Friday, April 10, 2009

Still For Rent

The city is covered with For Rent signs. Many are in the windows of places long loved--or just well-liked--places that were meaningful to many people in the immediate neighborhood or all over the city. Here is a small selection. Can you think of more? Meanwhile, Grieve wonders why so many storefronts empty for so long.

Zito's Bakery
Closed: 2004


Tower Records
Closed: 8/07

Chez Brigitte
Closed: 6/08


Vesuvio Bakery
Closed: 6/08


Strand Books Annex
Closed: 9/08


Christine's
Closed: 10/08

Chelsea Liquors
Closed: 11/08

Five Roses
Closed: 11/08


The Hog Pit
Closed: 11/08
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12 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 10, 2009 at 10:12 AM

    What about Cafe Gigi that was on East 9th St, btwn 1st and A (closer to 1st just past PS 122). That spot has been closed before most of these places too.

    Monkey

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  2. Alex in NYCApril 10, 2009 at 11:35 AM

    Vesuvio and Hog Pit both entirely break my heart.

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  3. EV GrieveApril 10, 2009 at 12:21 PM

    Dang, Zito's has been vacant for five years?

    I forgot about Cafe Gigi... And I guess the Angelika Herb place on First Ave. and Ninth hasn't been gone quite long enough....

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  4. AnonymousApril 10, 2009 at 1:23 PM

    I think a recent Times article focused on Upper West Side stores that are now empty holes. I'm sure there's some realtor planning a hi-rise condo for the Chez Brigitte space.

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  5. AnonymousApril 10, 2009 at 2:34 PM

    the best for rent signs are in the windows of former high end real estate offices.

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  6. AnonymousApril 10, 2009 at 2:43 PM

    Two beautiful downtown spots that are still vacant are the former Stark's Veranda on Duane Street and the previous Delphi Restaurant on West Broadway in TriBeca (perhaps Bouley is taking that over too).

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  7. Colonnade RowApril 10, 2009 at 11:29 PM

    The old Chez Brigitte looks (and is) so sad. Those greedy bastards destroyed such an icon. They could have at least given them a month-to-month deal. Instead, everybody loses.

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  8. Break the Banks rally today Union Sq 2pmApril 11, 2009 at 10:30 AM

    It kind of sucks of course that the city's cultural heritage is dying but it also sucks that there isn't more rejection/visible hostility of the system that caused it all to show that that culture is still alive.

    Today protest Union Sq 2pm.

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  9. wzaApril 13, 2009 at 9:01 PM

    sea salt on 1st ave and 6th st has been vacant over a year, they were only open for a few weeks i think

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  10. chris flashApril 14, 2009 at 5:30 PM

    Unless they're getting some sort of tax benefit by showing a loss, I don't see how property owners can cover their mortgages without commercial rent money coming in.

    Logically, they would need the commercial rents to cover their debt service, but because they either paid too much to buy their buildings or refinanced and incurred too much debt, they jacked those rents up beyond affordability.

    It sucks to lose long time neighborhood businesses that are part of the fabric of our community due to real estate speculators and other vermin trying to cover a too-high mortgsge they had no business getting because they paid too much for a property.

    The only plus here is that without the commercial rents, the real estate parasites that drove these businesses out will ultimately lose their buildings when they fail to cover their mortgages.

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  11. Jimmy FountainJuly 1, 2009 at 5:53 PM

    I believe Zito's has a coal oven. You can't install a new coal oven in NYC but old ones are grandfathered in. There are only a few left int the city (Johns pizza across the street has one). I'll bet the owner is asking insane rent and willing to wait to get it.

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  12. AnonymousOctober 31, 2009 at 6:27 AM

    it is a major recession and still the rent prices have barely come down. lots of vacant places with landlords living in dreamland. prices are still way too inflated. lets hope for a huge commercial bubble and that all of them lose their property. theyve been making a fortune for the past 25 years because of the general prosperity overall and kept their prices jacked up. this has to stop.

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