Peering into the crystal ball about the future of these storefront businesses

[EVG photo from September]

The Commercial Observer explores the economics behind some dwindling storefront businesses in a piece titled "What Does the Future Hold for the City’s Tarot Card Readers and Fortune-Tellers?"

[H]ow do you make rent off of $5, $10 or even $20 readings? It’s something we think about all the time in terms of restaurants and $8 eyebrow threading and $10 manicures. But those industries have visible, steady clientele. And with rents what they are — $418 per square foot in Lower Manhattan for retail space, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s most recent retail market report, which works out to approximately 21 readings at $20 for every single square foot in a space—the economics seem daunting. (Retail rents are much higher, of course, in other parts of the city.)

“The people they meet for $20 — that’s just an opening,” James Famularo, a senior director at Eastern Consolidated, told Commercial Observer. “Once in a while, they’ll hit a nerve. Some sucker will believe it, commission the reader [industry speak for astrologists, psychics, and crystal, energy, palm and tarot readers] as a life consultant and pay hundreds or thousands of dollars per month. They’re not doing it for a palm read — they’re looking for a well.”

Still, that seemed far-fetched in terms of a business plan. Or, at least, risky. And, anyway, all psychics are not created equal.

This is not a story about who is good at their practice or who is easily seduced (or who is interested in doing a reading “for research”). This is a story about who is good at bookkeeping. Whatever the math, readers appear to be a vanishing breed, at least in terms of new storefronts and new searches for visible space.

Recent psychic closures in the East Village include storefronts on Sixth Street ... Second Street ... and Sixth Street.

Regardless, fans of the storefront psychics, tarot card readers and fortune-tellers shouldn't fret.

One broker compared them to "street hot dogs" — "Someone’s eating them. I don’t think they’re going anywhere."

By the way, don't be fooled by the "psychic" on the door at 170 E. Second St. The actual psychic closed here, but the new tenant — a graphic design studio — kept the former business logo intact...


[Photo last month by Derek Berg]

All someone wants for Christmas...

An EVG reader spotted this on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street... a flyer campaign noting that SantaCon, scheduled for Saturday, has been cancelled... which means, according to the sign:

• NO congregating in Santa costumes
• NO throwing up on the sides of buildings
• NO public sex acts
• NO excessive drunkenness

(What about the rest of the year?)

Anyway, SantaCon hasn't been cancelled... the list of participating bars will be released later tonight.

Tompkins Square Park holiday tree starting to look more like a holiday tree

[Photo by @davidpiz]

Workers are putting the lights on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree ... ahead of the tree lighting this Sunday from 4-5 p.m.

(And enjoy the lights while you can — they'll likely only be up through the middle of February.)

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From the archives ...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

Chain reaction: Report shows a slight decrease in national retail stores in Manhattan

[The same image and caption that we use every year]

The Center for an Urban Future has released its ninth annual State of the Chains report... so far they've just sent out the top-line results.

Per the EVG inbox:

Each of the outer boroughs experienced marked increases in the number of national retail stores in 2016, while Manhattan saw its stronghold on national chains dip slightly from previous years ...

The study shows that Dunkin Donuts remained New York City’s largest national retailer with 596 stores city-wide and widened its lead over second place retailer, Subway, which has 433 locations. Dunkin Donuts now has 163 more stores than any other retailer in the city.

Dunkin Donuts topped our list for the eighth consecutive year as the largest national retailer in New York City, with a net increase of 24 stores compared to 2015. Subway is still the second largest national retailer in the city, but it has 12 fewer locations than last year. Rounding out the top ten national retailers in New York are MetroPCS (with 326 stores), Starbucks (317), Duane Reade/Walgreens (303), T-Mobile (223), Baskin-Robbins and McDonald’s (217 each), Rite Aid (185), and CVS (153). There are 12 retailers with more than 100 stores across the city, down from 13 last year.

For the eighth consecutive year, national chain stores have expanded its presence in the city, and despite a slight decrease of locations in Manhattan, chain retailers still have almost double the number of stores in Manhattan than in any other borough. Overall, chain retail locations in New York City grew from a total of 7,154 stores in 2015 to 7,243 stores in 2016, a 1.2 percent increase.



Among the study’s other major findings:

• Starbucks has more stores in Manhattan than any other national retailer with 223 locations, while Dunkin Donuts topped the list in each of the other boroughs.

We'll update later when the Center releases the full report, which shows the number of chain stores by zip code in the city.

You can find last year's report here ... 2014 ... 2013...

East Village venues playing host again to SantaCon

SantaCon organizers took to Twitter last evening to announce "the amazing Seven Spots of Santacon 2016," which takes place this Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

And those seven spot of SantaConning include two East Village venues, Solas and Webster Hall. The full list:

• Ainsworth Park, 111 East 18th St.
• 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar, 230 5th Ave.
• Slake, 251 West 30th St.
• Madison Square Tavern
• Webster Hall, 125 East 11th St.
• Bar 13, 35 East 13th St.
• Solas, 232 East 9th St.

The SantaConning participants will be spread far and wide. As Patch reported:

In addition to these core venues, around 50 participating bars will open their doors to the Santas and offer special SantaCon deals. Those bars — along with the route's exact starting point — will be announced [tonight].

The East Village also served as SantaCon central last year.

And from the archives last year, Gothamist interviewed the organizer of SantaCon, East Village resident Jim Glaser (not named here but in a subsequent feature in the Times).

