SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

We previously reported about Brand Z For Less at 1805 Avenue U closing a few weeks ago and we had no idea what whould replace it. We do now – the last few days saw some renovations and minor construction at the site, and yesterday I saw the new sign go up.

Come this Friday, Value Depot will be open for business! If you’re wondering what they sell, it’s a little bit of everything. In fact the only thing they don’t seem to sell is food. If you want a better idea of what to expect, you can check out the Value Depot on Kings Highway and East 17th Street, or wait ’til Friday!

A “50 percent off” sale of North Face products caused a mob scene yesterday at Downtown, a clothing retailer on Avenue U and Bedford Avenue. We’re not really sure what the big deal was, but for most of yesterday afternoon and into the evening lines formed down the block. The store was only letting small groups in at a time. According to an employee, the sale will continue until stock is sold out. From the looks of it, it won’t last long.

We couldn’t help noticing that 99 percent of those waiting were Asian. None were able to answer our questions in English, so we couldn’t glean what was so special about this sale that it brought such a large number – and such a homogeneous group – to the location.

So, does anyone know what’s going on here? Why are there so many Asians trying to buy North Face from this location? And before you answer that question, please realize that I’m looking for a real answer, and not race baiting. Stereotypes and idiotic attempts at humor will be deleted more liberally than on other posts.

If you need to make a trip to Super Stop and Shop (Avenue Y and East 18th Street), look out for the buckets and the slippery floors.

There are numerous leaks coming from the ceiling at the large store, prompting workers to place buckets and warning cones in at least four separate spots around the store. The usually unmarred drop ceiling is now marred with stains caused by the leaking water.

Let’s hope that the usually wide, dry aisles are dry again, soon — and that Super Stop and Shop gets the roof repairs done before the next snowstorm pummels us.

Until then, hold onto your egg carton.

After much waiting by frustrated bargain seekers, it looks like Loehmann’s Sheepshead Bay location is opening this Thursday, February 11, and we’re happy to see that one of the pillars of the Emmons Avenue economy is getting back on its feet.

Loehmann’s (2027 Emmons Avenue) has sent out notices to local customers and through its Facebook account about this week’s opening. The store has been closed since a November 21 fire ripped through XO Creperie next door. Loehmann’s originally planned to reopen after Thanksgiving, but later sent out a notice to “Loehmann’s E-mail Insider” subscribers saying they would remain closed until further notice.

Still, the two other businesses on the second floor of Loehmann’s Seaport Plaza remain closed – probably for good. Fire damage at XO Creperie spills out onto the patio’s ceiling, and Passage looks abandoned (which didn’t stop amNY from recommending a meal there last week).

Armenian restaurant Garden Bay Cafe (1788 Sheepshead Bay Road) has renovated its location and tossed up a new sign. According to a member of the family that owns the restaurant, they’ve also done some work on their menu by expanding the offerings. We hope that doesn’t mean they’ve removed classics like the blackened trout Village Voice gushed over. (UPDATE: Apparently the sign isn’t finished yet. It should be ready in about a week.)

Down the block, Ginger Rose Hair Design Studio (1804 Sheepshead Bay Road) has closed two thirds of its storefront operation for renovations. They’re still open for business and expect to finish the work in about a month.

We also just got word that Chop Stix Stir-Fry, Asian Noodle, Sushi, & Grill … err… Chop Stix (3790 Nostrand Avenue), formerly known as Peking Kitchen, got its hands on a liquor license and is now serving up sake and other booze.

Finally, it looks like Brand Z For Less (1805 Avenue U) got an extension to its lease. The sign that went up a few weeks ago saying “Must Vacate January 31st” now says “Must Vacate February 28th.”

Employees at Brand Z For Less have confirmed that the business is closing on January 31st. There’s a big sign up at the 1805 Avenue U location. We haven’t been able to reach an owner to find out whether it’s a lease, business, personal or some other issue, but we wish the owners and employees the best of luck. ‘Til then, any speculation about what will become of the space?

Grand Bazaar, a new gourmet supermarket opening at 2424 Coney Island Avenue (off of Avenue U), has construction nearly all wrapped up and hopes to be stocked and ready to go by late-February. Owner Adam Dasdemir said the market will be open 24 hours, and a grand opening is being planned shortly after next month’s “soft opening” to allow for employee training.

Like other local gourmet markets, Grand Bazaar will offer a mixed selection of fruits, vegetables, packaged foods, prepared foods and baked goods. There will be a small seating area and parking for about 15 cars.

Before working on Grand Bazaar, which replaces a local diner that bit the dust at least three years ago, Dasdemir ran an upscale Turkish restaurant and club in uptown Manhattan. He also owns Adam’s hair salon on Kings Highway for more than 20 years.

We’ve been getting a lot of e-mails about the status of Loehmann’s department store at Loehmann’s Seaport Plaza (2027 Emmons Avenue). We were surprised to see that they’ve stayed closed so long, and calls to Loehmann’s corporate offices went unreturned. We were lucky enough to stop by last week as a contractor was at work. Though he didn’t want to say anything officially, he told us Loehmann’s planned to reopen in early February, but judging from the progress he didn’t think that was a likely goal. On the upside, Loehmann’s is using the opportunity to totally renovate its location, and you can see in the photos that carpeting, ceiling tiles, and other accoutrements are being torn out to make way for some new flash.

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Remember Socks & More…, the Sheepshead Bay Road “designer boutique” that used to have two of its three walls covered in crazy socks? Yeah, those made great gifts for the people in your life who ask very little of you. I bought my mother a few pairs…

Well, Socks & More… has changed its name to Little Angel, and moved from its 1409 Sheepshead Bay Road spot to 1605 Avenue Z, which D & J Elite Boutique vacated back in October by orders of the city marshal. Across the street from Bagel Boy, the new digs have a lot more space. My photo is a few weeks old now, thus the papered window, but the business is now open. We stopped in there and saw the owners have taken advantage of the larger shop by expanding stock, so if you need to pick up some onesies go and check them out.

Oh, and they don’t have that awesome selection of socks anymore. I guess kids’ clothes sell better. Boohoo…

Due to an offensive smell — and an even more offensive rental rate — the Potpourri Women’s Sportswear store will be closing its Sheepshead Bay doors for the final time, tomorrow.

Standing in her store nearly emptied of its stock, one of the owners, Elsa McGlone, said:

After so many years, we are very sorry that we are leaving. Our regular customers already know we are leaving. It’s because of the smell. They [the landlords] are not doing anything about that smell and nobody wants to shop, here, with that smell. That’s not for a clothing store. It’s coming from the two stores next door. On one side, there is a fish smell, and on the other there is a sewage problem. Sheepshead Bay is not like it used to be.

In truth, the horrendous stink could be detected even by passersby on the sidewalk. One woman, who stopped to look at the clothing in the foyer area window display, said just before she covered her nose and mouth, “Uggh, it smells like dead rats, over here, still after all this time. Even with 60 percent off, I’m not going in there.”

When asked if the sad demise of her store had anything to do with rental rates going as high as $3K a month, the owner balked, “Three thousand? Try eight thousand! Such rent is not for a women’s clothing store on Sheepshead Bay Road.” She added that her store is not going to shut down for good, since they are looking for a suitable place to relocate,  and promised to let us know as soon as they find a new spot.