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Robert Ripps book
History of Tribeca Buildings
Another Rent Casualty
We’ll soon be able to add one more vacant storefront to the tally: K. sent word that Tribeca Duane Cleaners at 112 Duane is shutting its doors as a result of a rent increase. The sign inside says the closing will occur at the end of August, but the owner seemed to be saying it might actually be September.
The dry cleaners is the last retail holdout in that building; the check-cashing store and optometrist’s offices both closed a while ago.
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With 100 some odd empty store fronts, and many that have been vacant for a very, very long time, why would people want to move here and put down roots? Landlords have to realize that it’s a double edged sword. Raise the rents too high, no one can afford to stay, no reason to live here… No money for landlords! Plus if the only retailers that can afford the rents are the big chain stores it will totally make TriBeCa into a generic neighborhood. We have to preserve the independent stores and restaurants! Hmmm. Is the there a TriBeCa Community org that can help promote the hood as a destination?
I’d love to do a Tribeca graphic:
1980: no services, bring your dry cleaning to work year.
1990: no convenient services
2000: services!
2010: fewer convenient services
2020: no services, Uber+ now picks up and delivers your dry cleaning
Free market types argue to me that the rents will come down when landlords realize that they can’t get the sums they want. I don’t believe in Santa. And these necessary small businesses will be long gone IF it ever does happen.
I remember having to carry my dry cleaning with me on the subway to midtown in the early 80s…and the nearest grocery store was a scummy Sloans in Chinatown. And a corner deli didn’t show up until about 1990.