Content area
Full Text
Corinne Robbins was feeling confident last year when she signed a deal in the meatpacking district to launch June Bug, her furniture and decorative accessory business. She leased a rambling 2,600-square-foot space, which she planned to divide into work, warehouse and selling areas.
The landlord had tastefully renovated what she thought would make a pleasing backdrop for her "very downtown" merchandise.
Plus, with co-ops in the area selling for upward of $400,000, she was on the ground floor of what was sure to be Manhattan's next hot area. Right?
Not exactly. Just six months after opening, the district's inaccessibility and lack of foot traffic forced Ms. Robbins to move her store to a new location in nearby Greenwich Village. She says that now, "retail does not fly here."
Indeed. A tiny strip sequestered near the tip of the West Village, the meatpacking district has had heat percolating in and around it for the last couple of years. Several restaurants and clubs are thriving, including Florent, a 24-hour restaurant catering to fashionistas, and the restaurant Hogs & Heifers, known for its Brad Pitt sightings.
...