If you’re thinking about opening a business in the ‘hood, the Grand Street Business Improvement District is hosting a walking tour this Thursday afternoon (5/17) of available retail spaces on Grand Street between Union and Bushwick. The tour is free and includes refreshments. More info and RSVP here.
If for some reason you missed out on the dozens of indie designers we hosted last weekend at our Greenpointers Spring Market (it was glorious!), then this weekend you’d do well to check out the popup night market at Brooklyn Bazaar. Shop from and mingle with some really cool independent local designers while rocking out to some sweet jams and sipping your favorite tipsy bevs. We promise it’ll be more fun than the weekend plans you haven’t made yet.
The Gone Cat Popup Shop @ Brooklyn Bazaar | 150 Greenpoint Ave
Friday & Saturday April 14th and 15th | 7pm to 1am
RSVP Here Continue reading
When the curtains fell to reveal a wrap around glass front building at 79 Franklin St (at Noble St) in Greenpoint, many residents wondered and dreaded what would open up there. A few of the predictions were American Apparel, Blue Bottle, Brooklyn Industries, laser tag, a roller disco and Trader Joe’s. Soon signs reading “Brooklyn Expo” were hung in the windows. Continue reading
According to research from the New York-based think tank, the Center for an Urban Future, Brooklyn has witnessed the largest increase in corporate franchises this year, compared with the other NYC boroughs, with a 2.8% bump from 2012. That’s 1,511 new chain outlets this year; the runner up was the Bronx with 863 chains. The most prevalent big names to set down their stakes city-wide are Dunkin’ Donuts (the largest chain retailer in NYC), 7-Eleven, Duane Reade/Wallgreens and Starbucks.
We’re definitely feeling the chain invasion close to home. Continue reading
Beacon’s Closets, the infamous vintage clothing warehouse is relocating to Greenpoint at the end of this year. It is among the many recent Williamsburg businesses to be priced out and seek more affordable rents here.
According to Crain’s New York:
“Soaring rents are forcing out another pioneering Williamsburg retailer. The latest to join the exodus is Beacon’s Closet, a consignment clothing store and long-time hipster hangout. It is decamping from its North 11th Street home of 11 years…to its new 7,500-square-foot ground floor space at 74 Guernsey St.”
Things are shakin’ up on the west end of Manhattan Ave! Known for its host of bars, bodegas, and Polish markets, the bustling avenue is now quickly becoming a locus for vintage and contemporary fashions. Within the span of one month, two boutiques celebrated their grand openings. In June, Line and Label opened up next to Enids. In July, Jade Ezien’s dreams for her daughter unfurled with her namesake boutique, Violet Pepper.
I popped my head into the newly opened Oak, a clothing store for men and women that recently moved from Williamsburg to 55 Nassau Ave in Greenpoint. The sign outside read: “If you want my future, forget my past.” The apparel inside finds a sweet spot in the industrial space, lots of stylish quality basics, mostly blacks and whites, easy to shop in the wide open space, and the best part is I found myself browsing both the men’s and women’s sections – and the shoes were really cute, too.
