Spuyten Duyvil residents say shuttered storefronts, 'for rent' signs becoming familiar sight
A bank, a diner and a pharmacy have all shut down in recent years. With fewer customers visiting the area, additional businesses followed suit.
More Stories
An older community in Spuyten Duyvil say they are struggling to access basic necessities, as nearby stores continue to close, leaving residents worried about the future of their neighborhood.
At Knolls Crescent, shuttered storefronts and “For Rent” signs have become a familiar sight.
“I don’t feel good about it,” said Joe Beers, a Spuyten Duyvil resident.
Beers no longer drives and relies on a cane to get around. He said the shopping center was once a short, convenient walk where he could take care of multiple errands in one trip.
“A few of the stores that closed, I really needed,” Beers said.
A bank, a diner and a pharmacy have all shut down in recent years. With fewer customers visiting the area, additional businesses followed suit.
Residents say the vacant storefronts are more than an inconvenience. They worry the empty spaces could lower property values and make it harder to sell their apartments.
“Everyone’s trying to group together to figure out what we can do to get these stores rented,” said resident Joanne Downey.
According to the local community board, monthly rents in the shopping center are about $9,000. Community Board 8 has begun conducting a study to better understand the closures and their impact.
“It may seem like it’s a small number of vacancies,” said Constance Barnes, of Community Board 8. “If people in that area depend solely on those stores, then it has a tremendous effect.”
Farrah Kule Rubin, also with Community Board 8, said residents are hoping landlords will consider lowering rents to attract new businesses.
“It would be great if there’s a way that the landlord could make the rents more enticing to new businesses,” Rubin said. “But so far, I don’t think they’ve been too receptive.”
Despite the challenges, residents remain hopeful. With several apartment buildings nearby, they believe new businesses would have a steady customer base.
“They’re going to get a lot of business when people do open stores,” Downey said.
