Retail For Rent on Manhattan's West Side

Because New York is a vertical city - you don't get to see much of what's going above the first floor. So as you walk down Broadway - past the restaurants, and food markets, and odd mix of brand name coffee shops, jewelry, and woman's lingerie shops - it's easy to think that somehow the recession hasn't reached the Upper West Side.

But in just the past few weeks - the economic impact of the recession has made its' way down from the apartments of the unemployed or underemployed and begun to appear in store windows. First, it was the Circuit City bankruptcy and the quickly hulking empty box at 81st and Broadway. "What could go there?" I wondered as my wife and I walked by. "A restaurant? Certainly not with escalators." Big, empty - and with no signs of life - the 'big box' was likely to remain unopened until the economy turns around.

But then, further South - a surprise - Ruby Foo's is now closed and for rent. An upper west side fixture - this place was never empty. Well, at least it was crowded the last time I went there four months ago. Ah, right.

And then, finally - in the endless quest for good socks, a swing by the always reliable Filene's Basement. Once inside, the always crammed and badly merchandised store is strangely peaceful, the stock thin - the socks area empty.

People wander around, looking for bargain summer shorts, but clearly Filene's is on their way out. A recent bankruptcy filing and sale may be the reason - but a store employee won't confirm they're closing. Just a sideways glance, but you know they are gone. The friendly old sales guy who seemed to be the spirit of the place is already gone. Others will follow.

New York is a resilient city. So no doubt some chain or entrepreneur will figure out something to do with these big empty street level storefronts. Keep an eye out for the 'for rent' signs, because they're not going away anytime soon.

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Comments

[leeannethethird]

this is a report? a casual observer would notice increasing numbers of shuttered small neighborhood retail shops on Broadway replaced with expansion of the likes of Duane Reede, CVS, KFC, and more Banks on Welfare in prime locations. The trend should continue at Filene's prime location (corner of Broadway/W79th at the subway #1 train stop) where another Bank on Welfare should be coming to your neighborhood soon.