Flatiron is in ruins.
Manhattan’s once-thriving business district is now a virtual wasteland dotted with vacant storefronts, with local residents blaming a spike in crime and the Big Apple’s dismal post-pandemic retail real estate market. There is.
“Big box” retailers such as Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Staples have departed in recent years, leaving one of the city’s shopping meccas dotted with vacant storefronts.
Companies trying to hang on are plagued by rampant shoplifting and theft, according to employees and city crime statistics.
“Business is terrible,” said Tenzin Tsetar, manager of the Wine Gallery at Sixth Avenue and West 16th Street.
“Some people tried to start new businesses in empty storefronts on Sixth Avenue, but most didn’t last more than four or five months.
“Inflation is through the roof,” he said. “How can we balance expenses and income? Working from home is also having a negative impact on our business, as so many corporate buildings are empty.”
The newspaper counted nearly a dozen vacant storefronts Monday along Sixth Avenue between West 16th Street and West 21st Street.
That included former anchor stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, which was at 620 Sixth Avenue between West 18th and West 19th Streets until it closed last July.
The Flatiron District is filled with “for rent” signs as stores go out of business and major retailers leave the area. On Sixth Avenue alone, between West 16th Street and 21st Street, at least 10 stores remain vacant.
- staples: 641 6th Avenue (corner of 6th Avenue and West 20th Street). It was Staples (the sign was scraped off the front). The interior is being renovated, but no application has been made to rent it.
- lowe’s: Closed in 2019 641 6th Avenue (corner across from 6th and W 19th). It was Lowe’s. empty. Restoration of the facade is underway. Lease area: 36,166 square feet.
- bed, bath, etc.: Closing in July 2023 620 6th Avenue (between W 19th and W 18th). The bed, bath, and beyond that were on the first floor are gone, surrounded by walls and guarded by security guards. TJ Maxx and Marshall’s are still open on the second and third floors.
- T-mobile 595 6th Avenue (corner of 6th Avenue and West 17th Street). It was T-Mobile. The rental sign advertises that “first and/or second floor” are available.
- clear MD 600 6th Avenue (across from the shuttered T-Mobile). It was ClearMD. It’s empty inside.
- Terry’s Gourmet Food 575 6th Avenue (corner of 6th Avenue and West 16th Street). It was Terry’s Gourmet Foods Deli. It has been demolished, renovated and advertised as a retail store for rent.
- american bank 670 (southeast corner of 6th Avenue and West 21st Street), the former Bank of America, according to the rental agent.
- vitamin shop Closing November 2023 655 6th Avenue (across from Bank of America on the southwest corner of 6th Ave and W 21st).
- unknown 625 6th Avenue (across from B&B) is vacant. The entire 105,000 square foot building is available for rent (35,000 RSF per floor).
- CVS Closing in July 2022 636 6th Avenue (corner of 6th and W 19th). The door is locked and zip-tied, the anti-theft shutter has been lowered, and the inside is empty.
CVS, Vitamin Shoppe, T-Mobile, and Bank of America are also gone.
The sign in front of the former Staples Outlet at 641 Sixth Avenue, on the corner of West 20th Street, had been scraped off the facade, as if it had never existed.
The space that once housed Terry’s Gourmet Food Deli, between West 16th and West 17th Streets, had been demolished and was being advertised as retail space for lease.
“There’s a domino effect of store closures,” said local resident Bobby Lewis. “Sixth Avenue, from 14th to 23rd, has some businesses moving in, but most of them are leaving. It’s sad.”
Gerald Cassar, chairman of the state Conservative Party, called the tragedy “a sign of community decline.”
“It’s like a cancer. The more stores close, the fewer stores we want to come back to. The Flatiron District is not the same,” Kasser told the Post.
“It’s not just in-store,” he added. “The decline in real estate values reflects the decline of the area. There is a general feeling that the quality of life is not what it used to be.”
Merchants blamed an increase in online shopping, which boomed during coronavirus shutdowns, and the fallout from business failures due to the pandemic, for making the area less attractive.
According to data from the New York City Police Department’s 13th Precinct, which covers the Flatiron area, the number of retail thefts and petty thefts has increased sharply in recent years, making crime an ongoing problem.
Over the past two years, retail theft within the school district has increased by 55.7%, and misdemeanor crimes have increased by more than 34%, according to the data.
“People just come in, grab the bottles and run away. At least once a week, someone tries to leave with a bottle,” Tsetar, the wine gallery manager, said of the spike in thefts.
“Calling the NYPD doesn’t help. They just ask us if we’re okay and tell us not to confront the thief,” he claimed.
“The situation will get even worse,” Tsetal added. “I see it happening every day. Things are certainly not getting better.”
Statistics show that things are only getting worse so far this year.
As of Sunday, police had reported 853 retail thefts in the neighborhood, up from 484 in the same period last year, a significant 76% increase, the data showed.
During the same period, petty theft reports jumped to 1,013 compared to 645 in 2023, an increase of more than 57%, according to NYPD statistics.
Zach Clapham, who has run a cell phone shop in the area for three years, agreed the outlook is not good.
“T-Mobile closed a year ago. Staples? Closed. I hope we’re not next,” Clapham said.
He noted that foot traffic has also decreased in the area.
“We’re all dealing with slower hours and higher rents.”
Vitamin Shoppe CEO Lee Wright also pointed to traffic patterns and rent costs in a statement to the Post on Monday.
“As part of our ongoing retail strategy, The Vitamin Shoppe regularly evaluates our store locations to best offer our customers lifelong health solutions. While the store has proudly served New York customers for over 14 years, we evaluated key factors such as lease rates, foot traffic patterns, and availability of other nearby The Vitamin Shoppe locations. 257 Eighth Avenue and 385 Fifth Avenue, which closed in November 2023,” Wright said.
A CVS spokesperson said the decision to close the company’s former location on 6th Street in July 2022 was also due to several issues.
“Many factors influence the decision to close a store, including local market trends, population changes, store density and access to pharmacy services,” the spokesperson said. “He doesn’t base his decisions on just one factor.”
Other major retail chains that have pulled out of Flatiron in recent years did not immediately react.
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile
