1) West Village: Is this stretch challenging West 8th for the title of biggest retail graveyard? "Greenwich Ave between W. 12th and 7th Ave (two blocks) has had four retail closings in the past few months, including two this week. On the same block as the Equinox a gayish lounge and a cleaners have closed shop and on the next block down Spruce florists moved, like today, and a bodega has been closed for a few months. Any word on a possible two block mega-starbucks-cum-equinox-cum-banking complex?" [Storefronting inbox]
2) Upper East Side: FloFab reports that Parisian food shop Fauchon, at Park Avenue and 56th Street, is closing. But before you start waving your Fox News Channel foam fingers in celebration, you should know that it's shuttering because the building is being redeveloped, and a new and improved Fauchon will open nearby. Fauchon, the phoenix, we salute you. [Off the Menu]
3) Grand Central Station: Presented without comment, via This is What We Do Now: "I don't know how many of you are in the Midtown area, but if you have any sort of affinity for cereal, I'd highly recommend hauling your ass over to the Rite Aid in Grand Central. For some inexplicable reason, every single box of cereal in the store is on sale for $1.79. Doesn't matter the brand - Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Krusty-O's - you name it, it can be had for under two fucking dollars." [TIWWDN]
4) Lower East Side: The long saga of the closed half of the Essex Street Retail Market continues ... yet again. Says a tipster who saw the last report, that recent milling about inside the building seemed to be connected to a movie shoot: "not that its a big story for you guys or anything.. but a small update on the essex street retail market. was walking by yesterday morning and some of the demolition guys were gutting the place again. stopped and asked what was going on... a movie? he said no, that they are just gutting the place... and that if I wanted anything from the demo bin he was standing in, that i could just jump in and grab it. "anything good?" i ask.. "yeah, tons of stuff he said" awww... poor henry! as a side, you know the Katz Furniture building on essex was sold recently? part of the deal was an option for air rights over the medical center on the north end of the block adjacent to Katz. perhaps with the change in status of this building separating the two parts of the 'old' essex retail market, so too does the status of the southern portion... maybe air rights at a minimum? [Storefronting inbox]
Got storefronting to report? A shop opening or shuttering around town?
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