Another One Bites the Dust on Flatbush
Since we have taken a particular interest in the rising rents on Flatbush, and in turn the large amounts of empty storefronts, this caught our eye. Park Heights Stationers and Copy Center had a sign on the gate that read, “After 25 years, Park Heights Stationers are closed due to the rising cost of operation.”…
Since we have taken a particular interest in the rising rents on Flatbush, and in turn the large amounts of empty storefronts, this caught our eye. Park Heights Stationers and Copy Center had a sign on the gate that read, “After 25 years, Park Heights Stationers are closed due to the rising cost of operation.” Last time we checked, there were ten empty storefronts on Flatbush between Dean and Prospect Place. Although this falls one block farther on Park, we wonder if this will sit empty as well.
Lots of Stores Still For Rent on Flatbush [Brownstoner]
Lots of Stores for Rent on Flatbush [Brownstoner] GMAP
hey, and i’ve never even been to buenos aires!
you might be right about AY spillover up at 7th, but i think the supply of large spaces on flatbush near park slope is probably such that they are hoping that the TGI fridays or heartland brewery or whatever sees an advantage in being midway between the park and AY…maybe not this corner, but something like the storefront next to where taro sushi is moving. not that i want some big chain airport grill right there — it just wouldn’t surprise me!
as for the pintchiks – maybe they are just savvier in how they are doing it? i think they own a bunch of the spaces down closer to atlantic and 6th, which are still empty and not particularly nice looking. this is totally speculation as i’m not in the market for commercial space, but maybe they’re keeping the larger scale spaces right on flatbush (which tend to be in less than tip-top shape, with entrenched neighbors that are also in less than tip-top shape) in anticipation of atlantic yards, while keeping the side streets with smaller and better preserved storefronts accessible to more local, “nicer” tenants.
“there seems to be some kind of oligopoly with flatbush rental real estate, and i think they are keeping prices high and spaces empty in anticipation of deeper pockets coming in when atlantic yards opens.”
Yes, Pintchik Hardware people own a ton of real estate in the part of Flatbush down near they are (As well as that entire strip of Bergen between Flatbush and 5th) and appears this is another one of those situations with a different landlord.
Notice the difference…Pintchik people have done an incredible job curating that strip of Bergen looking for nice tenants and fixing up the storefronts, while this strip farther north looks rundown and shabby.
I really don’t think there will be much/if any spillover from Atlantic Yards on Flatbush and 7th Avenue so these landlords are delusional if that’s what they’re waiting for.
In Buenos Aires they do just that well_phed. They open early, then close for a bit in the afternoon (siesta time!) and then stores are open till sometimes 10 or 11pm. That way while you’re walking around looking for a place to eat dinner (lots of people dine out there) they can shop on their way.
I’m not suggesting stores in Park Slope would EVER stay open till 10 or 11pm, but even 8 would help.
It’s like all these stores are permanently stuck in 1950 when people go home at 5pm and ate dinner at 5:30.
It’s 2010. And it’s NYC where people work long hours and we live 40 minutes from where most people work (Midtown Manhattan) so it only makes sense that lots of people aren’t getting back to the neighborhood till 6, 7, 8pm, etc.
^^over on vanderbilt (not atlantic)
oh, and meanwhile, over on atlantic, the space that formerly held corduroy kid has already been retooled as something called “livie and boo.” didn’t get to check it out, but it looked from afar like some kind of boutique. i know nothing about who owns what, but if i had to guess, vanderbilt is benefiting from a diversity ownership, which is keeping rental prices more reasonable. there seems to be some kind of oligopoly with flatbush rental real estate, and i think they are keeping prices high and spaces empty in anticipation of deeper pockets coming in when atlantic yards opens.
11217, i totally agree with you there (although i think this place was just behind the times generally). i was pleasantly surprised when i recently discovered that nunu chocolates (down on atlantic) has early and late hours…of course, they’re doing coffee and wine/beer now too, but i bet they wind up with a bunch of people buying gifts on their way to (and from) work that otherwise would have resorted to, say, barnes & noble or target. if i owned, say, a wine shop in brooklyn, i’d open it from 7am-9am, then close for the morning, and open again in the afternoon.
wow someone is on the rag today lol.
and quote:
People used to do most of their shopping in Manhattan and now people want to shop closer to home.
eh, i prefer to my shopping and get my chores done in manhattan actually. but i can see what you mean.. seems to me like most stores are open til at least 8 tho no? but how many stupid 60 dollar baby tshirts does one even need to buy after work!?
all the value stores on 5th avenue, like DII are open til like 9 or 10 btw.
*rb*
“Overall, the businesses in the Sterling to Park stretch of this side of Flatbush are pretty useful, but I’m starting to get wary of all the vacant spaces.”
What else is vacant besides this and the mailbox store?
And to further comment on Bessie’s post, if every business in Park Slope wised up and realized that more people want to shop in their home neighborhood instead of in Manhattan after work, they’d realize that most people don’t get home from work till 7 and you need to STAY OPEN LATER IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE!
You have no idea how many times I hear people say they’d shop at “x, y, z” in the Slope if only they stayed open later.
Judging by the crowds coming off the train at 7pm, you’d think after 25 years, this place would have realized that staying open one hour later may have been the difference between closing and staying open.
How do you put out the word to these businesses that they need to ADAPT with the changing times. People used to do most of their shopping in Manhattan and now people want to shop closer to home. They also work longer hours now to pay for their 3 million dollar brownstone. It’s time to rethink the mom and pop business model.
The Crunch/Natural Land building, the Movie Theater building and the building stretching from the newstand to the liquor store all seem to be owned by the estate of Sol Goldman (who the Redhook Pool was named after). Mr. Kim of Natural Land told me that they have been raising his rent to very high levels.