Tough Doing Business on Third Avenue in Gowanus?
If you know Third Avenue in Gowanus around 9th Street, you will understand why this item has a sad ring to it, especially because the area can be a little desolate. We will let the reader who emailed pick up the narrative:
I live on 10th St between 3rd & 4th, so I'm always interested in the state of 3rd Ave. As rents rise on 5th Ave, stores start to trickle downhill. I was excited to see 3rd Ave's first cafe open around the beginning of the summer, between 8th & 9th St, in what had been a closed tattoo shop. I've been gone most of the summer and didn't get there until yesterday. It's a cozy little spot with couches and wifi, but the owner said he's closing at the end of the month, because he gets no business. He was very friendly, but pretty bummed out.Lemurplex's website lists evening classes that have been going on and says that a fall performance schedule is coming.
I felt so bad for the guy. He was obviously trying for a mix of the Yemeni & Muslim pocket (it's a hookah bar, too) and Powerplay moms & dads. But there's not much foot traffic, and he thought the prostitutes were scaring away customers.
I would love to see a 3rd Ave that can support more than auto repair and building supplies. The Waterloo Bridge theater didn't make it, and I have yet to see Lemurplex actually be open (or the gallery on 11th).
The reason there's no foot traffic is because there's nothing to go to. This guy was not tuned in to what will work on 3rd Ave. here and now, and it's sad to see him fail.
So long live auto repair and building supplies, I guess. It could be a lot worse.
posted by rsguskind at 12:05 PM
6 Comments:
What a shame. I live a few blocks away and I was excited to see this place open up. It's definitely a pioneer on 3rd Ave - evidently a little too far ahead of its time.
What a shame. I live a few blocks away and I was excited to see this place open up. It's definitely a pioneer on 3rd Ave - evidently a little too far ahead of its time.
He had no advertising that I could see. And there's little foot traffic in that area. He should have papered the surrounding neighborhood so people knew he was there -- that was probably his biggest problem.
Also, every time I tried to go, he was never open.
Living right around the corner, and having gone to him a couple of times, I can tell you what his biggest problems were mediocre coffee and bad food. His place was neither ethnic enough nor hipster enough to break through.
3rd Ave is clearly on the cusp of developing into something -- it's just going to take the right formula.
The gallery that was opening on 11th has gone the way of the dodo and a dance studio is taking its place. There's also a karate dojo opening between 13th and 14th (I think).
I didn't even know the coffee shop was there... I love me a good coffee shop, but not a hookah bar. Perhaps he should have stuck to one or the other?
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