Casa Ventura, Loli's Taqueria on The Market

It's been a sad state of affairs for years on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Third Street, as one restaurant after another has tried to give it a go and failed. The most recent occupant of the space, Casa Ventura, opened with much hoopla and generally good reviews a little over a year ago, and even though it was run by well-intentioned locals, it's been closed more often than not lately, and has been placed on the market for a monthly rent of $9,500 (the listing actually uses photos that I took during their opening party and included in the article linked to above). It also mentions that it's back on the market after a previous deal fell through.

Several of Casa Ventura's owners opened Loli's Taqueria just about a month ago, and that space is already on the market as well. Even though it was generally well-liked and inexpensive,  the off-the-main-drag location of Sixth Avenue and 7th Street didn't do it any favors, and it's also only been open very sporadically lately. It's on the market for a rent of about $4,000 per month.

While there's no such thing as a "cursed" space, it's certainly been incredibly challenging to find a winner for either of these two storefronts.

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Citi Home Lending Center Coming to 200 Seventh Avenue

Many thanks to a tipster for sending over the above photo, of what looks like the next tenant to take over the storefront at 200 Seventh Avenue, between Second and Third Streets. The last occupant of the space was MetLife Home Loans, and oddly enough this appears to be the exact same type of niche business but from a different company.

This building has an interesting history. It's been the longtome home and studio of artist Mark Ravitz, who hung sculpted "drips" out of the windows for over 30 years. The ground floor has been occupied by a bookstore and his pop-up gallery, and the building has been vacant since a fire ripped through it in November of last year (MetLife moved out about nine months prior to that). It's been undergoing repairs since then, and this seems like the first step towards its recovery. No word on whether Ravitz, or his drips, will return.

Odd that over a year after one home loan office moved out, another one moved in, but so be it.

Scaredy Kat to Close, Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store to Replace it

Scaredy Kat, the popular card and gift shop on Fifth Avenue between Carroll and President Streets, will be closing its doors for good in July, as owners Damond Gallagher and Nora Yockey have decided to move down to Asheville, North Carolina. Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store, a similar shop located in Boerum Hill, has been lined up to move into the space in August.

The duo opened the first Scaredy Kat a couple blocks away in 1999, and moved into their current location in 2009. It's known for its great selection of unique cards, gifts, toys, and vintage items, and was one of the first pioneers on the avenue back when it was far from a prime retail drag.

Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store is on State Street, and will be moving into the storefront later this summer. Ann Cantrell opened it in 2007, and it's a quirky shop with a wide selection of gifts, toys, home, kitchen, and office supplies, wall art, and other knick-knacks.

In discussing the impending closure, Gallagher made it clear that this was their own decision, and that the landlord has been nothing but great. "Asheville is a town that reminds us a lot of Brooklyn, and we'll be opening a new shop and buying a house," he told me. "It was just the right time to make a change."

While it'll be sad to see such a unique and beloved store close, it's good to know that they're going out on their own terms and that it'll be replaced by what looks like a great independent shop. Here's their full statement:

"To all our fabulous customers and friends on 5th Avenue,

When we opened in July 1999, we couldn't have imagined in our wildest dreams how Scaredy Kat would grow as a business and all of 5th Avenue would grow into such an exciting destination! What changes we've all seen through the years!

After a fantastic 14 years, we would like to announce that we're loading up our wagon train and heading down to Asheville, NC. We are very sad to be leaving Park Slope and all our wonderful friends and customers, but also excited for the new adventures that await us. We are eternally grateful for all of our Scaredy Kat memories and will miss all of the folks we have come to know throughout the seasons.

Which brings us to say…  we are pleased to announce that ANNIE'S BLUE RIBBON GENERAL STORE will be opening in  August right here! She has been gracing Boreum Hill with her wondrous delights for the last 6 years and we are sure she will delight you as well.

We can't say “thank you” enough to everyone who has supported us over the years. We have always been touched by the kindness of the Park Slope community and of our many visitors. We know that we would not be here without you.

We will be supplying you with fun goods from now until near the end of July. After that, please come on down to Asheville and visit us at WHIST, our new retail venture!

Damond & Nora"

Nora and Damond

Open for Business: Starbucks Coffee, 164 Park Place

It's been just over three months since Five Guys closed up shop on Park Place between Seventh and Flatbush Avenues, and this morning a Starbucks opened up in the space. It's nicely laid out, has plenty of seating, and seems primed to be a gold mine for the company.

If Five Guys, which replaced a long-running stationery store in 2011, didn't take full advantage of the ample space, this Starbucks does. There's room for about 50 to sit comfortably, at communal tables, on individual leather chairs, and at cafe-style tables. The walls are painted a neutral gray, and the large front windows let in a lot of natural light.

A handful of folks had already taken advantage of the wi-fi and had camped out for the day. That combined with commuters stopping in on their way to or from the subway and others looking for their caffeine fix should all but guarantee that this Starbucks doesn't meet the same fate as its fast food predecessor.

Sterling Place Coming to 148 Seventh Avenue

Sterling Place, the "eclectic curiositites & essential goods" store with locations on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill and further down Seventh Avenue near Tenth Street, will be opening in the space that from 2005 to about seven months ago was half of specialty good store D'Vine Taste, on Seventh between Garfield and Carroll.

Sterlng Place sells furniture, gifts, furnishings, home decor, jewelry, and plenty of other items that are good to have around the house. It's high-end merchandise, but it's the type of place where you can essentially furnish a whole apartment with stuff they sell there and be very satisfied.

D'Vine Taste, the family-owned Middle Eastern/ exotic good store, opened in the space next door in 1987, and took over this storefront in 2005. Last September, though, they shut this half down.