The Gloom Over Bay Ridge

                The cries of Bay Ridge’s businesses scream out from its storefronts as their economic future gets sucked in by the recession. Large companies and even mom-and-pop stores, and their employees meet a dreadful fate of low revenues, job losses, closures and store replacements.

                Empty and pleading, it is a pitiful sight as more stores in Bay Ridge’s B.I.D decorate their glass windows with sale signs displaying 20, 30, 50 and 70% off tags to lure customers in. But with all the stores having sales, competition for customers leaves room for only the fittest as survivors. Those who dwindled under the strain left a gloomy shadow in the prospects of the others who remain. The question of who will be next, floats around cautiously in the streets.

Nothin Fits offers sale

According to the Bay Ridge Courier‘s article, “Brooklyn Business Leaders Forecast Bleaker Days Ahead”, in the March 12, 2009 edition, many businesses are responding this way because of the uncertainty of the the fiscal year of 2009 holds. Its reference to the membership survey of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (BCC), reveals that 47% of the chamber members believe that their personal financial situation will only get worse. In an effort to make their finances  better, many stores are laying off employees, reducing store hours or just closing down. Even though Bay Ridge’s predominantly middle class population is this B.I.D’s major revenue, decline in sales only proves that the effects of the recession in inevitable in any community.

Within a 15 block radius, from 86^th street to 101^st between 3^rd and 4^th avenue, more than 10 stores were closed. They included large stores such as; Circuit City, Key Food and KB Toys, to small stores like War VI, Beyond Dance, Happy Pets, Street Sound, nail salons, cleaners and travel agencies.

Circuit City Closed.

“I feel like all the small cheap stores are closing and now I’m going to have to spend so much more money shopping. I think that’s going to make the financial crisis worse because people are going to spending more than they earn or not spend at all because they don’t have enough money,” says Anne Diaz, a shopper in the Bay Ridge community.

Upscale sneaker retailer, War VI, closed.

While the food chains and stores stay alive with keeping their prices constant, clothing stores have to alternate to sales and layoffs. As you walk into the smaller boutiques, there are no longer sales associates crowding the shoppers. Many of these stores only have two associates, including the cashier.

Too-Cool

Some stores will be replaced by companies with better financial outlooks.

Dimitri Real Estate business is being replaced by Dunkin

On the other hand, there are those store fronts that seem to trickle a trend with the “For Sale”, “For Lease”, “For Rent” signs and it only makes one wonder who will dial the lonely number in the window.

                For a community that is dominated by mom-and-pop stores, their gradual faze out only warns of danger ahead.

“No seriously. I feel like my world is changing so much,” says Ms. Diaz.

KB Toys went out of business and is being replaced by Fabco shoes.