No No, No More

Walked by earlier and there is a For Rent sign. That was quick.
Too bad.

Just saw that today too...

On a slightly different note - anyone know what's going on at Lola, the store next to Brook-Vin? It's been closed for over a week, and at one point last week there was a hand-written note in the window saying they were on vacation but would open again on Jan 25th. Didn't happen and seems to have been closed since. Tough times :-(

FurryGreyBOy wrote: On a slightly different note - anyone know what's going on at Lola,...(

I've kind of been expecting that, I walk by there everyday and I noticed that the signs in the window of % off kept going up. In my mind, that's the path to closing up.

argh! always loved their windows! they spice up the avenue! never found anything to purchase there, but i appreciated their style.

i was a little worried walking around today...NoNo, Bohdi Tree, Maggies...there's a lot going down.

I'm worried about South Slope stores. A couple opened up here recently - Goldy & Mac on 7th near 13th, Lily on 7th and 15th...I know many of them have counterparts elsewhere so it won't be quite as sad if they only close here, but still. It's a bummer. I can't believe how fast Maggie's went.

Is NoNo gone, or just closing? It's one of my favorite places!

The Bodhi Tree had a sign "Bussiness for Sale." Hilarious.

ah yes the closing of another small business is hilarious isnt it?

I'm sorry about the Bohdi Tree..and they show a lot of class...they have a sign with an email address to reach them if you have a gift card from them. And eatshoplocal, I agree with you...nothing funny about a small business closing

no its not funny that a business is closing.

but " The Bodhi Tree had a sign "Bussiness for Sale." Hilarious. "

i thought the jest had to with the mis-spelling.
or possibly the humor in
"business for sale - we dont have the right to assign the lease ,theres no inventory, and no one shops here but hey other than that its a great investment"

theres a falling apart run down store front on 5th ave that "sells" what seems to be other peoples garbage. they too have a "business for sale sign up"

i have a bridge for sale, in case youre interested.

I'm sad to see all these stores closing, but Bodhi Tree in particular had many issues - poor location, catering to a younger clientele (who couldn't afford those clothes), and something of an attitude (I was told point-blank that I was out of the age range of the market they were targeting). Selling to hipsters on the BeanSprouts-to-321 drag approaches delusional.

I only went in there twice (for a winter hat)...I found them very accommodating and nice (and I am definitely not younger clientele). But their location was not very good.

Wait, are we talking about NoNO (North of New Orleans, the restaurant on 7th Ave b/w 7th and 8th Sts) or some other store?

Closing? No. For sale? A shitty business that tries to sell itself is a little humorous I suppose. One that can't spell "business?" Yes, very funny.

ljnd wrote: I'm sad to see all these stores closing, but Bodhi Tree in particular had many issues - poor location, catering to a younger clientele (who couldn't afford those clothes), and something of an attitude (I was told point-blank that I was out of the age range of the market they were targeting). Selling to hipsters on the BeanSprouts-to-321 drag approaches delusional.

I agree- I live on that block and wandered in there a few times and was very unimpressed by the staff. Totally unhelpful and the clothes were WAY overpriced. There's enough cute boutique stores in the slope that will accommodate you to not have to shop somewhere like that.

I forgot in Park Slope on this blog if a store doesnt cater to your individual needs (i.e. toasting a bagel) its basically "shitty" - forget the fact that these are people who mostly live in our community that have invested their personal money into brick and mortar businesses - in businesses you can happily utilize or choose not too, ...but the level of insensitivity towards our business community on this blog is outstanding - small businesses are not just struggling now but always have been - its a fact - mom and pop businesses have been struggling for a very long time and not making any money- I personally dont like a lot of businesses in the slope but would not try to make myself feel superior by bashing them, if anything I am amazed by the entrepreunerial (I cant spell that!) spirit of these people to risk it all and open a small business with the knowledge of little return - again how many of you on this blog have taken 20k, 30k, 100k of your personal money or taken out a loand and ever started a business? to be called a "shitty" business by someone who has probably never gone into the store...sad

I worked retail and service jobs for many, MANY years and I don't ever remember when painting your nails and talking on your cell phone was an acceptable form of customer service (both of which I have experienced at said retailer.) Also, when asked how much a jacket in the window was, the response I received was "expensive" with a long glare (perhaps insinuating that I can't afford it?) I'm sad to see it shut down because now its just an empty building, but it was not a fave.

I had no idea where Bodhi Tree is/was, until reading Carmen's description of the snotty service.... but if it's on 6th Ave and 7th Street (or thereabouts) then I much the same experience, but with something of a grunt mixed in. The girl looked seriously pissed that I was taking up her time. I only need one experience like that to never bother going back again.

