Several stores have closed or will close shortly — even a chain drug store — as a few new shops prepare to open up on the Upper West Side.
The Duane Reade on Broadway between 83rd and 84th street is closing on July 17, several stunned tipsters told us. Prescriptions will be available at 2409 Broadway, or any other Duane Reade or Walgreens (which owns Duane Reade). As Jeff wrote below, maybe the neighborhood is actually saturated with drug/convenience stores now.
“This is a small store compared with what DR has been opening in recent years. It opened about 1995 and, as I recall, was at that time one of the only DRs south of about 94th Street. The shelves are now pretty bare; one of the employees told another customer last night that much of their merchandise has been transferred to the Bway at 88th Street store. They are, however, hawking much Halloween merchandise.
It’s funny that there are three other small — and independent — pharmacy or Duane Reade-like stores within just a couple of blocks: Essentials at 81st Street, Price Wise between 84th and 85th, and Broadway Pharmacy (next to Broadway Farm), between 85th and 86th. Between those nearby stores, and the newer “mega” Duane Reades at 88th Street, (about?) 75th Street, and 72nd Street, the new CVS at 77th and the older one on Amsterdam at 86th — is it possible that we’ve actually been saturated??”
The Toy Store on Broadway between 89th and 90th is closing in a couple of months because the landlord is raising the rent to $17,000 a month, the owner told our tipster. Items are selling for 20% to 50% off. It’s one of several local toy stores that have closed in the past couple of months.
The Rite Aid on 104th street and Broadway has closed, making way for a CityMD urgent care clinic, according to one of the tipsters who contacted us. The phone there now directs customers to the Duane Reade a block South.
The Coldwell Banker Bellmarc office at 78th and Broadway has relocated to a new bigger space on 102nd and Broadway.
Olde Good Things, the antique shop on Columbus between 81st and 82nd street, is closing at the end of the month. A sign says they are “moving,” but it’s not clear if they mean they’ll try to stay in the neighborhood; the sign directs shoppers to their newest location at 32nd and Madison. The landlord had been marketing the space at $35,000 a month.
The Aire on 67th and Amsterdam will finally get a retail tenant as Elite Home, a luxury furniture and interiors store, is building a new store inside. Thanks to Denton, Andrew and Francesco for the tips.
That’s 3 urgent care clinics in a 15 block radius. 2 within 3 blocks. Crazy
Why is it “crazy” Michael?
Have you had need for one yet? CityMD is amazingly efficient. In and out – about 20 minutes. No appointment and covered with a regular doctor-visit co-pay by many insurance plans.
Here is what’s crazy, Michael:
(1) Realizing you are becoming ill and having it take 5 days to get an appointment with your doctor – and when you get there – you wait an hour+ to see them.
(2) Opening your thumb with kitchen knife and spending 4 1/2 hours in the ER. That’s what’s crazy.
CityMD addresses both needs from early in the morning to late at night and they do so quickly, effectively and at a reasonable – even if you don’t have insurance.
And – they seem to be able to pay the rent.
Why must you always say “the landlord is raising the rent”!! Why isn’t it “The store has been lucky to pay a rent that is below market because they have had a lease from when rents in the area were lower – and now that their lease is up they cannot afford the current rents in the area”. It is not landlords being greedy. They are not charities. They are businessmen and they deserve to be able to charge market rate rents when they have a new lease to negotiate – and the store is free to pay it or leave. Be accurate and fair….
Ha! it would be nice if Avi (WSR) could get a hold of actual rents (before and after) so we could see for ourselves if the landlords are “greedy”. if you DOUBLE the rent, when you were making money beforehand… then there might be a certain amount of greed involved.
that being said, ICUDOc is correct that private landlords are not charities, and if they can GET these hyperprofits, they will. that is why we need some form of commercial rent control, and need it FAST.
Danny Meyer, the famous restaurant owner, had an op-ed in the Times recently pointing out that they have something like this in London, and it works, and advocating for something similar in NYC. It’s time, and it’s in the public interest.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/opinion/danny-meyers-union-square-cafe-is-a-casualty-of-rising-rents.html
Just linked to the site for Elite Home. Pretty garish stuff. It will be interesting to see how they fare on the UWS. I just don’t see this being a success here.
