Noe Valley, the land of nice homes, dogs, coffee shops, babies being pushed in strollers and vacant retail space. That’s right, vacant retail space. 24th Street is a destination shopping strip in San Francisco. People come to get unique gifts from Just For Fun and Scribbledoodles, eat at Haystack Pizza and do their banking at WaMu. Why then is there so much empty retail space?
The Real Food company, located across the street from Bell Market (which by the way is an antiquated grocery store as far as I’m concerned for having such high-end clientele) was the first of the modern day vacancy to take place. The Real Food Company, which had been a part of Noe Valley for 25 years, closed its doors in 2003, dismissing 30 workers, the majority of whom had been organizing a union. This is a large space that has been sitting vacant for four years.
Rite-Aid, formerly located at 4045 24th street currently sits dark with dusty linolium floors and a large sign proclaiming its availability. Rite-Aid has been running a store in this location since 1998 when it changed from a Thrifty Jr. to the more current Ride-Aid store. The 6,727 square foot space supposedly underwent a rent increase and the store with over $900K worth of merchandise could not afford to keep its doors open.
Though the small corner retail spot located at 24th and Sanchez is not vacant, it is for sale! Currently, the 500 square foot store front which houses Belgano Chocolatier is on the market for $130K. Once purchased, the owner would have to pay the landlord $4000 a month in rent. This spot is used to turnover as it’s been a coffee shop, high-end cookware store, deli/pizza by the slice and a smoothie shop all in the last fifteen years.
The newest addition to the 24th street retail exodus is Tully’s Coffee located at 3966 24th Street. As of Sunday, the small, typically dirty and unfriendly coffee shop was all boarded up with no signage out front to alert possible renters that the space is vacant.
24th Street does not lack window shoppers or clientèle. Rents along the business strip in Noe Valley have gone up over the years which have led people and companies to take their businesses elsewhere. Perhaps the new hip Noe Valley street will be Church Street as new restaurants and stores have been popping up along that street in-between 24th and 30th over the years. Time will tell…
Filed under: Ggold, Noe Valley, neighborhood changes , 'hood changes, Noe Valley
