If you already believe that Tribeca is “the downtown Upper West Side”—or slouching that direction—then brace yourself.
First, another independent shop is being forced to move. Cristina Dos Santos, whose home decor boutique opened at 39 N. Moore in January of 2010, will be vacating within the next few weeks. While disappointing, it’s not a huge surprise, since the landlord has been shopping the space around for a while, most memorably to an upscale Mexican restaurant that the neighbors rallied against. The good news is that Cristina isn’t ready to throw in the hand-loomed towel just yet; she’s actively looking for a new location.
Second, what’s replacing Cristina’s shop is, well, unlikely to rile the neighbors: Gap, or “the Gap” as we old folks call it. The smart money has to be on GapKids, babyGap, GapBody—the chain’s line of women’s intimates—or some combination thereof. (Or maybe the company’s Athleta fitness brand?) Because a regular Gap would have to make more sense in the Seaport, Fulton Center mall, or World Trade Center mall.
“I often joked only a Gap would be able to use and afford the space,” says Cristina, a sentiment I worry we’ll be hearing more and more around here.
Sad news. I’ve purchased a number of unique and lovely items here and will keep an eye out for a new location, hoping that it won’t be far away. On that note, I have yet to see Just Scandinavian resurface and look forward to that too.
NOOOOOOOO!
Gap is going to seem so out of place on that block. I also don’t think it will generate $$$ for the company. Customers are trained to shop Gap on sale and given the expensive rent, I doubt it will become one of their successful locations. Crewcuts couldn’t survive on Hudson. I have my doubts.
I’d personally rather have the Mexican restaurant than a Gap if I lived in that building. Much worse foot traffic.
Branding! Gap doesn’t care if it’s an unsuccessful store — they see it as money well spent on a physical advertisement trading on Tribeca’s high-class-cache. Also see: Starbucks, 7/11, etc
tribeca is tribeca – i don’t care what anyone says. it will NEVER be the upper west side!
Heather – just wait! Look at Bleecker St. It became the West Village’s Madison Ave. The whole WV is now a little Upper East Side. So sad.
Maybe it will be Intermix, which is now owned by the Gap
@ER: Ooh, good theory! Thanks