The space has been empty since. It had a For Rent sign on it all this time, but I guess that didn't succeed in attracting a suburban shopping mall chain. So now there's a bigger, brighter banner--in orange!--strapped across the front of the murdered bar.
High-rent blight never got so bright. Come on, Applebee's!
horrific.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to feel that landlords are already seeing the limits of these incredible rents - not unlike the rise and fall of bric-a-brac on eBay, where objects used to sell for five times what they do now. More and more, the empty store spaces will have to "settle" for locally-owned businesses (which are still coming up in Manhattan) instead of the magic mobile store or juceratorium corporation. The market will see its limit, begin to fall, and some real business will retun to the sidewalks of New York. Until then, the scene is still mixed, still destructive, still rather disappointing. Greed has a way of burning itself out and is, in that sense, self-regulating.
ReplyDeleteBut if we think of "old New York", that term is vague and varies greatly according to the year of one's birth.
Good vision my friend.
DeleteThis is so infuriating. Milady's could have been open all this time, but we're stuck with urban blight instead because of landlord greed. It should be illegal (or at least worth a hefty fine) to let a storefront sit empty for so long.
ReplyDeleteSame building Vesuvio Bakery used to be. Anthony Dapolito was the bread baker and a very friendly person.
ReplyDeleteSorry but this is just not accurate. The least wasn't expiring on this great spot. The owner just got sick of operating a bar and walked out on his own lease. That was regrettable but the good news was that the landlord refused huge bed from Starbucks to rent the space. I'm hoping for Mile End to open up another great smoked meat Emporium in that space.
ReplyDeleteThanks newyorkjew.
ReplyDeleteHigher city and state taxes on high end real estate and a 70% top federal marginal tax rate, along with eliminating the carried interest deduction, raising taxes on hedge fund chiefs, and a global agreement to end tax flight and havens would equalize things swiftly.
ReplyDeleteGiven how hard it is to get the New York City council and supposedly "liberal" governor and mayor even to defend small businesses or really push to create truly affordable housing, I'm not holding my breath. Then again, Bernie Sanders could by some fluke win the Presidency, Democrats could take both houses of Congress, and we could see tax policy even a little to the left of Eisenhower enacted, so it's not impossible. Improbably, yes, but miracles do happen!