Thursday, February 23, 2012

Blockbuster closes on March 18


On Jan. 29, we noted that the Blockbuster on East Houston in the Red Square strip was going out of business ... At the time, a Blockbuster employee said that they'd close on Feb. 29.

However, we just heard that the Blockbusterers pushed the date back to March 18 (confirmed by a Blockbuster employee) ... so in case that you are in the market for any previously viewed DVDs or DVD display cases...

Now.

Two questions.

1) Has anyone checked out the sale items? Worth a look? We've never had a Blockbuster membership. Do you need to be a member to buy any of the crap?

2) The store has been on the block for a year now ... looks as if Sleepy's is part of the deal too ... the listing has it going for $75 a square foot... What would you like to see in the space? (Shoe store! Egg shop! Zine store! Heh.) What do you think will end up in the space? (And please be more specific than, say, "something shitty.")


Sorry — that was four questions.
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19 comments:

  1. EV GrieveFebruary 23, 2012 at 6:53 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. EV GrieveFebruary 23, 2012 at 6:55 AM

    What will end up here:

    7-Eleven and IHOP.

    (Sorry, couldn't wait.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 23, 2012 at 8:19 AM

    It seems clear that they prefer to rent out to chains in these storefronts (Sleepys, Blockbuster, FedEx/Kinkos, DD's, Subway), so that's probably what's coming in. Wouldn't mind a Trader Joe's if that's the way it's gonna go.

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  4. Hey19February 23, 2012 at 9:16 AM

    @8:19
    A Trader Joes would be amazing. This area is wanting for something like that. I dont know if the space is big enough. More likely a Pizza Hut/Taco Bell? Who knows, this is a pretty random block.

    ReplyDelete
  5. glammaFebruary 23, 2012 at 9:39 AM

    i love trader joes, but would hate to have one here. and no, that does not make me a nimby. there is an appropriate place for everything. union square, for example, is an appropriate place for trader joes. this stretch of houston is one of the last quiet vestiges in the east village, it is a stretch that i truly enjoy walking, and many others seem to as well. i would hate anything that draws large crowds. no more effing yuppie bars or restaurants or chains or banks for godssake. can we please do what the upper west side is doing. come on people lets summon up alittle jane jacobs here.
    how about a community center.
    any business that caters to residents NOT BRUNCH CROWDS AND BAR CROWDS.
    so sick of being pushed out, in our own home.
    vintage store, art center, school of some sort - classes in all manners DIY, community activism, social responsibility???

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousFebruary 23, 2012 at 9:45 AM

    wasn't there an auto parts chain store in one of these storefronts?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Marty WombacherFebruary 23, 2012 at 10:34 AM

    I'd love to see a zine store! Maybe the second coming of See Hear? Okay, that's not going to happen, but one can dream! Anybody know what Ted Gottfried is doing these days?

    ReplyDelete
  8. dmbreamFebruary 23, 2012 at 11:17 AM

    As Grieve asked, has anyone gone to check out (what's left of) the sale bin?

    I'm registered with a group called BooksForSoldiers that enables members to send books, magazines, DVD's, etc. to servicemen and women overseas in care packages.

    There's a verification process to become registered and gain access to the various requests from soldiers and commanders that I've already gone through.

    If anyone is interested in picking up a few movies and contributing, I'd be happy to bundle all of discs together and send them out.

    Use your best judgement when considering what soldiers in Afghanistan would like to watch. TV series collections are popular. Try to avoid war/political movies. Not the place to do it. Also, no porn --- Osama's remaining ilk would just steal it, anyway.

    Respond in the comments if you go to the shop or if you have any old DVD's in your apartment that you'd like to purge.

    We can arrange a follow-up off-thread.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. argieFebruary 23, 2012 at 11:50 AM

    In response to Glamma, Trader Joe's doesn't really draw outside crowds anymore. I live right around the corner from it so I walk past there a lot. After the initial frenzy, the lines are pretty much all inside the store now. It also got a bit less busy when the 6th Ave one opened up. And with the Union Square one in existence, I don't think a Houston one would be crazy crazy busy.

    I don't disagree with you on anything else, just wanted to put in a word for Trader Joe's, because personally I really like living so close to one.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousFebruary 23, 2012 at 11:56 AM

    If it has to be a commercial chain, I'll take a Taco Bell. Anyway, I've been to the Blockbuster recently, and they're selling previously viewed DVDs for $5-$10. You don't have to be a member to buy. The $5 DVDs come in sleeves (no boxes or artwork), and are kind of a pain to sift through. They are in alphabetical order, though, so it helps if you know what you're looking for. The $10 previously viewed DVDs do come in boxes with artwork.

    ReplyDelete
  11. EV GrieveFebruary 23, 2012 at 12:05 PM

    @ anon 11:56 am

    Thanks for the details.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Laura Goggin PhotographyFebruary 23, 2012 at 1:47 PM

    Seeing as how 7/11 is planning to open 100 more stores in NYC, I wouldn't be surprised to see one here.

    I'd like to see a roller rink!

    ReplyDelete
  13. bowery boyFebruary 23, 2012 at 2:03 PM

    toy store, sporting goods store, urban gift shop for small apartments, youth center, fitness apparel shop, dance/yoga studio, or a games playland.

    ReplyDelete
  14. EV GrieveFebruary 23, 2012 at 2:55 PM

    @ bowery boy

    Thanks for the suggestions.

    You mentioned yoga studio... space is maybe big enough for a modest-sized gym... The dolphin around the corner on B closed. There's the other Dolphin on 4th Street... and the place next to the Upright Citizen's Brigade on 3rd... I'm not a gym person... so, aside from the big places like New York Sports Club on irving and Crunch on Lafayette... not sure if this is a good idea...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey19February 23, 2012 at 4:22 PM

    A gym would be sweet.
    Its very hard to please Glamma, so I wont try, gym or Trader Joes it is for my vote.

    ReplyDelete
  16. OWRFebruary 23, 2012 at 4:39 PM

    Seeing as how what Glamma wants Glamma gets, I question the appropriateness of a Trader Joe's. Seriousely has anyone ever looked at the ingredient list of their foods? Enriched Flour, High-Sodium content, ad nauseum. But I guess since the Professional anti's here approve of TJ (cool factor?) then that is ok but big-bad Corporate Wolf Whole Foods is bad.
    And Houston Street is 'quiet'? On what planet is that?
    The Professional anti's on this site are really self-parodizing at this point.

    ReplyDelete
  17. JillFebruary 23, 2012 at 8:51 PM

    The owner/developer man of this place has said publicly that he regrets what happened to this block and the retail that moved in. I'm not sure if he still has a hand in it, but if he does, he is reading this and knows he has a responsibility to make good and get something excellent here - fresh food, meat, seafood, and of course, you can never have too many shoe stores.

    ReplyDelete
  18. EV GrieveFebruary 23, 2012 at 8:54 PM

    @Jill

    I was at a CB3/SLA meeting where he apologized for this... before speaking out against a bar proposal...

    Yea shoe store!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey19February 24, 2012 at 3:41 PM

    stale post but, eh, TJs, whole foods, all the same to me, but would be some saturation for WF w their location on bowery.

    ReplyDelete

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