Scarsdale 10583

A few of the empty storefronts in Scarsdale Village will soon be brought back to life. The space once occupied by shoe repair merchant Vaccaros, which closed almost a year ago after 82 years in the village, will be transformed into a Middle Eastern wine and tapas bar. The new restaurant will be run by the owners of Taiim Falafel Shack in Hastings on Hudson and they hope to open in the fall.

Also in the works for Scarsdale Village are a blow dry bar and a new audio and home theatre merchant. However, many spaces remain vacant, including the large Waterworks store that runs between East Parkway and Harwood Court, several stores on Harwood Court and the spaces formerly occupied by Good Life Gourmet and Verizon on Spencer Place.

Are high rents the cause of these vacancies? We noticed that the space formerly occupied by Mayfair Court on Harwood Place is renting for $62 a square foot, which translates to $4,667 per month, or $56,919 per year. The former Waterworks Store, which is 2.953 square feet of space is also listed for $14,765 per month. Comparable locations in Bronxville are listed at $40 a square foot, two-thirds of the prices in Scarsdale.

Farther afield, another new treat is in store. Now you will be able to eat dinner while watching independent films. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is set to open in Yonkers this holiday season, one of several new movie theaters opening in Westchester. The new theater at 2500 Central Park Avenue will present indie and foreign films in addition to larger blockbuster hits. Alamo theaters are unique in that they allow moviegoers to enjoy a full meal during the film. The Alamo theater is just one of many new openings in Yonkers, including the opening of an Apple store, adding to Yonkers reputation of being a sixth borough or sorts.

Yonkers isn’t the only Westchester town receiving a new movie theater. Sundance Cinemas is planning on opening a new theater in Ardsley. Sundance is known for providing, in the words of Sundance Group President, Robert Redford, “a grown-up movie going experience,” playing only the finest movies from around the world. However, an environmental impact statement needs to be completed before construction can proceed for Rivertowns Square, a new complex along the Saw Mill River Parkway that will house the Sundance Theatres.

Comments (5)

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written by LRJ Heathcote, August 22, 2012

Some of the stores are so unncessary in town that I'm convinced that a few of them are fronts for other things considering how empty they usually are. Economy, traffic, meters and inexperience are definite factors, but I find many of the stores don't fit most people's needs or interests. Why can't I get a decent bagel or a prepared meal for my family when I come home at night from the train but I can go to a different jewelry store every day of the week? We moved up here a few years ago and I find the lack of vibrancy in town disappointing.

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written by Greenacres homeowner, August 02, 2012

Again, who wants to shop in downtown Scarsdale when the police are so crazed about writing tickets? Got a ticket there today and I truly believe that the officer sat in front of the meter waiting for the time to run out, based on the the fact that I got back to my car only 1 minute late, according to my watch!!

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written by H. Klein, August 02, 2012

Costs per square foot disguise the real reason Scarsdale is getting to look like a ghost village
at the current rate of retailers giving up...excuse the pun---the ghost.
The simple fact is that the economy is in the toilet courtesy of the clueless fool we elected
president four years ago. Now all Scarsdale residents who delivered the vast majority of their
votes to him cite red herring issues like inadequate parking.Here's the real facts:
1. The bloated minions of financial service, legal and media types who have settled her
just don't have the disposable income they did ten years ago--at least those of them
who still have jobs.
2. It is delusional to believe that Scarsdale and it's environs have been immunized from
economic austerity suffered by the rest of the country. If residents merely cut back modestly
on their local purchases, there's going to be an immense resonant effect in the little
stores that depend on that marginal edge provided by boom times to keep their businesses
healthy enough to compete with the immense surrounding competition.
The antibusiness blame gaming attitude of this administration has triggered uncertainty, fear
and a disinclination of people to spend with confidence. Want to know why Scarsdale is
hurting? As the confederacy of dunces in the White House.

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written by j, August 02, 2012

Bronxville rents may be $40 PSF but their extras are $22 PSF so it add up to the same per square foot price

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written by Long Time Former Merchant, August 02, 2012

The vacancies are finally a result of the perfect storm of (1) extremely high rents (that also usually include personal guarantees, cost of living clauses and pass thru tax clauses.) (2)A shortage of parking spaces mixed with awful and inconsistent parking enforcement policies and (3) inexperienced people who rented these spaces (in the past) thinking that the street was paved with gold in Scarsdale. Then add the advent of big box stores and internet shopping.
The regulations in the past made opening a restaurant impossible, now they can 't open them fast enough.
Scarsdale was a wonderful place to make a living. I owned a store from the early 70's until the late 90's Now who in their right mind would open a store there?

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