Bay Ridge’s 86th St. attracts nationwide chain stores

But BID director says mom-and-pop shops at home there too

September 4, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Shoppers now have a large variety of places in which to dine while hunting for bargains in stores on Bay Ridge’s 86th Street. Chipotle Mexican Grill is the newest entry in the culinary sweepstakes. There is also a great deal of non-food excitement in the neighborhood over plans for a Victoria’s Secret.

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It’s no secret! Victoria’s Secret is coming to Bay Ridge!

The famous lingerie emporium, whose fashion shows draw millions of online viewers eager to see gorgeous models strut their stuff in sexy undergarments, is planning to open up shop on 86th Street. Victoria’s Secret isn’t the only national chain setting up shop on 86th Street. A new Chipotle Mexican Grill, which recently opened at 463 86th St., is also the talk of the town.

Eighty-Sixth Street is one of the premier shopping destinations in southern Brooklyn, boasting more than 100 shops and restaurants on the blocks between Fourth Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway. Thousands of shoppers visit the area each day and those numbers explode on weekends, when tens of thousands of people come to shop, according to Patrick Condren, executive director of the 86th Street Bay Ridge Business Improvement District (BID), a group that represents property owners and merchants.

Construction of the new Victoria’s Secret is still underway at the planned site at 447 86th St. An official opening date has not yet been set.

Shopper Julie Raia said she’s excited. When asked by the Brooklyn Eagle if she thinks it’s a good thing for 86th Street that a Victoria’s Secret is coming, she answered, “Definitely so. People love to shop there.”

Raia, an East New York resident who often comes to Bay Ridge to shop, said she thinks Victoria’s Secret will do well financially on 86th Street. “They’ll definitely make money here,” she told the Eagle.

Both Victoria Secret and Chipotle Mexican Grill are opening on the heels on another high-profile new tenant, Panera Bread, which opened last month at 531 86th St.

“This is part of the evolution of 86th Street,” Condren said. “We have always been a prime location for large, successful chains. Stores like TJ Maxx and The Gap have come here.”

The first large-scale store to pitch its tent on 86th Street was the Century 21 Department store, which set up shop decades ago and is still viewed as an anchor because of its ability to draw large numbers of shoppers who then visit other stores on the street.

Other chain stores on 86th Street include Sleepy’s, Duane Reade and Claire’s Accessories. The BID is also home to banks like Chase and fast food eateries like McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King.

But while Condren said the BID loves large chains, he was quick to point out that small, mom-and-pop shops have also made a home on 86th Street. An example of this is Globe Drug Store at 405 86th St., which has been operating for more than 25 years. Plaka Restaurant, at 406 86th St., Unique Jewelers at 408 86th St., and 86 Feng, a mobile phone shop, are examples of locally owned stores living side by side with the big guys.

Another popular, mom-and-pop place is Mike’s Hinsch’s, a restaurant-ice cream parlor at 8518 Fifth Ave.

“We have always had a good balance,” Condren said.

The BID is a public private partnership composed of a board of directors that represents landlords and merchants on 86th Street. The BID’s territory also stretches beyond 86th Street and takes in buildings and stores on Fourth Avenue between 85th and 87th streets and Fifth Avenue from 85th to 87th streets. The BID pays for amenities such as supplemental sanitation services and Christmas lighting on the street out of a fund provided by property owners who pay an added assessment on their city real estate taxes.

Established 15 yeas ago, the 86th Street BID, like all of the BIDs in New York City, operates under the jurisdiction of the city’s Department of Small Business Services.