Salon Seven exiting 7th Street at the end of the month

A few weeks ago, we noted that the two storefronts at 110 E. Seventh St. were for rent. One of the businesses here, Porchetta, has closed while its owners look for a new space. Next door, Salon Seven remained open here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

However, longtime Salon Seven proprietor Mark D. has announced that he is leaving the space, closing on Dec. 31.

Per a message to patrons:

It has been a great privilege to have been a part of your lives for nearly 20 years at Salon Seven. Thank you for your patronage and loyalty ... I will be moving to a nearby location effective January 6, 2017. My new digs will be at the Tim Dark Hair Salon, located at 27 East 3rd Street where I will continue cutting your hair as usual...

Wednesday's parting shot

The holiday lights have arrived (as of Sunday) outside 7B/Vazac's/Horseshoe Bar on Seventh Street and Avenue B ... photo via Bobby Williams this evening...

Quite a set of pipes on 10th Street

Just checking in on some of the water main replacement and sewer rehab going on around parts of the neighborhood... such as here on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... EVG reader Daniel shared these photos from today...



A worker at the scene told Daniel that these pipes were from 1910 (not sure about that — but that's what he said) ...

Steamy on 10th and B

Photo this morning via Grant Shaffer

Do you have what it takes to be a member of the Community Board? (Well?)

Want to serve and improve your #Manhattan neighborhood? Consider joining your Community Board! Apply here: https://t.co/wp89JyaZic

— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) December 5, 2016

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer has launched the recruiting process to fill open positions on local Community Boards.

A few details via Brewer's office:

Community Board members must live, work, or have an otherwise significant interest in the neighborhoods served by the community board, and be a New York City resident. In addition, the Manhattan Borough President’s office looks for applicants with histories of involvement in their communities, expertise and skill sets that are helpful to community boards, attendance at community board meetings, and knowledge of issues impacting their community. No more than 25 percent of the members of any board may be New York City employees.

You must also be able to keep a straight face when applicants claim that they only want a liquor license to have something to pair with their desserts.

You can fill out an application online here. The application deadline is Feb. 3.

As The Lo-Down aptly noted: "One suggestion. If you’re interested in joining your local community board, it’s a really good idea so sit through a meeting (these meetings are often not for the faint of heart)." Good times! Check out CB3's December meeting rundown here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The community board-State Liquor Authority drinking game

New location of Barnyard Cheese now open on Avenue B

Barnyard Cheese is up and running now at 168 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street.

As we first reported, owner Beatriz Arremony was moving both Barnyard and her Brix Wine shop from Avenue C and Ninth Street to side-by-side storefronts on B. (Brix is expected to be open by the end of the month.)

Arremony said that the move will allow them to expand their offerings. Barnyard will now finally have a full kitchen and unveil a number of new items beyond their meats, cheeses and sandwiches.

"We will miss our corner of 9th and C and the great community that we've been part of for the last nine years but hope to continue to do the same on the B side," she told us last month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Barnyard Cheese and Brix Wine Shop moving from Avenue C to Avenue B

Raphael Toledano tenants take to Midtown streets to speak out against their landlord and his lenders

Tenants of more than 20 buildings owned by Raphael Toledano, along with local elected officials and community organizers, went to Midtown to call out Madison Realty Capital and Signature Bank for their role in lending money to the controversial landlord.

The group, including a large number of East Village residents, first convened yesterday morning outside Madison Realty Capital headquarters, 825 Third Ave., then, accompanied by members of the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, marched to the Signature Bank headquarters, 565 Fifth Ave.





Here's part of a statement issued via the Cooper Square Committee:

In September of 2015, Madison Realty Capital, a determined private equity lender, issued Toledano a $124 mil mortgage to buy 17 buildings throughout the East Village and Chelsea area.

News coverage (The Real Deal) has documented the risky lending patterns that Madison Realty Capital maintains. The Real Deal quoted a veteran real estate investor saying that MRC’s $124 million loan to Toledano left him “over leveraged,” and that Toledano is now “pushing up rents to pay off a high mortgage.”

The mortgages Madison Realty Capital issued Toledano went as far as to require him to spend $2 mil of the loan exclusively on tenant buyouts or renovations – practices which often trigger huge rent increases. Tenants in Toledano’s buildings have faced alleged harassment and extensive building issues ever since he took ownership. Signature Bank played a role here as well, as they collateralize Madison Realty Capital in the lending they do.

And here are prepared statements from elected local officials...

State Assemblymember Deborah Glick: “Raphael Toledano has proven to be an unscrupulous and harassing landlord who takes financial risks and is often over-leveraged while seeking to make an enormous short-term profit off a group of buildings at the expense of tenant’s rights. Madison Realty Capital, and their collateralized backer, Signature Bank, show a disregard for stable communities by funding these mortgages for Toledano. We urge them to stop funding these projects which inevitably result in tenant harassment."

State Sen. Brad Hoylman: "Madison Realty needs to take responsibility for the unscrupulous, anti-tenant actions of the developers it bankrolls. Madison is greasing the skids for predatory landlords in my district who systematically harass tenants out of their homes. I’m proud to stand with the Toledano Tenants Coalition, Cooper Square Committee, and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra in calling on Madison Realty to pull the plug on Brookhill Properties."

Toledano is reportedly trying to sell a large number of his East Village properties.

Photos courtesy of the Cooper Square Committee