A reader mentioned that Harlem Condo Life reported that D.C. based Busboys and Poets might be moving into the retail space at new development 2280 FDB. This one looks like it is in the negotiation phase right now but what seems to be solid is that the popular chain coffee shop-restaurant-bookstore-performance space-lounge apparently has confirmed they are looking to expand in Harlem: LINK. Check out images and a review of Busboys and Poets in the Washingtonian: LINK. Photo by Ulysses
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
☞ READ: Busboys and Poets Looking in Harlem
A reader mentioned that Harlem Condo Life reported that D.C. based Busboys and Poets might be moving into the retail space at new development 2280 FDB. This one looks like it is in the negotiation phase right now but what seems to be solid is that the popular chain coffee shop-restaurant-bookstore-performance space-lounge apparently has confirmed they are looking to expand in Harlem: LINK. Check out images and a review of Busboys and Poets in the Washingtonian: LINK. Photo by Ulysses
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Woah, woah, woah! This is amazing! I've been to Busboys & Poets in D.C. and loved it. I think it just might be a perfect fit for Harlem, though I am surprised that they would choose 2280 FDB as their location ...
ReplyDeleteMo, I agree that this is a truly awesome addition to the neighborhood, but not at all surprised to see it go here. From a business perspective, it is a great move by Busboys & Poets. The foot traffic from the Aloft hotel will bring in a ton of business. Win win for all concerned.
ReplyDeleteHere!, Here!
ReplyDeleteA bookstore along with a Bed Bath & Beyond is a "wish list" of mine so hopefully this happens. I too think this is a great location -easily accesible to Columbia (since it's not far from the route around the park), and while in South Harlem not so far South that people who live above 125th street couldn't use it.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to the store(s) in DC but I love the name!
I too have visited Busboys & Poets in DC and its a marvelous place. One can see it sometimes on CSPAN's book programs on Sat. mornings on Time Warner Ch. 148.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my fear is that as a multi-purpose venue will it work here. FDB is a fabulous nabe and I love it so. But so many other multi-purpose places have come & gone like BOMA cafe on 126th & 5th. For a place like Busboys & Poets to work in NYC it needs to exhaust all of its usages. Nonetheless, I look forward to welcoming them with my patronage.
Although I find 126th and 5th a more charming locale I think FDB near 125th street is better for this kind of place (for the same reasons FDB has seen so many new businesses). I also I think the bookstore differentiates this from BOMA .. that was a great place but there were other places not too far away where one could get coffee and lotions. But we'll see ...
ReplyDeleteGreenGirl--there is a nearby bookshop, Hueman. 8th and, what, 123? 124.
ReplyDeleteGreg - Not sure that I'd describe FDB as a "neighborhood".
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chris. Will be a lot of flow from not only the W Aloft but from the subway station nearby. Tourists seek Harlem out largely because it is so infamously bathed in arts and culture.
ReplyDeleteAcross the street from the likely location of Busboys and Poets you have The Dwyer Cultural Center. And yes, three short blocks north is the famous Apollo but also ANOTHER new cultural center that last I read on NYT will be occupying the old Mart 125 building. (The city is reviewing proposals.)
So, with this new information, it's exciting to see FDB's early bloom into a cultural mecca of some sort with plenty of good eats. It's perfectly understandable why the owner of B&P would want to set up shop there. It also appears to be a very large space.
While the model at the DC location looks pretty perfect, would be even greater for them to showcase live music in the Harlem location as well.
I'm so hoping this comes to fruition. It would be absolutely ideal!
Oh yes, thanks Sanou's Mum...I forgot about Hueman Bookstore too where there's always book signing events and author lectures. It's a block north on FDB and 124th.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting development, and I will look forward to seeing it come to pass.
ReplyDeleteGreg: I think a key variable will be the terms of the lease negotiated with 2280 FDB. To the extent that the developer may be willing to concede a pound or two of economic flesh in order to secure an attractive anchor tenant for the building, such an arrangement could contribute greatly to the near-term viability of the enterprise. I think a resource like this would be great, and if it is able to make it through the next couple of years successfully, it should have (together with the neighborhood) a lot of room to grow and thrive.
I am in agreement with CBR here ... If I were the owner of this development, I'd consider giving it to a desirable tenant a bit sub-market. It'll pay for itself by helping the entire building out. The problem is so many retail spaces in Harlem have unrealitic expectations for rent ...
ReplyDelete>The problem is so many retail spaces in Harlem have unrealitic expectations for rent ...
