Second Ave. Businesses Are Getting Freakin' Killed

Recently closed wine bar Bar Vespa

A spree of business closings on Second Ave., between 91st and 95th streets, has received a lot of attention over the past year - due mainly to the impact of the Second Ave. subway’s construction, which has spurred a ton of difficulties for the businesses closest to the mayhem. 

Getting far less attention - but maybe more alarming - is a recent string of businesses that shut down on an eight-block stretch between 77^th and 85^th streets on Second Ave., far removed (for now) from the subway's construction.

During the four-month period from June through September, a staggering 10 businesses have closed on this stretch (another shut down in May - so, 11 shuttered in a five-month period).

The businesses were a mix of chains and mom-and-pop stores; they were retailers, restaurants, wine bars and pizza spots.  Some were part of a city-wide chain shuttering (Burittoville) or a nation-wide chain trimming locations (Talbots Kids) - but still, 11 is a ton in that amount of time on such a short stretch.

Not surprising, the area’s business managers and owners I spoke with pointed to a perfect storm of a struggling economy, a drop in consumer confidence and rising business costs – especially increased rents - as main causes of the closings.

The full list of closings after the jump.

Mexican restaurant chain Burritoville (1487 Second Ave).

Footwear retailer Foot Solutions (1504 Second Ave).

Talbots Kids, located at 1523 Second Ave., closed in August.

Tini restaurant (1562 Second Ave.).

Moving company Padded Wagon (1569 Second Ave).

Gift retailer La Brea (1575 Second Ave).

Upscale Italian eatery Enoteca Do Leonardo (1582 Second Ave.).

Gourmetland (1588 Second Ave.).

Moroccan spot Al Baraka (1613 Second Ave).

Mimma’s Pizza (1617 Second Ave.), although it should be noted that a new pizza spot just opened in its place.

Upscale wine bar Bar Vespa, a one-year old venture that sat at 1625 Second Ave., between 84th and 85th.

Comments

[Hatter's Ghost]

I stopped in to Vespa once and was charged a hotel bar price for a manhattan. I'm not surprised they couldn't weather the new economic climate.

[Lino T]

Bar Vespa was opened by that building's landlord. He expected to take approx $2K/wk out of it. Didn't work out, my heart bleeds for him. Not.

[Ben]

You can find pictures of each of the store fronts that have closed in the Second Avenue Subway Construction Business Zone Area (between 91st and 95th streets) on this link:

http://thelaunchbox.blogspot.com/2008/02/vacant-stores.html

The only one not listed is Rainbow Hardware at 94th & 2nd. They've posted signs for a "Going of of Business" sale so I would image that they'll be gone by the end of the year.

[fwb]

I have to say I'm not sorry to see Bar Vespa go. The management and service was appalling. Too much time spent talking to each other and not enough time spent serving customers.