The disappearing urban gas station

[retailisking]

Escalating land values and costly environmental regulations are making gas stations in urban areas an increasingly rare sight
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/23/gas-stations-disappearing-across-massachusetts/YkjsrPegBEFu4SMBaEaL2M/story.html

[TheFugitive]

Also probably part of a deliberate strategy by environmentalists who would
rather we not be driving cars.

[BillyGr]

Escalating land values and costly environmental regulations are making gas stations in urban areas an increasingly rare sight
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/23/gas-stations-disappearing-across-massachusetts/YkjsrPegBEFu4SMBaEaL2M/story.html

Makes sense - it has been (or at least seemed) that way for quite some time in NY City (Manhattan).  You rarely see a station until you get out of the "main" downtown area.  Or if they are down that way, they are probably "hidden" on the side streets, in lower cost locations, since that's something people will find if they need it (same goes for other needed services).

[zonemad96]

I think another reasoning is these places attract crime with more and more people moving back into the larger cities for convenience I'd imagine their is more of an effort to reduce crime. They will go into a area that is a complete dump and put in a brand new apartment building then turn around and rent them out for $2000-$3000. I remember one of the buildings we were working on in dc had boarded up houses just a few blocks down the road yet about a year after opening they had over 80% of the units rented out.

[TheFugitive]

BP station in my old neighborhood currently being demolished.
Supposedly they are building a restaurant on the site.

(there are still 2 other gas stations remaining in the neighborhood,
including a convenience store with pumps, directly across the street)

This BP station was also the location of the LAST functioning public
phone booth in Pittsburgh that I know of.