Based on that website, I’d rather have a “gracious home” than an “elite home”. The merchandise looks like it would appear to the nouveau riche oligarchs buying up the new vanity condos being built in Manhattan. Either that or they cater to the bordello trade.
Well…ll…ll
Should one (or more) visit the “About Us” section of Elite Home’s website, (s)he or they will discover a set of ‘glossies’ showing the staff and a lot of Russian (Ukrainian? Crimean?) surnames, like “Dovzhynets”, “Nizhegorodtsev”, and not one but two “Ushakov”s.
Remains to be seen if UWS’ers will thus be ‘russian’ to that store?
Oh I have to disagree. As I sit here draped in silk with my rich lady turban atop my head and my siamese cat by my side, I am just falling in love with everything at Elite Home.
It’s not surprising to see Duane Reade closing that store. It’s small, poorly laid out, and usually cluttered and dirty. It’s also one of the few UWS locations that was never renovated. Their stores on Broadway and 72nd, 76th, 88th, and 94th are larger, brighter, and more modern. We certainly aren’t lacking for drugstores, but unfortunately it will mean yet another empty storefront along that side of the street.
Yes, I feel like we might be set for a couple years that witness an especially large number of conspicuous vacancies. There have been some very big spaces opening up (e.g. Loehmann’s, Crumbs, Capital One) that are not easy to fill. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Duane Reade on 72nd between Broadway & West End also bite the dust – it’s not renovated, is only a half-block from a modernized DR, and is always so deserted that there’s no way it’s profitable.
I’ve lived on the UWS for ten years, and until I happened to walk by a few weeks ago, I never realized that that Duane Reade even existed! I think you’re probably right that it could be in danger of closing. There is one other unrenovated one a few blocks north of Lincoln Center–it just has a small space at street level, and escalators leading to a really dingy basement. I wouldn’t be surprised if they closed that one, too.
Jeff and West Sider, Crumbs could reopening with a new owner. Here’s what I found. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/12/us-crumbs-bake-shop-bankruptcy-idUSKBN0FH02I20140712
Need all the urgent care centers due to abundance of homeless housing. Makes total sense to me.
I should think it is because of the all the kids we have now being pushed around by nannies.
I wonder if that Rite Aid on 104 closed because of shoplifters from the projects. I remember CVS being on that side of Broadway and seeing thieves chased out of there constantly. CVS was gone within a few months…
Great memories from the 1950s!!! That Duane Reade was a clothing store for girls (and boys?) called Rappaports…the best clothes and shoes for school, parties, camp…they had it all. Next door was a Levy Brothers…all toys, stationary, school supplies…on the block was Indian Walk shoe store…the corner had Whalens Drug Store…there was a blanket/ linen store, a shoe repair…Maybe someone can fill in the rest….you never had to leave that block for anything….which was good if you were just beginning to cross streets alone !!!
Gosh – I got all my camp clothes at Rappaport’s, and my oxford shoes at Indian Walk. I remember having ice cream sodas with my Grandma at Schraffts – 82-83 Sts.? And wasn’t there a Chock Full ‘o Nuts somewhere close? Thanks for the memories.
That Rite Aid on 104th was a pit. Badly managed. The one on 110th is always busy but not a whole lot better. I can’t imagine how they stay in business at all except their prices usually beat DR.
Laytner’s Linens maybe?
Regarding the furniture store Elite Home opening at the Aire….
Wasn’t there supposed to be some sort of restriction on the Aire commercial space – to be limited to health or educational related because of tax breaks given to the developer?
More info on Rappaports…it opened in 1945 as the go-to children’s store…unless you wanted to schlep downtown to Best & Co….next door south was the revered Levy Bros…and next door north was a Kitty Kelly women’s shoes…..I don’t think the linen store was Laytners…it was very small and had blankets and pillows……
Can anyone else fill in the rest of the block? If you crossed 84th, David’s handbags was on that corner, and if you crossed. 83rd, Florsheim was on that corner….
Actually, for once, a Starbucks would really have come in handy !!!
