...and some important-looking court documents appeared on the gate this week...
...and the mail continues to collect inside the gate...
If this turns out to be a permanent closure, then Argosy is the latest East Village thrift store/boutique to shutter in the last 18 months or so, a list that includes:
More vintage doom: Beauty Crisis is closing
Monk Thrift Shop on Avenue B
Atomic Passion on Ninth Street
O Mistress Mine on 11th Street
Andy's Chee-Pees on St. Mark's Place
Physical Graffiti turns into a tea shop
Junk on St. Mark's Place
Personal Affairs on Seventh Street
Amon-Ra Showroom on East 10th Street
The Monk Thrift Shop on Avenue C
Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village vintage stores doomed?
7 comments:
Every article has failed to mention Outlet 7 on 7th btwn 1st & A. Closed last month. Just a heads up.
Much as I love your work, Grieve, this particular feature is just a wee bit out there for me.
I hadn't realized the list had expanded to boutiques. Last I knew, this was about thrift stores only.
If we add in ice cream shops, funeral parlors, shoemakers, furniture repair shops and live-in storefronts, this list could get really alarming.
Andy's Chee-Pees on St. Mark's was never cheap, btw. It mostly sucked. Listing Monk twice is kinda not fair. Amon-Ra lasted a lot longer than I thought it would after I saw it when it first opened. Had 'failure' written all over it. But whatever.
No points for places that have actually opened? Like the French guy on 9th just west of First Ave. (who used to be on 10th between 1st and A...whoop, another closing! Wow.)
Heh heh.
@JohnM
Thanks for the comment...
I was under the impression that a few of these boutiques were also selling some thrift/vintage items? I'll be happy to strike them from the list.
And, to be honest, I never understood the differences between the Monk shop on A that moved to Third Street... and the Monk shop on B that moved to Brooklyn... and the Monk Shop on C and 11th that closed. So these are different shops, and it seems reasonable to include them in a closure list.
In general, a list of small-shop closures would get alarming. I will add any ice cream shop or funeral parlor that sells vintage clothing to the list, though.
Regardless, it still seems as if a lot of thrift stores have closed of late.
Its like a mass extinction happening before our eyes. Someone tell me, these days, besides history, exactly what is so unique and cool about the EV?
Amon Ra only exisited because the owner's brother is the super in that building so they were probably paying a really, really low rent.
Andy's Chee-pees employees had the same attitude as the people that come in drinking on the weekends. At one point they put a sign in the window that said "No fat chicks". I mean, WTF, seriously?
the loss of small shops, especially long-time family ones, is a loss of what made this neighborhood special. as the rents increase what are left are chain stores, bars and expensive restaurants. oh, yes, and banks. (remember when there were so few banks?)
i didn't like all of the stores that closed, but variety is what made this neighborhood interesting. and the family-run shops made you feel like part of the family.
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