Remember the prediction before the IHOP opened in Downtown Brooklyn in December that "it's not going to be open for long"? Uh, not exactly. Today's Post reports that they've been selling massive quantities of Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruities down on Livingston Street since December. So many, in fact, that the IHOP is "ranked top in sales among the breakfast-focused chain's 1,300 stores." The downtown spot has show such a hunger in Brooklyn is so hungry for IHOP that the chain is planning to open three more Brooklyn locations. It's all part of a big chain store invasion that's detailed in this month's Real Deal and includes Target, JC Penny and, you know, Starbucks, but so far, no Apple. Brooklyn's added 1.9 million square feet of retail space since 2002, but still has only six square feet of shopping space per resident versus 22 feet for the average American. More is coming.
· B'klyn is Making Chain-ge [NYP]
· Chain Stores Add Links in Brooklyn [Real Deal]
· Downtown Brooklyn is Now Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity [Curbed]

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[Photo courtesy of Property Shark]

Something like this was bound to happen in Bushwick soon and, now, it has. The graphic above is for a retail development called the Wyckoff Exchange that's billed as an "Architecturally Progressive Retail Conversion" for "A GROSSLY UNDER-SERVED COMMUNITY." A taste of some of the verbiage in the ad:

Bushwick/East Williamsburg is one of the great thriving cultural and social success stories of Brooklyn...This section of Wyckoff Ave is located at the literal heart of the hip East Williamsburg industrial conversion nexus, with thousands of loft apartments, loft studios, workshops and attractive multifamily rentals. The developers of this project are developing the property with sensitivity to the local style and ethos, utilizing chic post industrial design elements with a clean white box preparation for prospective tenants.

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Lots of "ooohs" as yet another Soho parking lot falls to the luxury condo market, this one on the busy block of Broadway between Broome and Spring. The number on Broadway is 501, which could lead to some obvious retail opportunities, but the official residential address is 72 Mercer. The architecture shows a touch of Post Modernism in the details and is brought to us by TRA Studio, the same gang who are getting ready to fill a hole one block down at 44 Mercer. This one has 9 units with a couple of penthouses up top and, for those who like to spy on their neighbors, a glassy light well running down the middle. One four-bedroom joint with fireplace and balcony seems to have just gone to contract for over $3 Million. That kind of coin could buy somebody a lot of denim.
· Luxury Loft Living in the Heart of SoHo [Seventy-Two Mercer website]
· Floorplan Porn: $25M Townhouse at 44 Mercer [Curbed]
· Selected Residence: 72 Mercer Street Condominium [Brown Harris Stevens]

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Is the tide turning against the proliferation of Manhattan chain stores? No, but it's fun to speculate. Soon after some East Village business owners declared war on the likes of Starbucks and the Central Village unleashed its bank backlash, two more interesting bits of news have surfaced. First, a New York Press story on the long-vacant retail space at Broadway and West 87th Street. The family behind the Zabar's grocery store owns the space, and the reason they have had trouble finding a tenant is partly because they refuse to rent to a bank. They want to find a retailer that will "add something to the community," a list that apparently includes the likes of Uniqlo or Ricky's, so we're not talking revolution here. But still, interesting. And this morning, Racked has the scoop on the shuttering of the Starbucks at 21 East 8th Street, just north of Washington Square Park (teary signage above). Yes, a Starbucks in the heart of NYUville closed. We're a little scared right now.
· Morning Java: Goodbye Sweet, Sweet Starbucks [Racked]
· Empty UWS Storefront's Owners (and Their Agenda) Revealed [NYPress]

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My, that Jackson Heights sure is growing up! The Queens neighborhood nearly as popular as Tribeca has a brand new coffee shop, Racked reveals, and it's a cute little mom-and-pop operation called Starbucks. Writes Racked's tipster, "Witness the brand new Starbucks on 37th Ave. and 79th Street in Jackson Heights—looks great and should be open this week. Starbucks is an amenity rarely seen or enjoyed throughout the 5 boroughs. And now we have one. And you don't." What's next, Jack Heights, one of those banks or frozen yogurt stores we've been hearing about?
· Jackson Heights Getting Steamed...Milk at New Starbucks [Racked]

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With Fashion Week mercifully winding down, Racked surveys the carnage that is NYC shopping and retail anew. Brace.

1) Tribeca: Above, the first interior reveal we've yet seen of the Whole Foods coming to massive new development 101 Warren Street. Racked has some new details on what to expect within, and a rumored opening date. Gowanus, eat your heart out.

2) Bryant Park: If you've been spared the joy that is the Fashion Week tents in Bryant Park this week, well, thank goodness Racked is trying out our new photo gallery tool to show photographs of random models and nattily-attired bloggers. The horror, etc.

3) Meatpacking District: Remember that completely insane-looking tent-like thing that designer Yojhi Yamamoto has erected at the vortex of Gansevoort and West 13th? Looks like it had quite the opening party the other night.

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Get ready for the "Gateway to Williamsburg." A tipster pointed us to redone renderings and promo material for 502 Metropolitan, a new building that will soon be wrapping itself around the Kellogg's Diner, the greasy spoon spot at Union and Metropolitan Avenues. We had an early rendering of the new building, which is being developed by the Chetrit Group, last summer. The new version is above. It will include 28,751 square feet of retail space on two levels and is being pitched to a big box retailer, although one of the renderings says "grocery store" at street level. The pitch from the Winnick Group, which is marketing the retail, says that the a store would serve "a million shoppers hungry for big-box convenience." No applications have been filed yet, so it's unclear how many apartments (many with dramatic views of the adjacent BQE) will be here.

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Twice a year, Bryant Park turns itself into the center of the universe, and all of NYC genuflects at its feet. Yes, Racked's hanging at Fashion Week.

1) Okay, it's not the Bryant Park tents—but, trust us, that's a good thing. Above, the brand freaking new Yohji Yamamoto flagship store, opening today in the Meatpacking District. It's actually one of two Yohji-related MePa stores opening today; across the street, his Y-3 collaborative store with Adidas is also ready. Click through for interior photographs of both stores.

2) And inside the Bryant Park tents? Oh, the humanity. And lack thereof.

3) Spotted by Lucky: a new way of belting! Spotted by Racked: men's lace sweaters! Both further evidence why Fashion Week trends freak us out.

4) Those orange bikes parked on the streets of our fair city this past weekend? Yes, a Fashion Week marketing effort of sorts from DKNY. Yes, offensive to many.

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