I may be on the farm, but I still have the news from Seventh Avenue. Ah, the beauty of cell phones.
Standing in the lush garden on the farm, I get a call from Park Slope. My freelance blog reporter, Wendy, who gives me lots of stories, called to say that Cinemateque on Seventh Avenue above Union is going out of business and has been selling off all their inventory. It’s just about gone and then c’est tout. That’s all. The shop will be closed forever. The owners of Cinemateque own Black Pearl Restaurant on Union Street. Anyone know the status of that restuarant, an OTBKB fave.
Then Wendy confirmed that Soundtrack is closing. She said they too are selling off all their inventory. She had the impression that they are closing for good. I asked her to ask the owner to log onto OTBKB and tell the real story. WE WANT TO KNOW.
I asked Wendy what is going on. She said rising rents, of course, rising rents. Yeesh, will there only be real estate office on Seventh Avenue? Come on now.
Is it iTunes and Netflix that threatened the viability of these businesses? Good chance of it. That combined with crazy rents…
While Wendy and I were talking he saw Mrs. Kravitz on the Street. She handed the phone to her and we talked for a minute or two.
Talk about connected. Standing by the pool in California talking to friends in front of Tarzian.
Funny.
OK, I admit it, I felt a twinge, since I probably owe about $20 bucks in overdue fees to Cinemateque which was one of the more inner-arresting video rental places in Brooklyn at least that I was aware of..but then again, I have a gift certificate to Soundtrack that I probably will miss out on exchanging, so I guess it will all come out in the wash…
But if another Commerce Bank or realty office opens in one of those locations, well, it won’t be the end of civilization as we know it but it will certainly be further evidence that will continue to confirm the fate of the Slope. As a dweller of the wide open spaces of Midwood Park, who, like many folks in the Prospect Park nexus, also lives in the “virtual Park Slope”, it will be a familiar and significant statement about the future that this vibrant progressive community may remain a mighty economic engine for the beloved borough, but it will continue to bleed away its charm and creativity. There’s no answer, I guess. Other neighborhoods will transform, perhaps, go through similar evolutions but something will be lost when all of the creative technologies and sentimental educations are gone from the Slope and all is replaced by cold, sad commerce…..