ReplyDelete-
nope. Kalahari retail is asking $35.00 sf/yr, or you can go on Lenox & 120th for $50.00 sf/yr like here
http://www.cityfeet.com/Commercial/ForLease/HarlemCommercialRealEstateLocal/Lenox-Avenue-Commercial-New-York-NY-10027-2068345.aspx
The problem is a lack of density of people with disposable income - the landlord's can't find any tenant at all at quite reasonable (if not dirt cheap) price points.
retail is all about profit/sq'. harlem's most profiting retail(ers) are not profitable due to local harlemites (dinosaur, fairway, sylvia). Aloft & Red Rooster will not be profitable due to harlemites.
if BB & P comes to that spot, it's because it's the cheapest spot they could get within a stroll of CU. this play is about CU proximity.
commercialho, Best Yet Market is doing well because of Harlemites. Nothing to do with CU. This place will do well because of Harlemites, proximity to transportation AND traffic from the Aloft. It is not purely a case of catering to CU. Additionally, the Harlem demographic is changing. People with disposable income are moving in and that is precisely why places like Best Yet are following suit.
ReplyDeleteYes, $50 / psf is getting into the realm of reasonable but during the boom a lot of landlords in Harlem were asking crazy rents ... and the space on 120th & Lenox just became available, and in this market, things don't move quickly anywhere in NYC.
ReplyDeleteYes, Harlem probably cannot support the density of retail that the West Village can ... but it can support some.
And as for "harlemites don't make it profitable" .... well, that's true for almost any hotel, by defintion locals don't make it profitable. Besides, a great many Manhattan restaurants and stores are toursit dependent (I lived in the village near magnolia bakery before Sex and The City - and it went from a struggling store to a thriving one with multiple locations because of tourists). Harlem is a huge tourist attraction with 1.5 million visitors per uyear.
zLister: "...it's exciting to see FDB's early bloom into a cultural mecca"....this statement is clearly not based on fact. There is practically no "culture" on FDB.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes,"Tourists seek Harlem out largely because it is so infamously bathed in arts and culture."... but they certainly don't head anywhere near FDB to experience Harlem's culture.
Famously. Not infamously. Steeped. Not bathed.
ReplyDeleteBOMA just wasn't that great in the end. That's why it failed. Service was so slow, food options were limited, and merchandise was too specific. I think this place has a model that works in areas of DC that are similar to Harlem (real estate speak would call "emerging").
ReplyDeleteD, if you read back the quote you took from my comment and then say "this statement is clearly not based on fact" then you'll see that you're the one not making much sense here. I said "early bloom into a cultural mecca." This is obviously an opinion based on what I see is happening but thanks for overstating the painfully obvious.
ReplyDeleteI am curious though, which part do you think I was BS'ing regarding that area? Readers deserve to know when they're getting duped by some lame commenter. If I'm that lame commenter, which was it? The part about the Apollo or the Dwyer Cultural Center or the plans for Mart 125 location? I want to better understand what part you think I was just making up.
Sanou's Pedantic Mum - as the song goes "you say potato I say potato." Haha.
zLister: "D" appears to have an ax to grind regarding this portion of FDB, versus Lenox, or whatever his preferred micro-neighborhood happens to be.
ReplyDeleteIt's petty, and frankly rather sad. This blog, and 95% of the folks here, are "pro-Harlem" in very broad terms. There's nothing to be gained by intramural backbiting at this level -- I for one am happy to see signs of progress all around.
Thanks Cool Blue. It sounds like that anonymous poster who not so long ago I labeled 'Mr. Sour.' The one who berates Ulysses or other commenters of bias when heaven forbid they have something positive to bring to a discussion about an establishment or a property not directly sitting on wherever the heck he calls home. Mr. Sour essentially wages a pseudo turf war with himself. Would be laughable were it not so pathetic.
ReplyDeleteDaily News puff piece on Aloft today. Part of Harlem week supplement. Worth a glance.
ReplyDeletegreat to have this addition to harlem. Fred Doug is my favorite route up and downtown-less traffic and the obvious choice for restaurants because it has a nice village-like, neighborhood feel. I hope some things start to creep uptown from the epicenter at 119th. There are several almost completely empty blocks of commercial r.e. at 137th.
ReplyDeletemeh. used to live in dc, remember when B&B opened there. it was overpriced and tried to hit way too many different things (coffeeshop! bar! food! film screenings!) but didn't really succeed at any of them. made sense in terms of dc's weird fascination with enormous coffeeshops (Tryst, etc.) but yeah, sorta not excited about this, ny can do better.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in DC and would go to Busboys every weekend for brunch. I love the atmosphere and food. I can't wait!!!
ReplyDelete