Revisiting Fulton Street...and say hello to Fultonhaus!

Fulton Street, down in the Financial District, is as dreary as ever. The street is still torn up. And there's that large, unnecessary money pit in the Earth on Fulton and Broadway where the Fulton Street Transit Center will open in 4783. (At the east end of the street at Water and the South Street Seaport, the storefront that housed the Staples remains vacant.) Still, though, despite all this...the street is functional enough for the working folks in the neighborhood. You have your Radio Shack, your Subway, Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, CVS, etc. Your basic chain hell with a few mom-and-pop shops in the mix. (With some affordable work space on the upper levels.)



Despite the economy, more change is inevitable along this corridor. For instance, on the north side of the street, between Nassau and Williams Street, there are four properties for rent. (Here's info on 119 Fulton St.)






As humdrum as the street level looks, big things have happened up above...check out the upper left-hand side of this photo...



That's the 14-story loft residence (a SHVO exclusive!) known as Fultonhaus at 199 Fulton St., just a few doors east of the Crisis Intervention Program at the Coalition for the Homeless. Dunno what the occupancy rate is at Fultonhaus. For what it's worth, there is some furniture out on a few of the terraces, though not too many brave souls are taking advantage of the Fultonhaus rooftop right now. [Update: Thanks to the commenter for setting me straight: The roof deck is part of District next door to Fultonhaus.]



Oh, one thing worth mentioning on the Fultonhaus site...the "nightlife" section...not exactly an area renowned for it. Anyway, the wonderfully seedy Pussycat Lounge gets namechecked!


No love, though, for the Blarney Stone? Which is right next to the Fultonhaus. And they're having a nice sandwich/side order combo deal. Just don't ask for separate containers, OK?

Down on Fulton Street

As I've written before, my place of employment is near Fulton Street, that lovely stretch of misery between Broadway and Water. The street has been torn up for years. Meanwhile, businesses are seemingly struggling to survive. Still, there are some nice little spots tucked away on the side streets, like Ryan's, an Irish pub on Gold Street that's never too busy (except when the NYU and Pace kids get in with their fake IDs). Given the glitzy high rises going up nearby, you have to appreciate such a place. Haven't been there in a few months, so I thought I'd ... Oh. Shit.


Here's what remains of Ryan's and whatever was next to it. Torn down to make way for condos.


Well, at least Ryan's was able to move nearby. Meanwhile, I worry about some of the mom-and-pop shops on Fulton Street. Seems like someone is closing up all too often. And there's no place for them to go.


There's a nice cobbler on the street. An odd little jewelry store/barber stop combo. And the Blarney Stone.


Still making rubber stamps. But for how long?




So why are the little shops disappearing? Just look up.


Of course.

Earlier on EV Grieve:

Been on Fulton Street lately? What a treat!

New million dollar lofts in FiDi go from sliding rules to sliding doors

Just in case you thought there wasn't enough high-end condos in the Financial District. Debuted now on Fulton Street, a few doors west of our old friend the Blarney Stone...

Anyway, meet the Compass Lofts... oh, and excuse me, it's The Compass Lofts at 42 Ann Street. Even thought I'm standing on Fulton Street. Ann runs parallel to Fulton. And probably doesn't have as much of a stigma as Fulton Street, the home of, well, nothing.



Anyway, as the sign says, the lofts, which hit the market last week, start at $2.4 million... and they provide a nice view of the Beekman ...



Here's some of the listing:

The Compass Lofts is a landmarked boutique residential loft building in the heart of FiDi offering seven extraordinary homes that perfectly fuse 19th century distinction with 21st century luxury. Every aspect of the architectural restoration epitomizes the developer’s reverence for the building’s role in history as a symbol of precision and design integrity.

The Compass Lofts offers a choice of six gracious full-floor lofts and one newly added rooftop penthouse duplex. All offer grand living spaces that boast oversized windows, fireplaces and high vaulted-barrel ceilings that set the stage for dramatic entertaining. The loft layout bedroom area and spa-like baths provide for a quiet retreat. The open custom kitchen includes RAK Ceramics marbleized polished porcelain counters with premium Liebherr and Viking energy-efficient kitchen appliances. The penthouse duplex is flanked by spacious north- and south-facing terraces plus a private rooftop deck.

And a little history on the building:

It was built in 1892 and landmarked 113 years later. Now the former factory at 127 Fulton Street is on the brink of becoming one of the finest, best-restored residential buildings in the Financial District. The 10-story Keuffel & Esser building was named for the family-run company that built it. Famous among engineers who relied on its products, “K&E” was the brand of the early 20th century for all sorts of drafting materials and instruments — T squares, compasses, measuring tapes, leveling rods, surveying equipment, and even furniture. It was the first American company to manufacture slide rules, and its success helped make Lower Manhattan a commercial capital in the days when industry rivaled finance downtown

Here's more on the history of the company. And if you want to know more about the Compass Lofts, there's an open house on Sunday...

Come on in, the shopping's great!

As Urbanite reported (via Jeremiah) on Monday, the Strand Annex on Fulton Street will close after the summer. Why?

The Annex, purveyor of discounted books both new and used, has been at its current location for 12 years. But store owner Fred Bass says that recent construction in the area has decreased customer traffic and lowered profits.
“We were doing very well with that store, and then they started the construction, which really hurt our sales,” Bass said. “The lease was up, and of course the landlord wanted the normal increase. But we figured the construction will last at least another year, and we just felt that it wasn’t viable to do that.”

Another year? Good luck. I made a joke in April about 2078. That seems realistic. I see this mess on Fulton Street every weekday. It's only getting worse. This is an area you want to avoid. And I know people who do, unfortunately. If something like the Strand is giving up, what about some of the other smaller shops?  They need the business.

Previously on EV Grieve:

Been on Fulton Street lately? What a treat! 

All Fulton Street-related posts are here.

Looking at the signs and window displays along Fulton and Nassau Streets

I began my walk on Nassau Street in front of the Tiny Towel Spa. (Or is it The Towels Were in the Dryer Too Long and Shrunk Spa?)


The sign for Samuel's Hats on the other side of Nassau has an air of high society about it. According to their Web site, "If you are planning to attend the Kentucky Derby or you need a hat for any special occasion please take a look at our new arrivals by the greatest American and European designers. " I just don't see too many women wearing these kinds of hats these days.

The sign remains, the store is no longer in business. This is now the new home of Hat Corner.

There are several discount stores along Fulton Street (I should just call it Fulton -- there isn't much Street left with all the construction) and Nassau Street. The area reminds me a little bit of 14th Street between Third and First Avenue several years ago, when there seemed to be 99-cent shops every few storefronts. With all the fancy condos and hotels cropping up in the Financial District, I'm afraid there won't be much need for mom-and-pop stores selling, say, plastic backscratchers, Spanish-language greeting cards and off-brand detergent.

Ralph's has been here for nearly 35 years, I'm told. By the way, the door to the right of Ralph's is marked 82 Nassau Street. According to New York Songlines, "This was the address of the South Baptist Church; Herman Melville may have written "Moby-Dick" in a building in the church's courtyard, reports Literary New York. Later, in March 1878, the first telephone exchange was opened here by the Bell Company."

Been curious what this building was on Nassau Street before someone slapped the NATALIE on it.

Love the jazzy, roaring-20s look of the Wendy's sign. Adds a touch of class! Now, must order a Triple Stack with cheese.

There may be a Sophie's under here somewhere.

An exercise studio for nuns? Or mimes?

Yes, I know Dress Barn is a national chain with affordable clothing for women. That name, though. Sounds like the place to shop for the Sadie Hawkins dance.

Always like the 1-2 punch of a fried chicken chain and fitness center side by side.

More random storefronts along Nassau Street selling affordable shoes and clothing. How long will they last with the neighborhood becoming more and more affluent?

Why getting around the Financial District is so fun!

Need to get somewhere in a jiffy? You'll be better off, oh, crawling.

Pearl Street!



Liberty Street!



Maiden Lane!



Wall Street!



Fulton Street! (Still!)



Fulton Street is really ugly



Broad Street!



And last summer, Beekman was torn up...back to normal now...

Old-timer Blarney Stone becoming a gastropub with 35 plasma TVs in the Financial District

Every so often we wander away from the neighborhood...

We've written before about our fondness for The Blarney Stone on Fulton Street near Nassau in the Financial District ... a fine place for some beers and affordable quality food from the steam table by the front door. And they open at 8 a.m. A good crowd. Office workers. Construction workers. Horse players. A few people working on a scheme.

[Photo by IrishNYC via Flickr]

The place closed for good in March 2010.

Now, a reader sends along the following item from UrbanDaddy with news of what this space is becoming...

Welcome to The Fulton, a 4,300-square-foot gastropub where the menu looks like it’s from a steakhouse and the flat-screens are invisible (except when they’re not), opening Saturday in FiDi.

This place feels like a long-lost executive’s lounge from the 1920s. There are diamond-tufted leather banquettes everywhere. Herringbone wood walls. Hanger steak frites. Old framed photos of Fulton Street (circa horse-and-buggy era). And a slew of cracking antique mirrors... that happen to conceal 35 state-of-the-art invisible plasmas.

So when a game isn’t on, and the TVs are off, every set will be hidden behind two-way glass. Perfect for when you want to quietly sip on a Ginger Inn (that’s vodka with guava, lime, raspberry and ginger) while splitting short ribs and cheddar grits with that comely market analyst.

Like the sound of the "old framed photos of Fulton Street." A little history for the lifeless.

The layers of Fulton Street (aka, that big hole in the ground)

I've been keeping my eye on the looooong-delayed and increasingly expensive Fulton Street Transit Center at the corner of Broadway in the Financial District. It doesn't seem as if much progress is being made. The top two photos here show the construction site last week.



Here's what it looked like in July. I can't really see much difference.

Meanwhile, the Fulton subway entrance pictured below has been shuttered during the recent construction. The businesses shown here in July have been relocated to other parts of Fulton Street. These mom-and-pop shops that line entrances and exits of the subway give this city a little character, a little of which continues to die.