[Updated] Ricky's coming to former Blockbuster space on East Houston Street

As the signage shows here along the Shoppes of Red Square, another Ricky's is on the way. (The Lo-Down noted this first yesterday.)

The space at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B had its last full-time retailer here in March 2012 when the Blockbuster closed. (Soho Billiards contemplated a move here, though those plans never materialized.)

As for Ricky's, this will be the third location in the East Village … there are 22 Ricky's in Manhattan alone. Soon to be 23 places in Manhattan to buy the Pub Crawl Santa suit.

Anyway, guess this means the Halloween City pop-up shop won't be back…

Updated 6:29 a.m.

Ah! BoweryBoogie notes that this location will only serve as a Halloween pop-up shop. He has an interior shot … which looks to have a temporary grab-and-go (but pay first!) set up… Anyway! NEVER too early to start planning your Halloween costume! Will do a post on that as soon as I buy my xmas decorations…

You've had your last Blockbuster night on East Houston

Last night, we stopped by the Blockbuster on East Houston to return our overdue copy of "Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000" and ...

Kidding, we've never been a Blockbuster member... Just noting that the space is empty now here in the Red Square shops between Avenue A and Avenue B on East Houston ... Blockbuster closed after Sunday night... and workers quickly cleared out the space...

Someone even left a "store closed forever" sign and a smiley face made of tape, perhaps as a thank you for years of renting ... "Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever" and "Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2."

The space remains for rent, as we noted here. Make as well start a rumor about what's opening here...

TODAY is the last day for Blockbuster on East Houston

Blockbuster extended the closing date for its East Houston Street/Red Square location from last Sunday to today...

We only mention this in case that you were looking to buy a used safe.

Previously.

Blockbuster closes tomorrow; last chance to buy the store's fire extinguisher

As we first reported, the Blockbuster in the Red Square shops on East Houston closes tomorrow...

...and when they say everything must go, they mean it.

Hope there's not a small fire inside the store today.

Previously.

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.

Liquidation sale under way at Blockbuster on East Houston

In case you missed our post yesterday morning... The Blockbuster on East Houston in the Red Square shops is closing at the end of the month. The stored ended its rental service on Saturday night, and will spend the next month selling off its inventory.

So it's time to snatch up some recent Hollywood blockbusters...

The Blockbuster on East Houston is closing

Several readers emailed us this weekend with news that the Blockbuster on East Houston (part of the Red Square strip) is closing. Well, we've heard this before as far back as December 2009. BoweryBoogie heard the rumors too.

Plus, the store has been on the block for a year now, via JDF Realty... (And it appears Sleepy's is part any lease deal here...)

"All uses considered" according to the listing.

However, a Blockbuster employee confirmed the closure. The employee said that this Blockbuster has ended its rental service. (Yesterday people could only pick up one-day rentals.) The location will stay open through February for a liquidation sale, the employee said.

On Jan. 12, Dish Network Corp CEO Joe Clayton told Reuters that the company will be closing more U.S. Blockbuster stores across than it had originally planned, and will turn the remaining outlets partly into Dish customer-service points.

Dish bought Blockbuster last May in a bankruptcy auction for about $320 million, per Reuters.

And so, the DVD rental business is just about dead. Two Boots on Avenue A seems to be the only place left in the neighborhood to rent DVDs. Even the Blockbuster kiosk inside Duane Reade on 14th Street near First Avenue is gone.

Mondo Kim's is long gone... Cinema Classics is long gone... Intervideo Electronics on First Avenue will become a Subway (sandwich shop).

Of course, you can check out DVDs from the Ottendorfer and Tompkins Square Park branches of the New York Public Library.

StuyTown Blockbuster is closing

Thanks to the tipster for pointing out that the Blockbuster on First Avenue at 19th Street is closing...




Which leaves the Houston (also rumored to be closing) and Eighth Avenue locations to do you Blockbustering... (and the one on Broadway and 10th Street closed then?)



Or maybe you can just you the Blockbuster machine at Duane Reade on 14th Street near First Avenue...

Rumors: The Blockbuster on Houston is closing

I'm not a fan of Blockbuster, but I was told by a reliable source that the store on Houston in the Red Square complex is closing...However, I spoke with a manager there who said that this was not true. (He didn't sound all that convincing, but ...)

Regardless, if this rumor was true, then it wouldn't really be a shocker. No secret that the DVD rental business is hurting. (Blockbuster shut their location on 15th Street and Third Avenue.) Plus, you can rent DVDs for a $1 at Blockbuster kiosks at Duane Reade on 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue as well as the Kmart on Astor Place...



Still, where do you do something old-fashioned like rent DVDs these days in the East Village? Two Boots has a greatly reduced video selection... Mondo Kim's is gone... Cinema Classics is gone...And there was a DVD/video store on 10th Street between Avenue C and D -- is that still open? And Intervideo Electronics on First Avenue next to McDonald's rents movies...What places am I forgetting about? Many people I know do NetFlix or check them out from the Tompkins Square library branch.

How soon before there won't be any place left to buy books or music (chain holes like Barnes & Noble, Best Buy aside...)...let alone rent DVDs...?

Vampire Easter Weekend

At Blockbuster on East Houston.