The Gate is Closed for Nolita

Retail stores lining the streets of NoLiTa are clearing the racks and closing their doors for good, leaving behind rows of hollow ground level spaces and ‘for lease’ signs.

Known as a posh neighborhood where celebrities are often spotted perusing, Nolita became a popular location for fashion entrepreneurs to open small retail stores. Unlike the mainstream Soho, its adjacent neighborhood, Nolita contains over three dozen independently owned clothing stores that in large attract only the local residents and scattered individuals seeking a unique style. Rarely can there be seen more than one or two shoppers in any of the stores. That was the case before the economic crisis.

With less business than ever and declining foot traffic in the neighborhood, local merchants can not afford to run their small business any longer, especially as the lease expires and rent increases. Store owners are clearing out the season’s merchandise and waiting for the recession to take a turn for the better.

Today is the last day of business for Gates of Morocco Inc., a retail business that has sold Moroccan furniture and crafts. After more than fourteen years at the same Prince Street address, their lease expired and the storeowner, who was not at the store, decided not to renew. A rental truck pulled up outside the doors as the store keeper, Aziz, brought out the merchandise from the basement that did not sell. When asked where the goods were going, Aziz looked away and took a deep puff from his cigarette, “Brooklyn,” he said as he exhaled two seconds later. A fellow employee handed me a yellow slip of paper with the store’s web address. Gates of Morocco‘s merchandise will continue to be available for sale online. “But there’s no guarantee because there is so much competition on the internet,” the employee groaned, “and most of our customers have been from this area.” She continued the conversation with Aziz in her native Berber tongue.

“4…3…2…” scribbled on a piece of paper taped to the windows of Gates of Morocco. A countdown towards the final day of their clearance sale, the numbers seem to represent the small businesses that will stay in Nolita.

For now, the stores that are still open for business have been making an effort to attract customers and generate sales by pushing deep discounts. John Fleuvog Shoes on Mulberry Street is offering up to 60% off during their “Buy Better, Buy Less Sale”. One storeowner on Mott Street, using a more straightforward approach, painted a message on the window: “Help your local merchants”.