Carmen, thanks - that's exactly the sort of attitude I got only instead of its being about money, it was about age (and I'm 43, it's not like I'm tottering decrepitly down the street or am some kind of blight on fashion and aesthetics). It was almost as if the clientele available to them wasn't good enough for them. In which case, karma's a kick in the ass, ain't it?

Eatshoplocal, I love shopping in the nabe. I try to support local businesses over chains whenever possible - and I run my own business, so I totally know what it's like. But I never say to a customer, "I'm sorry, you're just NOT the customer I want to be selling my stuff to." I mean...who does that? And in fact, I DID go into the store, and it's precisely BECAUSE I did (and Carmen did and FurryGreyBOy did) that we are saying what needs to be said: this business was consistently rude to its customers. Just because they are local and small doesn't mean they thusly deserve to stay in business. If they are condescending and ill-mannered towards people who come in with money to spend, they can add a healthy serving of self-blame to the economic environment.

WOW its almost like all of you are stuck in the "Mean Girls" movie!

We are seeing a change in park slope my friends. The bad buisnesses with horrible customer relations can no longer survive. These closings are a good thing. It means that better buisnesses with better practice models will open in their place and thrive.

Eventually all the stores in park slope will be super friendly an very helpfull...the way they should be

Yes, and most of them are - Serene Rose, for example, is a great, chatty, friendly boutique; extremely helpful, and I've often surprised myself by buying more than I intended, purely because they are lovely people. Seven Nails gets my business over Dashing Diva - I've built up relationships with the ladies there and they know how I like my nails and eyebrows done. Shops like this MAKE a neighborhood, and I hope the recession doesn't affect them too severely!

I went into Bodhi a few times and was pretty much ignored. i wouldn't say they were rude and snotty, but they certainly weren't welcoming either. i also was not impressed with the quality of the merchandise.

Now, yesterday I went into Alchemy-loved that place, the two women running out it couldn't have been nicer.

eatshoplocal wrote: WOW its almost like all of you are stuck in the "Mean Girls" movie!

WOW! it's almost as though you have no concept of how a store or restaurant should treat customers or potential customers! To you, if is a small, local shop then we should all support it and shop there NO MATTER WHAT. No ifs, ands, or buts, just spend your money there whether you like the merchandise or not, whether you are treated nicely, whether the prices are good, just shop there because someone went out and took a business loan and opened a local store.

I mean, I understand wanting to keep local stores in business, but, to shop at a local store whether or not they are a good store/restaurant? No, pull your head out of your ass and realize that local stores still have to supply good service and good merchandise-just because they are locally owned doesn't mean everyone in the nabe should bow down and shop there no matter what!

ljnd wrote: Yes, and most of them are - Serene Rose, for example, is a great, chatty, friendly boutique; extremely helpful, and I've often surprised myself by buying more than I intended, purely because they are lovely people. Seven Nails gets my business over Dashing Diva - I've built up relationships with the ladies there and they know how I like my nails and eyebrows done. Shops like this MAKE a neighborhood, and I hope the recession doesn't affect them too severely!

Love Serene Rose, Hermian is a doll and very involved in other aspects of the community also.

As soon as they emptied out the Bohdi Tree spot, they papered the windows and someone has been working there well after dark. No signs up yet and the only time I've seen someone peeking out the door, he was on the phone so I couldn't ask.

I'm curious to see what will go in there. It's hard to imagine what would thrive on that corner other than a laundromat or stroller shop, though. The spot doesn't get the traffic 5th/7th Aves get or the major streets (Union, 9th).

I would take a laundromat (even though another is rght down the street, I'd take one on this corner!)

I wish it was still a deli like it was years ago, but a decent one. I was shocked years ago when Park Slope Ale House opened there and they did well, you never know. if a place makes a name for itself, it won't need foot traffic to survive.

Love Serene Rose atmosphere, a bit too expensive for me, but always pleasant. However, as evidenced by the closing of Maggie's Threads; it's NOT the service that makes a store fail. They were the sweetest and most patient with kids there.
Look at Flight 101. Fkn rudest assholes in the universe, but people love to get some overpriced status symbol there. And if Lola is going out of business, which I hope it isn't; again; the salespeople were always friendly there.
Bodhi-yuk. I felt old. Agreed; wrong business model.

i'm always greeted kindly at flight001 and always asked if i need help finding anything.

i am starting to truly believe that part of the service you receive is based on the vibes people give off. not entirely, but if you are going into a store thinking already that everyone who works there (even though personnel probably changes often) are "fkn rude assholes" then you are probably going to get treated poorly.

i know, not an excuse. the customer is always right. i'm just sayin'

Old Time Brooklyn wrote: Closing? No. For sale? A shitty business that tries to sell itself is a little humorous I suppose. One that can't spell "business?" Yes, very funny.

Thats what i thought you meant. (bussiness JUMPED out at me)
I didnt think it required advanced reading comprehension skills,
but apparently im wrong.