Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
According to Del, the new landlords, who took over in the spring of 2021, decided to terminate the shop's lease effective at the end of the month. He learned about the decision via a certified letter.
He said he hopes to have a few more months to liquidate the merchandise. Del has been in the wholesale business for four decades and has been in this location for 20 years.
For now, shoppers can find items with sale prices between 50 and 70%.
Here's a look inside the cozy store...
Timbuktu is open daily from 1-8 p.m. Phone: (212) 473-4955.
24 comments:
Looking on Avenue A or B! Seems like specialty retail is doing a bit better in Alphabet City...
Wow, I’ve been buying gifts there for so many years. Probably pricey rent, but there a few empty spaces on the cool East 9th block between 1st and 2nd. Hope they can stay in the hood.
"According to Del, the new landlords, who took over in the spring of 2021, decided to terminate the shop's lease effective at the end of the month."
Sad. Another small business closing because commercial tenants do not have any rights in the commercial lease renewal process. Friendly reminder that the bill that would have saved this biz (Small Business Jobs Survival Act) was buried last Council term with the assistance of CM Carlina Rivera, who was on the Small Business Committee at the time. There is another City Council election coming up -- vote accordingly.
I think this was an antique store before. IIRC the exterior was actually used on Seinfeld for the episode where George has to take a coffee table to be refinished before his parents return.
Ugh, this is such a wonderful store, and I've bought many things there over the years. I will definitely make a final visit before Christmas.
There are some vacancies along First Avenue as well. I really hope they can stay in the neighborhood.
i second looking into the vacancies on 1st Ave. between 9th and 13th there are many!
theres a few vacancies on East 3rd bet A and B near the third street bazaar
I will second the posts above to say that this is a wonderful store. My wife and I have spent many hours here over the years. It seems that the problem is less a lack of business than an unreasonable landlord, so I also think it would be worthwhile to look into the empty storefronts in Alphabet City.
Freckin landlords - here you have a WELL established business in the neighborhood and you just want them to leave. So sad.
Oh boy another Smoke Shop tk
This is one of my favorite stores, hopefully they will be back soon. Here’s an idea for the new store: combine it with a cafe that serves Moroccan mint tea and Moroccan coffees (nous Nous and Cafe Noir). Sell Moroccan books, music and movies, and do movie nights including Casablanca, which was shot entirely in California, but does not detract for the fact that one of the greatest movies of all time is set in Morocco.
This is more like a museum than a store.
Such a lovely, one of a kind exotic place.
I thought that the building was a coop and that the business owner was one of the shareholders. Too bad I was wrong.
I hope and pray that you can relocate in EV.
What a shitty landlord. One of the first things I bought for me new apartment a decade ago was a set of glasses from them. Such a beautiful store, come to 9th Street :)
AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!
Yup, another long-time customer here. I sure hope they can relocate. In the meanwhile, yes, I'll go and help them liquidate their wares.
:-(
Can't predatory capitalist real estate developers allow us just a few nice things?
Gorgeous store and always absolutely lovely to shop there. One of the last of the true Mom and Pop stores left in the EV. (The neighborhood and all of NYC used to be jam packed with fab small stores like this. Now it is more mall-like everyday.) 9th Street between 1st and 2nd would be perfect for them as mentioned above.
I second what KT said: "According to Del, the new landlords, who took over in the spring of 2021, decided to terminate the shop's lease effective at the end of the month."
Sad. Another small business closing because commercial tenants do not have any rights in the commercial lease renewal process. Friendly reminder that the bill that would have saved this biz (Small Business Jobs Survival Act) was buried last Council term with the assistance of CM Carlina Rivera, who was on the Small Business Committee at the time. There is another City Council election coming up -- vote accordingly."
Damn this sucks lovely shop lovel people and the landlord didn't even give them a shot at staying hopefully CB3 will not ever approve a liquor licence in that space
Coming soon: ANOTHER EMPTY STOREFRONT for the next 10 years.
Thank you Carlina Rivera. FOR NOTHING.
WHY was she even ON the "Small Business Committee" unless "Small Business Committee" is code for HOW TO GET RID OF SMALL BUSINESSES on the Lower East Side?
-- Chris Flash
@11:14 AM (Giovanni): "Casablanca, which was shot entirely in California"
Sorry, Giovanni, but I KNOW you're wrong about that, b/c my wonderful neighbor of many decades was born & grew up in Casablanca (where he still has many family members, some of them over the age of 90) - and he REMEMBERS the film company shooting scenes on his street, b/c it was a very unusual and strange a thing to see there in that era!
And, as an adult, when he finally SAW the movie itself, there is a street view in it that shows the front door of his family's house.
There is so much empty retail space on the LES I can't imagine why a commercial landlord would want to force out a 20 year retailer that wants to maintain its space.
@11:36 PM: No one ever said landlords were intelligent.
One month notice? That’s pretty dickish.
The previous store in that location, owned by a neighborhood character, Ralph, was featured on Seinfeld and the exterior was used in the opening credit roll and dagnabit, I can't remember the name. Rescued Estates, nah. I think that was where the Bean on Third was.
The way things are going we might have a designer store moving in there soon.
Love Thy Beast is moving out this month on East 5th Street. Not a huge space but we'd love to have you on our block.
And thank you Carlina Rivera destroyer of East River Park, champion of the Tech Hub without 3rd & 4th Avenue corridor zoning protection, supporter of SoHo/NoHo rezoning and adding on the building of an out of scale "affordable" housing complex on East 5th Street and in general a supporter of developers and big real estate.
Is your term limit on the City Council up yet? Can't wait.
In total agreement regarding Carlina Rivera and all the gate keepers she has working for her. This store was a sheep led to the slaughter because predatory landlords have made sure that retail leases are accorded no rights and local politicians are more incentivized by greed than service.
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