Will Trendy Stores Give Montague a Shot in the Arm?

Oh yeah, Montague is the new Bedford. Totally.

Not.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 9:15 AM

Montague St used to be a very nice shopping street back in the 70s which is probably before most of you were born. There were lovely gift shops, boutiques, florists, bookstores, restaurants, AND necessary neighborhood services. It's a shame that the only establishments that can afford to rent space are chains that all sell the same old stuff you can get anywhere and make our streets look like suburban shopping malls.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 9:43 AM

9:43 nailed it exactly. Who gives a shit if Montague is "cool"?

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 9:54 AM

What about this article on Ditmas Park from the latest Real Deal?

http://www.therealdeal.net/issues/SEPTEMBER_2007/1188599046.php

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 9:54 AM

9:43 is right. I grew up in the Heights and Montague Street was really sweet. That was until Burger King moved into what is the Banana Republic. The Brooklyn Heights Association had a cow at that point and tried to restrict the influx of chain stores. As you can imagine, that didn't work too well, rents steadily climbed, and now Montague is the brothel of chains that you see.
Two nights ago I walked down the street and the stench of garbage was overwhelming and it was dirty and anything but quaint.
So sad.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 9:58 AM

I too remember Montague in the '70's when there were no chain stores. Rather there were art galleries, florists and one very cramped firetrap of a used bookstore under the stoop of an old brownstone that my future husband and I used to frequent. It's hard to imagine such a thing existing there now, although there IS another used bookstore near the Promenade end of the street that is the only reminder of what the street used to be like.

A very dreary and sterile street now--and I do recall the BK controversy, which was the beginning of the end.

carolyn

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 10:17 AM

Carolyn, I'm 9:43...how could I have forgotten to include the Summa Gallery, my favorite shop on the entire street! I purchased wonderful artwork there over the years, had custom framing done, and purchased lovely gifts, as well. It was a very classy store which I sorely miss. I know they have a location on Amsterdam Ave, but Montague St suffered a huge loss when Summa closed.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 10:30 AM

I pine for the loss of "Capulets on Montague", knowing full well that the Heights' unique population of lunchtime government workers, Jeh. Witnesses, cranks, hausfraus, and now residential Pace students, could never support such an establishment. At least we can all now buy butt plugs at Ricky's!!!

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 10:42 AM

There was also a head shop on montague in the 70's , anyone remember that?

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 11:01 AM

sigh...capulets! summa! and remember leaf & bean - and how yummy it smelled!? with the shop in front and the cafe in back? and womrath's - the lending bookstore where bentley's is now? and when community books was upstairs over the japanese place? or when perelandra was just a sprout? or nettie's dept. store (later BK/Banana). it had character and feeling. BK was indeed the beginning of this era of yuck.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 11:01 AM

A few years ago we considered living in BH, because of location and great housing. We spent a few weekends going to open houses and walking around, and Montague St. was actually a big turn off. At first glance it looked great.

I don't understand why landlords would rather sit on vacant storefronts than lower the rent. I guess there are tax benefits...

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 12:25 PM

yes, there was a head shop and a gay bar upstairs in one of the old beat-up tenements.
there was also a really gross butcher with walls that had not been painted since the 1930's, the old supermarket facade looked like a set for Fort Apache, the Bronx, the rudest shoe repair shop in the country, oh I think he's still there, a five and dime right out of Fulton mall and various awful restaurants with pre-made salads that sat if-n the fridge and were served on a cold plate. .... ah the good old days in Brooklyn Heights.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 12:43 PM

I remember my mom pointing out the mice running around the floors of Hebrew National... the toy store by Hicks always had the new batch of Star War figures, and Adventure People...

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 12:53 PM

Yes, they were the good old days...and they ain't never coming back as long as you have some of the greediest landlords in the city all looking for the next big chain. As a life-long Heights resident as well as the owner of a mixed commercial/residential building in Greenwich Village, I was flabbergasted to hear the asking prices for Montague Street store rentals, which were running 20-30% higher thn the city. Trust me, these landlords could care less about me, you or the neighborhood...the bottom line rules in this case. BTW, anybody remember Mike's Sandwich Shop where TASTE OF THE EAST used to be downstairs? Best damned meatball hero in Brooklyn!

