchester and Rockland Counties in NY and every time I see those vendor trucks I think of that movie.

I've been to Allendale once, came across the Tappan Zee and through Saddle River, That side of town is pretty upscale and quiet. Very leafy. It gave me a bucolic impression of Leica, NJ. Suburban in a positive way. The impression maybe completely different coming from the west or south.

Originally Posted by scott kirkpatrick

Google Maps tells me that Allendale is west of the Garden State parkway, out towards Ringwood and Greenwood Lake. That's where the new economy flourishes, not vigorish and racetracks. Think "The Station Agent," instead of "Guys and Dolls." Or Mahwah, NJ, where the gigantic Ford plant isn't any more.

scott

[scott kirkpatrick]

Originally Posted by cometsoft

Funny you mention "The Station Agent". I've been driving around Westchester and Rockland Counties in NY and every time I see those vendor trucks I think of that movie.

I've been to Allendale once, came across the Tappan Zee and through Saddle River, That side of town is pretty upscale and quiet. Very leafy. It gave me a bucolic impression of Leica, NJ. Suburban in a positive way. The impression maybe completely different coming from the west or south.

I used to live in Croton on Hudson, NY and hike most weekends in Harriman Park or thereabouts. Yes, it's remarkably green, but most of New Jersey is green, in fact.

scott

[stuny]

Leica NJ is a few blocks off of Route 17 if you’re heading north, and one block off if you’re headed south. Route 17 is a heavily traveled, three lanes in each direction, high retail commerce road more like one anyplace in the Northeast vs. the stereotypical strip mall after strip mall model. Along the way are two rather upscale, huge malls, as well as all the other things, like service stations, auto dealers, fast-food, furniture stores, etc.

When one pulls into the industrial park in which Leica sits one finds a single story brick building, the northern 1/3 of which is Leica. One enters an outer door, and requests entry via an intercom. Once inside, one of two women will greet you and treat you very well. I’ve forgotten their names, but one is the receptionist, and the other covers for her when she is away from her post, and I think is a bookkeeper. You wait in a large room, three times as long as wide, with comfortable, large chairs, brochures, current magazines, and display cases of Leica products form the camera and sports optics division. You make your request, hand over your equipment, and wait not very long for the receptionist to take your gear and description of the product back to the repair people. Shortly you’ll know whether they can repair it while you wait, repair it on site but send it to you, or send it to Solms for repair. I’ve found their time estimates to be conservative to exact.

Most people who just pass through the state only know the 8-lane sewer running between New York and Delaware (the NJ turnpike), which in Union County passes through a huge oil refinery complex and a huge cargo port. Think of the opening credits of The Sopranos. Most of NJ is rather green.

[cometsoft]

I'm in Bedford and have spent a fair amount of time in Croton Point Park. Was just up in Doodletown yesterday (part of Bear Mountain) photographing Cerulean Warblers. It's a great time of year here.

Originally Posted by scott kirkpatrick

I used to live in Croton on Hudson, NY and hike most weekends in Harriman Park or thereabouts. Yes, it's remarkably green, but most of New Jersey is green, in fact.

scott

[barjohn]

Originally Posted by stuny

Leica NJ is a few blocks off of Route 17 if you’re heading north, and one block off if you’re headed south. Route 17 is a heavily traveled, three lanes in each direction, high retail commerce road more like one anyplace in the Northeast vs. the stereotypical strip mall after strip mall model. Along the way are two rather upscale, huge malls, as well as all the other things, like service stations, auto dealers, fast-food, furniture stores, etc.

When one pulls into the industrial park in which Leica sits one finds a single story brick building, the northern 1/3 of which is Leica. One enters an outer door, and requests entry via an intercom. Once inside, one of two women will greet you and treat you very well. I’ve forgotten their names, but one is the receptionist, and the other covers for her when she is away from her post, and I think is a bookkeeper. You wait in a large room, three times as long as wide, with comfortable, large chairs, brochures, current magazines, and display cases of Leica products form the camera and sports optics division. You make your request, hand over your equipment, and wait not very long for the receptionist to take your gear and description of the product back to the repair people. Shortly you’ll know whether they can repair it while you wait, repair it on site but send it to you, or send it to Solms for repair. I’ve found their time estimates to be conservative to exact.

Most people who just pass through the state only know the 8-lane sewer running between New York and Delaware (the NJ turnpike), which in Union County passes through a huge oil refinery complex and a huge cargo port. Think of the opening credits of The Sopranos. Most of NJ is rather green.

This sounds too nice, clean and efficient. It can't be the same place I sent my camera. Probably the one Guy sends his cameras to.

[tummydoc]

I was in the former Leica NJ facility, haven't been to the Allendale complex as yet. Leica's factory in Solms is about the same size as Nikon's US facility in New York; Leica USA occupies very limited space.

Ugh...Leica and New Jersey are a terrible match, image-wise. I stopped going to New Jersey because I find it to be an utterly mind-numbingly depressing place. I really wish I had never known it existed because it lowers my estimation of planet Earth. Every time I'm there, I wonder why they don't just level it and start over again. (And, yes, I'm aware of the green parts. Everywhere has green parts--New Jersey's are just flat and populated with tacky McMansions.)

At least Leica has the gallery space on Broadway to keep up their image. Now if only they'd open a proper store with a service desk in Manhattan...