THIS IS NOT A DUPLICATE COMMENT….ADDED INFO
More info on Rappaports…it opened in 1945 as the go-to children’s store…unless you wanted to schlep downtown to Best & Co….next door south was the revered Levy Bros…and next door north was a Kitty Kelly women’s shoes…..I don’t think the linen store was Laytners…it was very small and had blankets and pillows……
Can anyone else fill in the rest of the block? If you crossed 84th, David’s handbags was on that corner, and if you crossed. 83rd, Florsheim was on that corner….
Actually, for once, a Starbucks would really have come in handy !!!
The Coldwell Banker Bellmarc office is actually at 103rd and Broadway in the old Radio Shack space.
Also an urgent care center called Cure is opening between 103 and 102 on Broadway.. How many do we need?
I actually think CityMd is great, despite a recent experience with an overzealous doctor who put me in an ambulance that I didn’t need. I now am on the hook for $750
If the poor and the middle class don’t stop this closing business u guys will will end up in the Bronx. You have rights folks, organize folks because it will be first the stores, then the rent controlled. Do not get pushed out folks, stand up for your rights or else u will all be sorry. from a manhannite for 26 years and say it loud im in manhattan and im proud and I will not be moved
I’m sorry, but I’m sick, SICK, SICK of these greedy landlords! Good people get put out of work. Where are these store owners supposed to find work now? And where do we as shoppers find the good things they sold?
To the landlords of this town, you are all disgusting! Disgusting!
keep speaking out, Helen and Diane! we need to hear more voices of tenants on this site. the “development at all costs” voices need to be countered. i hope the West Side can stay accessible to all income groups… we are losing that, along with the diverse small stores.
and I will keep on the speaking out against special interests who only want things that benefit themselves at the cost to everyone else – making everything more expensive for everyone else but the select few who are connected to the political machine.
I care about ALL new yorkers , rich and poor- the hypocrites only want there left wing extremists agenda pushed while picking the pockets of everyone else – mostly the middle class – they hate when the truth is told.
@webot…aren’t you really talking about Landlords when you say only benefiting oneself at cost to everyone else?! Because that’s exactly what landlords are doing!
no I am not .
rant on, brother! it’s a free country.
but it’s great that more and more people on this site are speaking out to support tenants, small business owners, poor and working class people. that is the way the vast majority on the UWS feel, which is why we elect Gale Brewer, helen Rosenthal, Linda Rosenthal et. al…. despite the vocal disparagement of a few.
you might notice that I “replied” to Diane — and then you (Webot) replied to me, which i answered.
And of course Webot does not make the rules for this web site. And i would never comply with a rule where someone says, “you can never reply to me.” Seems a little thin-skinned, to say the least.
I didn’t complain about closing a Rite-Aid. I praised Helen and Diane for their opinions, which were generally phrased against displacement.
first I am not your brother.
second I have asked you nicely to not direct any comments to me directly. I am allowed to do that , this being a free country.
Third, what I am seeing is many many folks waking up to the fact that the extremists are destroying our neighborhood and are NOT taking it anymore. The ones who sound the false alarm are in an echo chamber of nonsense with remarks that either make no sense or conflict with themselves.
fourth, you are complaining about a closing Duane Reade and Rite Aid., I have now seen it all.
you know what I find disgusting, disgusting?
the blaming the landlords for everything. the landlords built the physical city, they are the ones that pay the most property taxes and are told what they can and cannot charge in rents (residential), what other business is subject to such vitriol that seems acceptable.
you don’t like it then buy something, then you will be a landlord too and we will see how fast your tune changes.
Well at least if you’re viewing any of the higher priced rentals/coops at the new Coldwell Banker Bellmarc office and feel faint, you’ll have two urgent care clinics nearby at the former Rite-Aid at 104th and the former Strawberry’s locations at 103rd St and Broadway. Seems odd to have competing facilities nearly across the street from one another. How did that happen?
Glad to see the Rite aid on 104th closed. It was one of the worst.
Re: Duane Reade on Bway and 83/84 :: it’s possible that neighb is saturated but my experience with this store is that it was simply poorly managed.
A couple of the employees were delightful; likewise, even the woman who appeared to have managed in the past. But the operating hours were not customer-centric, and we saw multiple maintenance problems, like an overhead fluorescent light falling down in the entryway once. Products were often past their expiration date.
Walgreens is a very successful company. Guessing that they simply took a weak link out of the chain.
@webot… Oh Brother!!!