The Davis Square Community

Thanks Ron,
I was about to throw my computer out the window!
Meredith

From:

ron_newman

In the future, please use the HTML tab and not the Rich Text tab, and just type ordinary unformatted text into the window. Thanks.

I'm very sorry to read this news. Was Buffalo Exchange a factor in your decision to leave this location?

(and if you want to receive e-mails for all responses to this post. click on the thumbtack icon)

Edited Date: 2010-04-26 02:46 am (UTC)

From:

Hi Ron,

Well, it really came down to a few factors...

The rent was a killer and I pay my employees a "living wage". The space is so large that the electric bill alone was the rent I was paying on Highland.

Buffalo Exchange did have an effect, but it wasn't the deciding factor, it really came down to the rent and operating expenses.

The next Somerville space will be much more manageable in size and it will be closer to the original Highland space in feel.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to move into such a high profile space in Davis, and in the end it was still a VERY busy store, just not one that could pay the rent more suited for a very large corporation.

From:

Best of luck Meredith!

No matter where you land I know you will do great, you have an amazing eye and you are such sweetheart.

Onward and upward!

Pet

From:

nvidia99999.livejournal.com

Keep up the good work and good luck!

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Thank you!

:)

From:

pensivewombat and I will surely follow you wherever you go, but we'll definitely miss the random walk-in visits between the supermarket and Diesel/home :-(

From:

thespian.livejournal.com

considering this was one of the things that contributed to the death of Bowl and Board and forced McIntyre and Moore out, I begin to believe that the Gorins are just asking Too Much Money.

and hey, maybe what they're asking is *exactly* what everyone else in the neighbourhood is asking, but other places are 1 third the size of these spots. So yeah, you *can* charge $30 and even $40 a square foot when the space is 1000sqft, but, it seems, not when your min. divisible is almost 5000. they're having tenant after tenant leave saying, 'we can't afford this any longer' when other places are keeping in place.

But this keeps on, and eventually, it'll be chain stores, all the way down.

From:

ron_newman

One problem with these spaces is that they are very large and not easily subdivided. At least one of them, and maybe both combined, originally housed a department store.

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thespian.livejournal.com

I know; but they have also been adamant about not allowing people to say, sublet a section or two so that one business isn't carrying all the weight of the place.

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I would have loved a subdivision situation, but I was turned down when I proposed that as a solution.

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thespian.livejournal.com

Bowl & Board also wanted to try that; they had a woman who had been building a business selling used cookbooks online through ebay and alibris, and she wanted to start selling at a retail location and take a section of the store to vend in. They turned him down, even though it dovetailed beautifully with his business. Now, B&B was likely going down anyway, since well, they lost the whole chain, not just the Davis Store.

this is not the time for them to be playing these games; in the end they just have empty spaces sitting around and I can't see that it's not going to hurt. When you leave, that building will be almost 2/3rds empty when you cound the theatre and offices, no?

From:

ron_newman

the owner of Precinct and the Independent is taking over the former Bowl & Board store as well as the basement under it and the former Jimmy Tingle theatre, for a combined restaurant-lounge-theatre complex.

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Exactly.

Those spaces are way too big for retail.

Sad but true, it WILL be "chain stores, all the way down".

Pet

From:

ron_newman

They are bigger than most chain stores want, too. One thing I'll say for the Gorins -- they have consistently held out for local business tenants rather than chains.

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They have, but I think it speaks volumes that this will be the 3rd store to exit their building in 4 years.

I know poor little rich girl is busy and doing well in the other locations so that tells me something about the Davis rent. I can only imagine how expensive it is.

Favoring local or not, it's uncool to have places pay so much they have to leave one after the other. Hello Verizon Wireless!

From:

ron_newman

4th, if you count Jimmy Tingle.

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Not to mention that Poor Little Rich Girl will be vacating this space while Bowl and Board's space is STILL sitting vacant. It's starting to make Davis Square seem like a blighted neighborhood to have so many pieces of prime retail space sitting empty at the same time. I fully support the Gorins' desire to keep the place occupied by local businesses, but it sounds like they could afford to be a *little* more accommodating of the needs of those same local businesses. I can only imagine how many months of rent have now been lost having Bowl and Board's space sitting empty for so long...

From:

ron_newman

there's already a new tenant lined up for Bowl & Board's space (see my response to

thespian above)

From:

Just read that after I submitted my post (yay for synchronous communication). Do you know if they're going to be pursuing the "theater" portion of that, rather than just the restaurant and lounge, which we already have quite a lot of in the Davis Square area at this point?

