Will Trendy Stores Give Montague a Shot in the Arm?
A few new stores could go a long way to boosting Montague Street’s cool factor, according to an article in the Real Deal. Brokers and neighborhood boosters say the shops—which include beauty supply/sex toy emporium Ricky’s, a Housing Works branch, and Greek makeup brand Korres’ soon-to-open storefront—are welcome additions to Montague’s retail scene. They argue…
A few new stores could go a long way to boosting Montague Street’s cool factor, according to an article in the Real Deal. Brokers and neighborhood boosters say the shops—which include beauty supply/sex toy emporium Ricky’s, a Housing Works branch, and Greek makeup brand Korres’ soon-to-open storefront—are welcome additions to Montague’s retail scene. They argue that the Heights’ main shopping drag needs to get hip in light of stepped-up competition from Smith and Court streets. Despite the new leases, thousands of square feet of retail space remain vacant on Montague, which has the highest rents in Downtown Brooklyn after the Fulton Street Mall. When we think cool, Montague Street doesn’t exactly spring to mind, and it’s difficult to see how the addition of a few new chain stores is going to change that. Anyone feel differently?
Brooklyn Heights Retail Gets a Twist [The Real Deal]
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,
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hey Guest 12:43 – the rudest shoe repair shop in the country is rivaled only by the rudest hardware shop in the country, also on Montague. I have never dealt with such crabby, irritable, abrupt proprietors in my life. I give Peerless Shoe Repair a pass because they do fantastic work; Variety Hardware or whatever it’s called can kiss my behind.