Time capsules: The Gap of St. Mark's Place

An anonymous commenter left the link to this YouTube clip on yesterday's post about the northwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue being for rent.

From 1988 to 2001, the Gap was in that retail space.

A YouTuber named Steve Haskin created this video — "circa 1997" — on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...conducting interviews with passersby about the Gap's arrival. (At this point, the store had been there for nine years already, so...)

In any event, the four-plus minute clip is an entertaining time capsule (#tbt!) ... and a document showing how much the block has changed these past 20-plus years...



Previously on EV Grieve:
When the Gap moved into the East Village

Former Nobletree Coffee space for rent

[Photo by Steven]

The for rent sign arrived yesterday on the northwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue.

This is the first time in six years that this high-profile retail space is on the market.

Nobletree Coffee closed here in May after just five months in business. A sign on the door for Nobletree's "beloved customers" offered thanks ... along with a reason for the closure: "Because of the slow foot traffic at this location we were forced to close." (And we've noted the notes here and here.)

The listing at Winick notes that this is the "busiest intersection in the East Village." And it very well may be...



The rent is available upon request. In 2013, the asking rent was $27,000, per listings at the time.

This storefront previously sat empty for three years — ever since DF Mavens closed in January 2016 after a Dec. 26, 2014 debut. (It took the Mavenators 14 months to open the space.)

Other tenants in recent years include Eastside Bakery (.net?) and Roastown Coffee.

And the only business to last here in the past 30 years: the Gap, from 1988 to 2001...


[Photo by Barry Joseph]

Any thoughts on how much longer the space was sit empty... or who the next tenant might be...?

Previously on EV Grieve:
What a 'prized position' will cost you on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place

[Updated] Noted

Why aren't there any city trash cans on 2nd Avenue this morning?
— evgrieve (@evgrieve) July 20, 2013

Tweeted this observation this morning... several people have also noticed. Anyone know why there aren't any trash cans along Second Avenue?

Updated Sunday morning

Still trash-can free on Second Avenue... and people seem to be just tossing their trash on the sidewalk...

'ALL uses considered' for these two retail spaces on St. Mark's Place

For lease signs arrived for two empty storefronts on St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue... most recently Baoguette Cafe and Timi's Gelateria Classica™ ...

The listings haven't appeared just yet on the Walter & Samuels website...

We're assuming the spaces are destined for some kind of chain or dessert or specialty food shop (like a place that specializes in, say, snail caviar). Or maybe our dream of a shop for buying and trading used cassettes will finally be realized...