Another shop closing.. 0

[the blob]

After 30 years in lower Manhattan, surviving 9/11 right across the street, the Occupy Wall Street protests, a few stock market crashes, a comic market and sports card market crash or three.. Chameleon Comics (and cards) is closing. Business was good enough, apparently, but not good enough to withstand a 40% rent increase, which is usually the demise of old time NYC locations of any type. He does not seem to be having a going out of business sale or anything like that though. Midtown has location like 10 blocks away so the Financial District is not completely without comics, but this was the kind of place where regulars would hang around b-sing with the staff and each other. Midtown's downtown location is really sterile.

[Artboy99]

sorry to hear. I doubt many businesses could survive with that big of a rent increase.

[WolverineX]

Yeah 40% increase is ridiculous.

[the blob]

The store next to them has been empty for like 5 or 6 years since they kicked out a pizza place and the storefront next to that empty for like 2 years. The landlord probably figures a combined space will be marketable. Maybe another bar/restaurant, those can survive down here.

[Old_Man_Adam]

That’s a shame man - I’m across the bridge in NJ a bit and it’s sinilar here - nothing lasts 

[Ride the Tiger]

That really blows. Aren't there laws that regulate how much of an increase can be given to anyone renting space? Whatever their reason or plan I hope it backfires and the space remains empty and they get nothing.

[the blob]

Such laws have been discussed but not enacted. I am in favor of taxing landlords extra for keeping space empty long term. These are spots that could have jobs, sales tax, and rental taxes. Like I said, they have kept the storefront next to it empty for 5+ years in the hope of combining storefronts and pushing him out. Lots of empty stores around there due to ridiculous asking rents. Viable businesses driven out.

[Robot Man]

Lots of small businesses especially restraunts going under where I live (SOCA). Greedy landlords raising the rent on them. Some of these places have been vacant for years. You would think the rent they were getting is better than no rent now. Funny thing is they keep building new shopping areas. I have no idea how they plan on filling them. 

[makeminemego]

Because the world needs another Walgreen's..........

[Mr bla bla]

This is unregulated capitalism at its worst,- when greed reaches a level where it starts to break down peoples local environment.

40% jump = thats one greedy scumbag for sure.

Edited March 14, 2019 by Mr bla bla

[nocutename]

The local shop by closed about 4-5 years ago.  Since then the tenant next door moved too. The landlord too the opportunity to combine the space.  It sits empty still.  It is sad to see how many vacant stores when you drive down the main strip.  Only thing that is filling the spaces are Urgent Care or Car dealerships.  It is not a pretty landscape.  Feels a bit like mini-NJ.

[Ride the Tiger]

It is the same in the Chicago suburban area. Empty stores everywhere yet they keep building new ones for some reason. One strip mall by me has 2 buildings with 4 spaces each. All are empty. The Best Buy next to them just up and closed. Now it's like a graveyard of empty stores.

[ThothAmon]

9 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Greedy landlords raising the rent

Seems more like the greedy tax man and (soon to be) sky high minimum wages are more to blame in my area (Connecticut). 

[shadroch]

I remember the kids from Chameleon when they started out.  They went from a booth in a flea market to a shop on an obscure side street to a big store on Main Street inside of two years and expanded into Manhattan a couple years later. The original owners were sharp as hell, I don't know if they are still involved. 

Edited March 14, 2019 by shadroch

[zeezee]

1 hour ago, shadroch said:

I remember the kids from Chameleon when they started out.  They went from a booth in a flea market to a shop on an obscure side street to a big store on Main Street inside of two years and expanded into Manhattan a couple years later. The original owners were sharp as hell, I don't know if they are still involved. 

Was their first location in that busy bee mall in flushing?

[Aweandlorder]

29 minutes ago, zeezee said:

Was their first location in that busy bee mall in flushing?

I go to busy bee mall to get my iPhone cover and screen protector  

[Robot Man]

2 hours ago, Ride the Tiger said:

It is the same in the Chicago suburban area. Empty stores everywhere yet they keep building new ones for some reason. One strip mall by me has 2 buildings with 4 spaces each. All are empty. The Best Buy next to them just up and closed. Now it's like a graveyard of empty stores.

Best Buy by me closed a couple of months before Christmas. You would have thought they would negotiate their lease for a couple of months but apparently the landlord wanted to play hardball with them. The place is huge and still empty. Will be hard to find a tennant for such a huge building. 

[Robot Man]

7 hours ago, Mr bla bla said:

This is unregulated capitalism at its worst,- when greed reaches a level where it starts to break down peoples local environment.

40% jump = thats one greedy scumbag for sure.

A few blocks from my house is a very large area of protected wetlands for wildlife. Pretty unusual for beachfront property in SO CA. Very refreshing instead of condos and shopping areas. They have tried for years to “develop it” but we have fought it tooth and nail. So far successfully but I figure sooner or later the right amount of money to the right person and it will be gone...

[Aweandlorder]

The only way someone can make a living from a store in a big city nowadays is if they own the store. Otherwise it just doesn't make sense anymore. Between rent, taxes, regulations, competition, and whatever overhead your store has, you don't make any money. Most successful business that I know around here make a great living because they own the properties of which they work out of. 

[shadroch]

1 hour ago, zeezee said:

Was their first location in that busy bee mall in flushing?

I believe so. I considered that an indoor flea market. I met them at a show on Northern Blvd in a church a few months before that. The main guy was really young looking and I thought he was in high school.

Turned out he was about to graduate college.