[stuny]

Sirvine -

Manhattan space is too expensive. It's also the reason why so many companies (Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, PaineWebber [now UBS], etc, etc) moved headquarters or operations out of Manhattan to the borros, Long Island, NJ, CT, upstate NY.

Originally Posted by stuny

Sirvine -

Manhattan space is too expensive. It's also the reason why so many companies (Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, PaineWebber [now UBS], etc, etc) moved headquarters or operations out of Manhattan to the borros, Long Island, NJ, CT, upstate NY.

Some places, like New Orleans or Rio de Janiero, really know how to turn squalor and misery into something bigger and better. Jersey lacks this skill...and many others.

What thoughts and frustrations are conjured when I contemplate New Jersey? Endless one way roads with center barriers and no left turns...terrible road signage...litter *everywhere*...ugly architecture...beautiful views of the city wasted on residential neighborhoods that look like something out of Dickens...bad smells...obnoxious police...cheesy kids...tacky cars...that tri-state ACCENT (ugh!)...basically, just take the worst of every suburban place everywhere and then make it worse.

Manhattan is literally the only place in the entire Northeast that I would live. Everything else is like a suburban hell until you get near the Rockies...but that's just my opinion.

[zlatkob]

OK, some of us live in New Jersey and don't appreciate the picture you're painting.

[grdglass]

Originally Posted by stuny

Leica NJ is a few blocks off of Route 17 if you’re heading north, and one block off if you’re headed south. Route 17 is a heavily traveled, three lanes in each direction, high retail commerce road more like one anyplace in the Northeast vs. the stereotypical strip mall after strip mall model. Along the way are two rather upscale, huge malls, as well as all the other things, like service stations, auto dealers, fast-food, furniture stores, etc.

When one pulls into the industrial park in which Leica sits one finds a single story brick building, the northern 1/3 of which is Leica. One enters an outer door, and requests entry via an intercom. Once inside, one of two women will greet you and treat you very well. I’ve forgotten their names, but one is the receptionist, and the other covers for her when she is away from her post, and I think is a bookkeeper. You wait in a large room, three times as long as wide, with comfortable, large chairs, brochures, current magazines, and display cases of Leica products form the camera and sports optics division. You make your request, hand over your equipment, and wait not very long for the receptionist to take your gear and description of the product back to the repair people. Shortly you’ll know whether they can repair it while you wait, repair it on site but send it to you, or send it to Solms for repair. I’ve found their time estimates to be conservative to exact.

Most people who just pass through the state only know the 8-lane sewer running between New York and Delaware (the NJ turnpike), which in Union County passes through a huge oil refinery complex and a huge cargo port. Think of the opening credits of The Sopranos. Most of NJ is rather green.

Do you need an appointment or can you just walk in to have them look at something?

Helene

[misha]

Originally Posted by grdglass

Do you need an appointment or can you just walk in to have them look at something?

Helene

i just walked in and they didnt seem to mind.

[cometsoft]

I'm curious what part of Manhattan you live in. Maybe I should check it out.

I have an apartment on the Upper West Side between Columbus and Central Park West and think Manhattan is a bit overrated. Too many tourists, Starbucks and chain stores. It's becoming like Disneyland.

There's plenty of great stuff in the city, but I can't help believing that a lot of people need to love it because they're in denial about the cost and frustration of living there.

Am always happy to come back to my suburban hell house in Westchester.

Originally Posted by sirvine

Manhattan is literally the only place in the entire Northeast that I would live. Everything else is like a suburban hell until you get near the Rockies...but that's just my opinion.

[barjohn]

In fairness to Leica USA I shall report my experience of today and I hope it helps one of you in the future. In desperation, after phone calls, emails and faxes I finally got a hold of Robert Fisk today. He was like a breath of fresh air. When I asked for the status on my camera he was actually willing to take the time to look it up and informed me that they were shipping me a replacement as mine was being sent to Solms for engineering evaluation of the failures. He then offered me the UPS tracking number, though he said it wouldn't leave until later today. I thanked him for the information and then made a terrible mistake by hanging up without asking if it was going overnight Saturday Delivery. As quickly as I hung up I called back and spoke to Brenda. I should have asked for Robert back but I didnt want to bother him so I asked her if she would mind changing the shipment to overnight Saturday delivery and they could either charge my UPS account or I would provide a credit card for payment for the extra charge. She hemmed and hawed about how they had so many boxes that it would be hard to find it but she would look and call me back. (Note. Neither she nor Sarah ever seem to actually call back, well Sarah did once but without any information.) I waited for an hour and called her again. She said it was too hard to find it and she wasn't sure if UPS had picked up yet or not. I asked if she would call UPS and change it from 2 day to overnight Saturday delivery as otherwise it would mean that I would have to take a day off work to be home to sign for the package and if it was still there to please change it. Well she never called back. It does not appear that anything has been changed on the shipment and they are now closed.

The lesson is deal with Robert he seems to be much more willing to actually do something. The ladies appear to want to do as little as possible, at least that has been my experience. YMMV

[losta]

I've made 3 trips there in the last few months dropping off my lenses for 6 bit coding. I live in NY about a 35 minute drive to Allendale. I took some photos in the parking lot I should post one (Leica Logo parking spaces).

One good thing about the NY metro area, I have been able to drop lenses, cameras etc at Nikon, Leica, MAC Group (Profoto) in person.