Friday, December 3, 2021

Here's your Smoke City Exotics signage on Avenue B

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Here's an update on a post from Nov. 17. Signage went up yesterday for Smoke City Exotics at 166 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

The shop, selling various snacks and smoke accessories, has been open now for several weeks...
On Nov. 17, we incorrectly reported this was a new outpost of NYC Exotic Snax, specializing in rare imported snacks and sodas like Kellogg's Choco Krispies with M&Ms, Kit Kat Cinnabon and Lay's pickle-flavored super chips from the Netherlands. This is a different Exotic!

22 comments:

Choresh Wald said...

Wonderful to hear that another empty storefront will be alive again on Avenue B. It also means more foot traffic and more delivery trucks on a block that needs to pedestrianized: free car parking needs to be removed , better barricades need to be placed in order to create a safe Open Street.

noble neolani said...

This will be popular with tourists, which is a loss to the neighborhood which needs storefronts with useful products and services.
https://london.eater.com/2020/7/9/21318813/covid-19-cereal-killer-cafe-closing-brick-lane-east-london

Anonymous said...

What products and services are needed? Would a business offering these make economic sense? One lesson of the last 2 two years is that tourism is big part oxygen economy.

Anonymous said...

The smoke shop on 9th Street, right off avenue A, sells an assortment of the same products

Glenn said...

I was going to post something snarky but then I realized they might have Lay's Ketchup Chips from Canada.

Anonymous said...

Excited to have somewhere to find interesting snacks since the options are pretty slim at the moment.

VillageNag said...

I’m a grumpy old person - but this is great - will be good present buying spot!

Anonymous said...

re: Anon 9:36AM. Butcher, fish store, shoe repair, clothing...

Anonymous said...

I went into the one on Stanton a few weeks ago since it looked fun and I enjoy a hard to find snack. I brought a soda to the register and was charged $20 for it. I got a vague explanation about shipping costs and taxes, and immediately put it back. I'll splurge for a lot of things, but $20 for 16 ounces of sugar water isn't one of them.

Anonymous said...

Medical marijuana dispensary, fetish clothing store, electric bike, scooter and unicycle store, dialysis clinic :( I’m sure there’s more

marjorie said...

I love love love trying snax of foreign lands! Exotic travel without leaving home! I am personally BEYOND PSYCHED.

I hate New Things said...

Looking at photos of some of their products... you can find many of these at other shops, often much cheaper. HMart, JMart, Fairway,etc. Not knocking the place, just my two crumbs!

Neighbor said...

Maybe you guys should try opening one of these businesses in the numerous vacant spaces instead of complaining about someone actually opening something. It's amazing how people can be upset both about things closing and opening.

Neighbor said...

Hey Noble, Why don't you open something? It's not like this shop is taking a scarce space. Tourists in our neighborhood helps support other businesses too.

Anonymous said...

My God, thank you Neighbor for your 12:35pm post. #blahblahblah

noble neolani said...

Hey Neighbor, how about I open a bro bar with loud music, drunk screaming throughout the night and a pile of garbage so the rats can get some exotic snacks as well? My point which you overlooked is tourism needs to stay out of healthy neighborhoods. Check out my link from my first comment. Some of us are fighting to keep bars at a minimum and we are not all "grumpy old people", some of us have children and don't want to rely on Amazon to buy basics. There was a time not too long ago when a person did not have to leave the neighborhood to get everything they needed, small shops provided this. Gimmicky business like this one only raise the rents for everyone which is something I think everyone will consider a bad thing.

Neighbor said...

1) clearly we have different definitions of "healthy" since I see a lot of vacancies, a lot of graffiti, and a lot of trash
2) try stop making tired strawman arguments. I said nothing about your age or online purchasing habits
3) it is 100% a fact that every business in our neighborhood benefits when there is more business density because it creates a greater opportunity for purchases and foot traffic. Further residents benefit because more owners car for the sidewalks and more people are around limiting petty crime.
4) you may not like e-commerce but it's here to stay so lambasting changing retail to try to return to some perceived glory day does nothing.

Try lifting up our neighborhood instead of constantly tearing it down under the guise of caring.

Anonymous said...

They were all here in the old days and disappeared for lack of business or high rent or both

Anonymous said...

Sorry but this looks suspiciously like another smoke shop under the guise of exotic snacks

Anonymous said...

Desi Galli has interesting snacks as well and is just down the street! Will have to check this one out!

Anonymous said...

earlier this week, i passed a worker at the old dry cleaners on the opposite side of the block and he said that a new coffee shop was coming in there. excited for more snack and coffee options on avenue b!

Anonymous said...

Many if not all these smoke shops are placeholders for when the cannabis regulations finally come down from Albany in the next year or so, the proprietors can show they have a place in the community and no complaints etc...