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 12:56 PM

But Variety Hardware is old Brooklyn Heights!
There was the classic greasy spoon diner where the Heights cafe is now. You would come out of there reeking of tobacco smoke, it would get in your clothes, in your hair.
fabulous. And of course the Bossert was a fleabag SRO with the best collection of ancient Communist curmudgeons this side of Moscow.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 1:19 PM

Back in the mid-80s there was an up-scale children's clothing shop (I bought only on sale) and a tiny women's clothing boutique (she moved to Atlantic Ave I believe -- most of her clients were LICH physicians and their wives) and then closed. The booming RE brought them -- everyone was getting rich. And then it all collapsed. I really cannot understand why, if ony chains can afford the space, we cannot get even a GAPKids.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 1:21 PM

Montague Street today is far superior to what it has been in the past. There are plenty of non-chain stores, including the Variety Mart, which is straight out of the 1950's, the shoe repairs, the bagel shop, the Connecticut muffin, the UPS store, the key food, which is no Balducci's but OK, the deli that has always been there, a nice little liquor store, a couple of cleaners, a florist, a used book store, a design within reach, a Thai place, a chinese place, a turkish place, another Chinese place, Monty's, Garden of Eden, what do people want? Cartiers? Hermes?
Gimme a break.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 2:39 PM

2:39. You are so wrong. It's not really the quality of the stores, it's the vibe of a street. And this one has lost the good vibe it used to have.
1:21, the clothing store was Crocus. My mom brought all my and my brothers' clothes there. And there was Suma and Muniers and JoMel's (the toy/candy store across from the Bossert. And the restaurant where Heights Cafe is was called The Promenade. They couldn't even prepare toast well. But that was all character. And it was sleepier. Quieter. People liked the Heights because it was so close to the city but so much mellower.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 2:56 PM

2:56
What does that mean, the vibe is gone?
Is that code for like, you never used to see black people on Montague Street?
When I hear people bemoaning the loss of the doog old days, which in Brooklyn Heights were pretty awful, I have to think it has to do with the fact that the area is getting a little more diverse.
And there is a perfectly nice, new, non-chain baby store on Montague Street.
You maybe losing your vibe, the street is fine.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 3:04 PM

perfectly nice, no chain baby store? do you mean Area Kids? can you afford $62 blue jeans for your 3 year old? hahahaha that's insane...$62...hahahaha...it kills me to think of it. absurd.

what, precisely, was so awful in the old days of montague street? it was a pretty great place to hang out...and believe me...i spent A LOT of time there....do tell...

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 3:53 PM

9:43, AM I agree. I moved to the Heights in 1977 - remember Meunier's wonderful store, Dress Reherasal for great clothes (later she moved to Atlantic Ave), Perelandra was there originally, and there was a butcher on the corner of Henry St where Corcoran is. Thanks for reminding me of Leaf and Bean! Anyway, now I'm in Cobble Hill for the past 15 years and I hope this doesn't happen here. Montague had a really good vibe back then. Let's face it, a lot of attitudes were different then.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 3:55 PM

turkish place?, I dont even like walking on that side of the street, someone is always practically begging you to go in there,.. as far as diversity, there was always diversity, people who work for the board of ed and the courts, post office (which account for most of the lunch crowd) have always been diverse..you're race baiting 3:04,

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 4:19 PM

You can say many things, but not that Brooklyn Heights was diverse. But that is neither here or there.
I have lived in the Heights for 20 years and I think Montague Street has improved a lot.
I can't speak about the 1960's or 70's.
I can also tell you that people have always compained about it, no matter what.
I used to like Slade's, and I'm sorry that's gone. otherwise, too many RE stores, true, maybe the mortgage meltdown will thin those ranks a bit, and lots of banks, but honestly with the advent of Garden of Eden, the bagel shop, Starbucks, the old bookstore, and the place under the toop to buy my lotto ticket,
I'm pretty happy. I guess I'm not so hifalutin'.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 4:52 PM

Bottom line: for such a pricey neighborhood, Montague Street is a sad excuse for a commercial strip.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 5:34 PM

The old Bossert was such a fleabag, that is so right.
When I was a young thing visiting the Heights for the first time, i was struck by how many really surly, rude old people I ran in to.
I was used to nice old people. But the Heights was full of miserable, rude, snarly old bulldogs. Pretty funny. Montague Street was a gas then. More old Stalinists per square inch than Red Square, ha ha!

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 8:13 PM

area kids is the coolest store on montague street. it is not just $62 jeans...they have smurfs and kid robot japanese figurines...

& they have the best sales if you want to save money...

great shirts in the $30 range also..

their employees are amazing.

not everyone want child labor clothes from old navy....

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 9:25 PM

9:25
Yay!
Good for you!
Someone living in the present.
I like that store too.

Posted by: guest at September 7, 2007 9:29 PM

Montague Street is highly over-rated. Who cares about what it was like 20 years ago..it is irrelevant to the current situation. I also think the good ol' days is a code word for BK being just for white folks...I am sure the current level of diversity is upsetting to all you ppl reminiscing about the good old days..We need more restaurants !

Posted by: guest at September 9, 2007 10:15 PM

My teen daughter goes to school in the Heights. She and her friends are super excited. This was major news for them. My daughter, although she doesn't go to St. Ann's, is sure that this will be a big stop for their students- hair dye, eye liner..

Posted by: guest at September 10, 2007 9:43 AM

Fantastic idea, urban development for the benefit of a transient teenager. Most of the bloggers have got it right. It is sad when a quaint and interesting street degenerates into Everymall America. How boring. By the way, there is nothing "cool" about Ricky's in 2007.

Posted by: guest at September 10, 2007 12:05 PM