Traveling through City Council District 43 in the middle of the day in the middle of the week, I could see why a woman had asked the local City Council Member and Small Business Services what was being done to save local businesses at a recent roundtable. But they can’t all be out of business, can they?
The first one to grab my attention was a C-Town. On Google Maps, the area appears to be a food desert, but there is a colorful grocery selection on the opposite corner.
Then there are the restaurants that always have their gates pulled except for limited operating hours. I think I’ve only seen Sprinkled by G’s gates up once. And Katie O Soul Food is only open three days a week. Meanwhile, the pub across the street seems to be out of business for real.
Then there are the businesses that are out of season. H&R Block had its gates pulled, which felt like a confirmation to me that the first tax preparer I’d seen is just out of season. Searching for Cesar Income Tax Services’ address on Google Maps came up with none of the businesses in that picture. The hair braiding and nail salons farther down the block do have active hours listed.
Some places were a little harder to believe, like the BBQ restaurant near Target Flatbush Junction and the Gong cha across the street. They’re right there in the Brooklyn College neighborhood. No one wanted an Applebee’s alternative or bubble tea? It feels like something’s up with Nostrand Ave. versus Flatbush Ave.
Walking down Flatbush, almost every storefront was occupied with an open business. The same could not be said for Nostrand. Dallas BBQ and Gong cha sit at that intersection.
Looking for more examples in East Flatbush, the results are mixed. Places like hair salons could have been closed because they simply aren’t open on weekday afternoons if it’s not profitable. However, the One Dollar Zone! was definitely out of business.
There were a few other examples I wasn’t sure what to make of, like Lords, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen open, and a pawn shop right near two restaurants that seemed popular. Lords is on Nostrand near the Flatbush intersection. The chain restaurants that open on that block never seem to last long. Checkers, Five Guys, and more have all opened and closed.
Seeing so many gates makes me wonder how satisfied that woman was with the answer that stores are not really closing in District 43.
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