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AREA Kids Moving into Brooklyn Mercantile Space
Tuesday, March 20, 2025 at 1:06PM
It inspired plenty of strong feelings when news broke last month that Brooklyn Mercantile, the knitting suply and gift shop on Fifth Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets, was up for rent. Well now I can confirm that the store has indeed been rented out, and the tenth branch of Brooklyn-based mini-chain AREA Kids will be soon moving into the space.
I received an email earlier today from Loretta Gendville, who owns the kid-centric toy and clothing shops. "The landlords are wonderful," she said, "and AREA Kids is super excited to be on the wonderful block facing the newly renovated park!"
"I have been wanting to find a spot in this exact location for the past year and actually almost opened 8 years ago only 1 block away," she added.
There are two other AREA Kids stores in Park Slope, but the first south of Union Street (one is up on Seventh and Union and the other is on Fifth and Bergen), so this one should make it a lot easier for South Slopers to stock up on stuff for their kids.
Scoops, Storefronts
Reader Comments (10)
Oh, that stinks! love Brooklyn Mercantile, but, I guess opening a kid's store across from the park makes sense. I wonder how this will affect Bubblez?
So is there a sale going on? I walked in there once and things were really over priced. It would have been ok for for a person who makes one scarf in their life but I actually knit all the time and it can become expensive hobby if you don't search out good prices on material. But I get that a kids store has a better shot at making it in the space and kids do propel the economy in the hood.
Area Kids does equal parts clothes and toys. Not so sure Bubblez does clothes.
I love their bagels. Best in the Slope!
^^What are you talking about?
^^down 5th there is AREA Bagels. I think they were originally called Arena bagels, and then changed their name due to the arena backlash.
You don't know about the secret bagel at Area Kids? Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesdays? Yup. Mission burrito.
"The landlords are wonderful."
Pretty sure her tongue was placed squarely inside her cheek. They jacked the rent up 20% to $5800 a month.
And the Thursday Cheesesteak! Best outside Philly.
But, this is not Area Bagels, it's Area Kids, a clothing and toy store, me thinks someone is confused