Skylines explode in Brooklyn as retail vacancies haunt local streetscapes
Blight of Empty Storefronts Not Just Greedy Landlords
After I moved to Cobble Hill four years ago, I quickly developed favorite local haunts. I bought books at BookCourt and Community Bookstore, beer at American Beer Distributing Co., coffee at Cafe Pedlar and candy at Sugar Shop, all along Court Street. Some of my favorite restaurants were Brucie and Dassara, and some of my favorite bars were Strong Place, Buschenschank and Last Exit.
Today, not one of those businesses remains.
Small businesses in New York City are increasingly being forced out of their spaces — frequently from a rent hike, though not always. In their place, outposts of national chains appear, or, in many cases, the space sits empty — for months and months, and sometimes years.