From:

ron_newman

To my knowledge they will reopen the theatre (possibly after some renovation), but I don't know the time scale.

Edited Date: 2010-04-26 04:44 am (UTC)

From:

I've never been to Precinct but I understand they've been pretty good neighbors to the Union Square area so that gives me hope, especially if they bring more than just another bar-lounge to Davis...

From:

yihwalu.livejournal.com

This really saddens me, poor little rich girl was my favorite business in Davis.

I can only hope that they will be moving somewhere in the surrounding area soon because I cannot fathom not having this store in my life!

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chanaleh.livejournal.com

I had to chuckle ruefully at the juxtaposition of "the high Davis Sq rent became too much to bear" with "our Newbury street locations will remain open"...!

I drove by the Inman Sq location yesterday (as I often do) and it looks very nice. I look forward to checking it out sometime.

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Hi Chanaleh,

Yes, I know, it's ironic.

My Newbury Street space is under 700 square feet, so it is very affordable.

Please come by and check out the Inman location, I think you will like it.

Thanks,
Meredith
poor little rich girl

From:

apricot3.livejournal.com

yeah, my eyes bulged a little at that location costing less to run. too bad i used to freelance near newbury and don't any more, figures.

one nice reminder is that the storefront is papered up with at least a bright signature color... but it makes me wonder how long that will linger before they fill the space again. i can't Wait to see how the old B&B spot turns out! i haven't yet checked out the Buffalo Exchange, but i guess might as well now.

and while i can understand not wanting to sell items for under their value (i'm glad there are locations to take them to!), i think it would have been nice to have a farewell shopping effort so perhaps those who are nearby could have a Last Find... and the shop less to move elsewhere.

as has been mentioned in other such sad tales, it seems like these closings are happening with less and less warning :(

From:

ron_newman

what, the Elm Street location is already closed??

From:

apricot3.livejournal.com

that was exactly my reaction, especially because i had just received an email blast from PLRG saying they were moving and then it had a coupon at the bottom. so today I went by to drop in and the door was locked at 3pm, i felt a little slighted when the email had said *April 30th*

when i responded to the email in confusion, the owner did respond apologetically right away to say that she didn't want to have a sale and undersell consignor goods. which is thoughtful, as is her prior comment of paying people a "living wage," since that seems to be hard to come by now. but still, some warning of a day or two would've be nice.

however, as i mentioned to her, i Seriously hope that the new location has a fab opening...

From:

Hi,

Yes, we are officially closed for business in that location.

The April 30th date was for the consignors to know what the last day was that we would be there for consignment transactions (actually the last day for officially picking up is Thursday the 29th, but I will be there on the 30th cleaning and tying up loose ends).

Like I had mentioned previously, I had really hoped that it would work out, and when it became apparent that it would not, I did not have a lot of time with the 1st of May rapidly approaching.

I sincerely apologize for any confusion...I sent out a coupon so people could hopefully use it if and when they check out our other spaces (and maybe the new one soon too).

When we are open in our new location we will have an opening party so everyone can come check it out. :)

I spoke to hundreds of people on the phone and via email yesterday, and everyone was so supportive, it reminded me of why I love this neighborhood so much.

Meredith
poor little rich girl

From:

yihwalu.livejournal.com

I second this sentiment about the "living wage" issue.

I worked at a Buffalo Exchange in a different state and I was paid pennies over minimum wage.

Eventually I left to nanny because I could make a decent enough income to be able to do things like eat.

While it is certainly a great loss to the square, I think her move shows what is going on in Somerville and maybe somebody in governement can take a look at it so it doesn't keep happening.

From:

pensivewombat.livejournal.com

Oh man, this is such sad news! That said, i'll make an effort to shop with you guys no matter what, but it was always nice to have you in the neighborhood. Good luck!

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Thanks pensive...I really appreciate that. :)

Meredith

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myselftheliar.livejournal.com

Oh no such a shame! I have been saved by PLRG on more than one occasion. Sudden garden party? Surprise flapper themed birthday event? PLRG to the rescue! I will definitely migrate to the Inman location, it will just be so sad to know I can't pop in on my way to the T anymore.

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Hi Myselftheliar,

I am glad that I have saved you on more than one occasion!

:)

From:

nvidia99999.livejournal.com

How much was the rent per month? I have NO idea.

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