Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Jefferson Market Spooked

What happens to a New York City landmark after it's been gutted and dropped, after it's lain vacant for months, after it's been forgotten? Well, if it's the month of October, it gets turned into a pop-up Halloween costume store.


Opened in 1929, the Jefferson Market closed in 2008 under dire financial circumstances. Said the owner at the time, “We were running it like a mom-and-pop when we shouldn’t have been."

In 2009, it stopped being a mom and pop when it re-opened under ownership of Gristede's and turned into something like a "Jeffertedes." That failed, the place shuttered in 2011, and it has sat empty and "for rent" ever since.


Today it's filled with Halloween paraphernalia. Few traces of the original market remain. The temporary tenants have cleverly used the Butcher Shop signage as gruesome decor.

And if you're looking for a plus-size Cupcake Girl costume, this is the place.


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8 comments:

  1. Ms.October 9, 2012 at 9:00 AM

    A bit of sideshow entertainment for the city that never sleeps, and so appropriate for the Eve of all Hallows when that veil drops, worlds collide, and the past presents itself as tourist trade.

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  2. Marty WombacherOctober 9, 2012 at 10:15 AM

    Thank God for this place! I've been looking for a plus-sized cupcake girl costume for years and now my searching is done! Bono will be jealous of me, because unlike him, I've finally found what I'm looking for.

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  3. EdOctober 9, 2012 at 10:47 AM

    Could someone explain the whole "pop up store" concept to me? I've been ignoring this but it seems to be happening more often.

    I'm going to guess that commercial rents are getting to high for most normal stores, so instead of lowering rents, the market is providing ultra-short leases and sub-leases, hcnce pop-ups. It seems to be one step above street peddling. But I really have no idea and am open to being corrected on this.

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  4. Little EarthquakeOctober 9, 2012 at 11:21 AM

    Does anyone see the sad connection between "sexy" (but not really) plus-sized costumes and the normalizing of everyday cupcake consumption? Where's Bloomberg when you need him?

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  5. AnonymousOctober 9, 2012 at 2:03 PM

    I, also, have been wondering what this "pop up store" thing is. Please explain.

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  6. MonkeyspoonOctober 9, 2012 at 2:13 PM

    Pop-ups are created to sell something temporarily, or as a marketing technique where you would sell or present something unique to the brand (i.e. that Target pop-up from awhile ago). It makes sense for a costume/halloween store since it's so seasonal.

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  7. 79rigidOctober 9, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    If that girl's plus size....

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  8. kingofnycabbiesOctober 11, 2012 at 5:59 PM

    The basement at J&R that used to have DVDs has been cleared out and turned into a Halloween costume shop, also. The DVDs were moved up to the second floor and consolidated with CDs since the physical cultural object is going the way of the dodo. First bookstores, now this.

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