Monday, June 29, 2020

Alphabets has left the East Village


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

After 35 years on Avenue A, Alphabets has left the East Village.

Owner Linda Heidinger is moving the novelty-gift shop to Palm Springs, Calif. While there won't be a physical NYC presence, the store's new website will be active for online purchases.


[Staff pack up the shop on Saturday]

In 2014, Alphabets moved from 115 Avenue A to 64 Avenue A. (This coincided with a rent hike courtesy of new 115 landlord Steve Croman.)

Heidinger opened Alphabets in 1985.


[64 Avenue A earlier this month]

Updated 1 p.m.

Here's the official post via Instagram...



34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well damn. The last item I bought here was a RESIST shirt. It was my place to go for gifts and a great shop to hang out in and talk to fun people. Thank you for all the happy years here. You will be missed!

Anonymous said...

crap, it was so fun in there

Anonymous said...

Wow. Sad to see them go. It was inevitable at some point given our current social and financial climate we are acclimating with. So many closures with businesses and venues that were once beloved and cherished are now things of the past. I am trying to embrace endings new beginnings, but I often find it too difficult to bear when everything is happening all at once considering the past few months have been brutal. Palm Springs? It's a great community, quite far away from here, very LGBTQ+ friendly with a high income ratio amongst many of its residents. Hot AF in the summer and fall, but still remote and lovely in its own way. Wishing the very best to this merchant who will be sorely missed by this long time EV resident.

Gojira said...

God I spent so much money in this place over the decades...fair winds and Godspeed to you in California, will miss you and your fun stuff.

MrNiceGuy said...

I'm really sad to see them go, this was a fun shop to pop into and I'd always take visitors there on a quick tour of the neighborhood. Good luck to them in their new venture

Anonymous said...

Will miss Alphabets. Don't they also have the home goods store on A down around 3rd and 4th or 5th? Won't even go into rant about how all that is unique and small business mom and pop, as opposed to trust fund, is going, going, gone.

Anonymous said...

My go-to for almost every birthday gift, holiday cards, and other countless trinkets for 20 years. Was delighted to be in line behind Bill Murray there in December 2019. The kindest people worked there. Will be much missed.

Anonymous said...

this is a big loss for the EV.

Anonymous said...

I remember the original on Ave A when it was more card shop and fun people working there... sad to see them close

Eden Bee said...

Damn I have been going there forever and almost worked there three times haha. I will really miss that place.

creature said...

My heart just dropped. Every damn b-day card for the last 20 years was purchased here. Damn. Good luck, Linda.

Anonymous said...

Now where will I shop for xmas gifts that dont suck?!

Anonymous said...

So devastating. One of the places I was crossing my fingers to frequent once things stabilize. Thank you to the delightful staff who were as eager to chat with me about EV life while indulging my tagalong out of towners. Will miss this place.

Anonymous said...

Will really really miss this store! My go-to for cards and birthday presents.

Anonymous said...

Alphabets! Commonly my answer to "Where did you get this?!

susan stetzer said...

this business was unique, affordable, a pleasure to shop, and where I bought many many many gifts that I knew would not be duplicated. And, I often found necessary items that I never knew were necessary until I saw them. This is exactly the kind of business we want in our community. There are some places, like Alphabets and Sunshine Theatre, that we will never stop missing.

Anonymous said...

As others have said, damn!! Crummy news.

PopularPublicity said...

I echo the many others here for whom Alphabets was our go-to shop for great gifts. You are missed! And also thank you to Alphabets for taking a chance on my "I Was Born This Way" T-shirt for Pride 2019 and your good advice on T-shirts. You were the first ever to sell them, now online at www.iwasbornthisway.com Thank you, Linda.

Unknown said...

This is a loss of a great neighborhood store, but glad to hear that it will be living on in CA.

Anonymous said...

A loss for us. A smart move for them.

Anonymous said...

Slowly but surely East Village uniqueness vanishing.

KHD said...

Really a sad loss. Palm Springs...I guess this is a better retirement option? I hope Lancelotti doesn't leave, too.

Anonymous said...

What a bummer! Can I come out west with you on your new adventure? :)

Lola Sáenz said...

I Loved the Great assortment of cards! Palm Springs is a nice hot place and very close to LA. Best of Luck, you all will be missed

The Cadillac with the Tiger in it guy said...

Damn, I leave town for a week and look what happens! I'm speechless. This is as big a loss as Stage restaurant. Linda and Co. treated her/their long time E.Village resident customers like royalty.
I can't fault her for leaving. She worked hard for 35 years to keep Alphabets going and I wish her luck. But now I'm out of luck. Alphabets is where I bought every card and gift for Xmas/Birthdays/all other events for the last 35 years. I ain't kidding. The only comparable shops back in the day were Little Ricky's and there
used to be some French post card shop in the W. Village on Bleecker that I can't
remember the name of...was it called Rendezvous or French Kisses or something??

PJ said...

Paris Images

Unknown said...

I will sorely miss Alphabets. Many great purchases from there. Thank goodness Exit 9 is still around!

Deb said...

I can't say more than every other comment here...this shop is going to be very sorely missed ! I can't fault Linda forafor moving on...thank you for all the wonderful years Alphabets was here.

Sharaq Abbas said...

I can't fault her for leaving. She worked hard for 35 years to keep Alphabets going and I wish her luck. But now I'm out of luck. Alphabets are where I bought every card and gift for Xmas/Birthdays
/all other events for the last 35 years. I ain't kidding. The only comparable shops back in the day were Little Ricky's and there

Anonymous said...

Another one bites the dust. I am sure many more will follow thanks to greedy landlords; the virus and the numbnuts mayor who is the most inept political hack America has ever created. Escape from New York. Good luck in your new location.

Cait said...

That's a loss - it was my go-to place for buying gifts and cards, a really useful and fun neighbourhood place. I wish them well in Palm Springs!

Unknown said...

Great products, great staff and a really great business ethic. I will miss Alphabets! Good luck with your new location.

Etienne Culler said...

I walked by today looking for it and saw it was gone. It's been my go-to place for cards & kitsch since they were up the block. First, Little Rickie then, Love Saves the Day. Sigh! People used to ask what it was like 'way over' in the EV. I used to answer that it was slowly gentrifying but, at least, there were no baby strollers but, now, no longer.

Thomas Kelly said...

ugh this breaks my heart.
When I used to live EV this was my go-to for cards/gifts for, literally, every occasion.
After moving to Berlin, I would -always- pop in when I was back visiting and stock up on cards.
Alphabets, you will be sorely missed.
Linda, thank you for everything. Palm Springs is lucky to have you.
<3