This may be a rumor but let me the first to rumor it: Peek-a-Boo Kids on Seventh Avenue, the nice children’s shop with the fantabulous selection of high-end European shoes and Stride Rites, may be vacating their shop on Seventh Avenue between Union and Berkeley Place. And here’s the really juicy, "there goes the neighborhood" part:

Dunkin Donuts (and maybe Baskin Robins because they seem to be joined at the hip these days) is coming in.

First I’d like to thank my friend who is really OTBKB’s unpaid, all-about-the-Slope reporter. She’s constantly tipping OTBKB off to great stuff. Thanks, Friend (you know who you are and I don’t want to reveal your identity so that people will continue to tip you off).

I told Daniel Meeter, Pastor of Old First Church, a reader of OTBKB, and, like me, a person who actually likes Dunkin Donuts coffee ("I don’t drink Starbucks," he said) He thinks we should meet with them and suggest that they give the place a slightly slopey feel. Maybe they’d like our opinion as to how to fit into the neighborhood.

It worked with Commerce Bank to an extent. Praise the lord and Aaron Naparstak that there’s no drive thru bank there.

But all of this is putting the cart before the horse. Here’s the rumor: Peek-a-Boo is out. Dunkin Donuts is coming in (on the same block as a Bank of America, no less).

The rent must be going sky high.

The neighborhoods is going to the donuts.