Looks like sneakerheads will no longer have to travel far to get their kicks–a new “premium sneaker boutique” called Sole Survivor is coming to Tompkins Avenue between Putnam and Jefferson. It will be occupying the space next door to Common Grounds Coffee House and is one block south of the newly opened pastry shop, La Table Exquise. A quick search on this new shoe boutique turned up nothing.
When I peeped into the window I could see that the lighting was in place, and Inquisigal mentioned to me recently that the owners had decorated the storefront for Halloween. That must mean that the grand opening will be happening soon.
Have you ever seen this type of cool sidewalk lighting in Bed-Stuy? Me neither!
I love the look of the storefront–the bold white exterior, the sidewalk lights, the font (Is that Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed???). It looks very Soho. So far, they seem to be doing everything right. I’m always happy to see a unique business opening in the neighborhood. I wish the owners well.
What do you think? Good fit for the area? Anyone got an exact opening date?
In keeping with the Manhattan theme, there’s even a new lighting store that has opened on Tompkins at Madison Street. Very very Bowery if you ask me.
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that lighting store is so very old school Bowery that I thought it was old school Bed Stuy when I saw it this past weekend when I was walking on Tompkins for the first time. The thing that caught my eye most was the “feng shui items”.
Interesting that the old hair salon is now a sneaker place. I never expected them to get rid of those wicker chairs.
The lighting shop was once a Chinese food restaurant. Same owners. I went to high school with their daughter.
It would be great if a butcher reclaimed next door. That is one dying industry that the neighborhood would welcome again.
Yeah I thought the lighting store felt really Bowery/Canal Street. If they didn’t have the grand opening flags out front I would’ve mistaken it for an old shop too.
I was shocked to see that the lighting store had compact florescent light bulbs. In colors. Definitely a new day a-dawnin’ on Tompkins.
@Melissa: So these are shop owners who are not knew to the neighborhood? That’s great! I’m glad they gave up the Chinese Take-Out business. Wish more Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood would follow their need. Maybe one of them could open a butchery.
The take-out had been closed for many years.
Anyone stop by the bookstore/cafe next door? I walked by there recently and the owner wasn’t quite “ready”, but he was open for business.
Good to see Tompkins finally out of this “blight” and resurrecting itself.
There is at least one halal butcher on Fulton. But I agree that the neighborhood as a whole could use a few more.
What a great strip of shops, tompkins seems to be the it spot for upcoming biznizez. To add to the list of hot sots
there is a French Pastry cafe on the corner of putnam&tompkins open tues-sun 7:30-7:30 excellent coissants and superb pastries, the owner and wife are both from France. Special order cakes are over the top and are a must if your celebrating the upcoming holidays. Welcome back Tompkins.
Too bad Ibo Landing couldn’t stick it out…
I second that. I bought a really nice dresser from Ibo Landing and I wanted the owner to do well on Tompkins. If only Ibo Landing and Brooks Valley could’ve held on a little longer.
WAIT: When did Brook’s Valley close? I really fell out of the loop when I moved closer to Broadway.
I heard recently that they closed. If you check Yelp you’ll see that the closing is mentioned. And someone said in the comments section of The Progressive Southside’s post on Solomon’s Porch that BV was closed (10th comment):
http://www.bedstuyblog.com/2009/07/solomons-porch-closed/