Blue Marble Flagship Store To Close
The rising rents of Atlantic Avenue have claimed another victim: Blue Marble Ice Cream, whose flagship store opened at 420 Atlantic Avenue back in 2007, will be moving out in the coming weeks, a result of the landlord’s efforts to raise the rent. “We’re very sad to leave the neighborhood, especially since this was shop…
The rising rents of Atlantic Avenue have claimed another victim: Blue Marble Ice Cream, whose flagship store opened at 420 Atlantic Avenue back in 2007, will be moving out in the coming weeks, a result of the landlord’s efforts to raise the rent. “We’re very sad to leave the neighborhood, especially since this was shop our ‘first-born,'” said founder Alexis Miesen in an email, “but we were left with no alternative.” Ice cream fanatics need not totally despair though: Blue Marble’s other stores on Court and Underhill are going strong—and you can always get a scoop at The Flea on Saturdays! You can see the $3,500-a-month listing for the new space here, though, from what we hear, 900 square feet might be overstating the case a bit.
The thing is Lalaland that MOST landlords don’t care about what comes into their space, as long as it can pay the rent. We just saw at the other end of Atlantic that a Nail Salon is moving in. We may see the same thing here because Nail Salons do good business. They just don’t add much to the yuppie appeal.
That’s why I really give it up for folks like the Pintchik guys who have sought after businesses and curated them to become a beautiful strip of shops like they have on Bergen Street and what they appear to be trying to do on Flatbush Avenue.
Take a look at this article and you can tell that there ARE some landlords out there who do care about our neighborhoods…
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/16/33_16_cg_real_estate_block.html
I miss all the antiques shops. Atlantic Ave. was known for them.
Brooklynnative – and werent the Chinese starving during that era too?
“Actually, DH it will be probably similar to Columbus Avenue in the 60’s.”
is this a good thing? atlantic ave has a good mix as it is. i wouldn’t say losing blue marble and gaining magnolia is any sort of upgrade. aren’t there enough empty storefronts to sustain both?
Ringo – I think the LL is greedy card is actually funny from an ice cream shop that charges $4 a scoop.
Sorry, DIBS – had to take a break to shower. Just another case of landlords killing the goose that lays the golden egg since you are so eager for my opinion. Shops come in at cheaper rents , build up a presence, increase foot traffic, and after all their hard work has finally paid off – their lease expires, and the landlords pounce.
You see it play out in the city over and over again, and it’s not until a mass of spaces in the same ‘hood sit vacant for a long, long time that the landlords finally relent and take less. I saw this go down in Soho back in the day, Avenue B about 4 years ago (there were something like 20 vacant stores on B along at one point, all because of a too-high ask).
Meanwhile, the foot traffic decreases, it becomes less of a retail destination, and the stores move somewhere else. I imagine the same will play out on Smith as the pioneers 10 year leases expire; same for 5th ave and Fulton in Fort Greene, etc. Atlantic Avenue flirts with it’s own extinction if it’s landlords aren’t far-sighted enough: it’s loud, not convenient by some measures, and still a little rough around the edges. First the antique stores were pushed out, now it will be the boutiques. What do they expect to follow that will earn them more money? Blue Marble was a pretty popular shop….
Actually, DH it will be probably similar to Columbus Avenue in the 60’s. Rag and Bone is moving in there, as has Magnolia, Keihls, and a host of other high end stuff. Barney’s Co-op is up on the UWS as well and Trader Joe’s is opening on 72nd. There are quite a lot of similarities actually….
To pu it another way, landlord wants 15k a year more than 3 years ago. You may decide not to renew but don’t say you had no alternative when you make 15k more ever month than you did the first year.
“but I have some insider info about some quite high end retailers like Jack Spade, Kate Spade, Magnolia Bakery and Burberry Brit interested in space on Atlantic. ”
Sweet – Atlantic Ave will have similar retail to the Roosevelt Field Mall – maybe a Cinnabon will open in the Blue Marble space – fingers crossed!!