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April Glass to Leave Queens Boulevard

Photo: QueensPost

Jan. 12, 2011 Staff Report

April Glass, which has been offering an eclectic array of home items and giftware since 1996, is leaving its 44-09 Queens Blvd location and seeking new space in a more-affordable section of Sunnyside.

Patrice Lee, the owner, sent out the following e-mail Wednesday night.

Though we love our current home, the economy is forcing us to downsize. We are looking for space in the neighborhood; but we need your support.

We are selling everything (except Max & Lottie) in the store, including fixtures and display units.

Please come in and shop so we can remain serving your community

Sincerely,

Patrice, Sue, Fizza & Jonathan

email the author: news@queenspost.com

23 Comments

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Alerto Fry

I really miss the April store I have a few things from her store that I treasure and I would love to know where I could get in contact with that lady who used to own that store I wish I could remember her name. But unfortunately the brain is gone anyways anyone knows how to get in touch with her please give her my new email address thank you and tell her that treasure everything I bought and I still have them thank you.

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Karen

Since I have heard so many wonderful raves about this place, I guess I will definitely make myself stop by their Saturday meditation workshop later!

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simon

You are right Residents will not shop locally, and BID WILL NOT HIRE LOCALLY<,SEE BELOW!!

I found all of this today!!
Sunnyside BID hired a New Jersey resident,who, according to himself “new nothing about Queens” before being hired!!

Here is the Executive Board of Sunnyside BID

The Chairman of Sunnyside BID lives in Lindenhurst, Long Island.
The Treasurer of Sunnyside Bid is selling his property in Sunnyside!
The Secretary of Sunnyside BID is closing her store!
James Bray, Executive Director of BID lives in New Jersey!!

A Disgrace

Simon

From the Sunnyside Post below, form one year ago,

Sunnyside Shines, a local business improvement district (BID), hired 23-year-old James Bray as its new executive director.Bray, who said he knew “nothing about Queens” before joining the BID, was hired as a part-time worker in November to help Sunnyside Shines with is computer and network problems.

The BID’s role is to promote business in Sunnyside. Its function is particularly important right now as a slew of businesses are struggling to survive. In recent months many businesses have closed,

Bray, who said he knew “nothing about Queens” before joining the BID, was hired as a part-time worker in November to help Sunnyside Shines with is computer and network problems.

He was able to get the job through his father Thomas Bray, who reports to John Vogt, the regional director at White Castle. Vogt is the chairman of Sunnyside Shines.

Vogt, a Lindenhurst resident, is also the chairman of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce .

This will be Bray’s first executive role. .

Bray, who is being paid $41,600 (without healthcare), said that he brings a “fresh perspective to the job.” Many people in Sunnyside’s local organizations have been here a long time, he said.

T
4 COMMENTS:

Gary the Agnostic said…
Sunnyside Shines is going through Executive Directors the same way that Steinbrenner used to go through managers. How many have they had in the last year? Three? Four?

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Anonymous said…
On that salary, young lad will finally get to move out of parents’ house.

Naturally, the job of Sunnyside BID exec. dir. was not open or advertised anywhere. It was given to Bray.

That’s just how Bloomberg hires, too. He may be inexperienced, but he’s got connections.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Anonymous said…
what a joke… advertise a job in an obscure website, then claim nobody wants a $41,600/yr job in this economy? give me a break. At least get someone who knows where Sunnyside is. Nice step up from selling patio furniture though.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Anonymous said…
Been to Sunnyside lately? Empty storefronts galore, the new businesses feature eyebrow threading, eyebrow threading, and eyebrow threading. By the way, I am unemployed, and would have jumped at the opportunity to improve my community – but maybe some kid from New Jersey that probably never set foot in Queens can do a better job than me?

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010

Reply
steven

cammi

BID is not going to solve all of the areas problems as long as the residents do not support the quality stores in the neighborhood.
Three years ago (?) when the holiday lights were placed on Queens Blvd. after an absence of decades I was thrilled. I grew up here when Bliss Street and Greenpoint Ave. actually had windows with holiday displays and the overhead holiday lighting was an annual event. A vacant store was a rarity and there were over a dozen quality sit down restaurants of varied cusine(French,Kosher, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Diner, American, etc.).
The return of the holiday lights and the expansion to Skillman Ave. is a wonderful step in the right direction thanks in part to BIDs action. we learn of places closing and we are sorry that they are gone but how often do you see the neighborhood filing up restaurants and stores that are of better long term quality?

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Anonymous

I was in the store ones or twice and prices of close to nothing you really need or somethings you can get just about anywhere else or online for pinch of the price these ladies where charging. Incense for twice or three times as much than in the city, “special” imported soaps for crazy prices, really…??
who busy and needs that kind of stuff on daily bases. Shops like that are nice in South Hampton, not in Sunnyside, and in this economy, let’s think about what we really need, please no more stuff like that, get us a good book store, or better Indian food place, please…. feel sorry for anyone who has a business like that and pays such crazy rent, good luck.

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mike

I was packing up my christmas tree and i cam across a green april glass box. I hope they find a new location and dont shut down good for good.

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sunnyside_south

the owner made it clear to us today that rising rent is the main – if not sole – reason they’re forced to move. as others have pointed out, this block seems to be on the fast track to being empty.

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sunny skies

Steven – I think you’re def on the right track

curious how most of the shuttered shops all happen to be on the same block / north side of qb

coming soon…another luxury condo anchored by a big box retail shop

hope it’s not a wal-mart

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steven

Let’s see, the phone store on the corner of 44th street, the OTB, the Rose, Sengali Indian and now April Glass. Perhaps the landlord is getting exactly what it wants: an unoccupied block front to raze then construct a structure like the CVS/residential building on 41st street.
I’m just saying……

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Time's Up

Should we shop at a place that may be inferior to others of its type just because:

– we want to help local businesspeople
– we pity the owners
– we don’t wanna give our money to big corporations???

I don’t know the answers to these questions. These are personal decisions. And it’s not fair to judge.

A commercial for Walmart is playing on the AM while I type this. It essentially claims that it’s paternalistic for the city to limit people’s choices of where to shop. That’s hard to argue with. On the other hand, it destroys small businesses even more than they’ve already been destroyed.

I think the only thing that’s certain is that those who have failed to support these local places, while chastising others for not giving them enough business, are hypocrites.

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sunnysider

All you people are so caring and passionate about our little town. I am wondering what we can really do about it. Maybe go to Jimmy office and talk to him about what is going on in our neighborhood. Maybe we need a column in the hearld abourt forming a sunnyide group to find business that we want here or for us to meet these landlords and get control of our town and give us consistant businesses that will last. Maybe we should do our own servey or have jimmy do a servey of what we want and invite these business to our town. Like a book store or a shoe store or a music store. Maybe we need to help ourselves. What do you think!

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Meddie

Patrick,

I hope you don’t find this contrary, but have you ever been in either one of those stores? Not just walked by, but into the store to peruse the items that are/were for sale.

Jennifers. The sweet man that was in there most of the time and his wife owned it. He hardly spoke any English at all, but he tried so very hard and was always helpful. They had some beautiful purses, jewelry, scarves, chopsticks, placemats, tea sets, etc I had seen. The prices were reasonable. The store was geared, at least in my opinion, toward a feminine hand, but even my husband enjoyed looking at all that they offered and I know I never walked out of there without at least buying something small. There was always something that caught my eye, and I hate to shop. Blasphemy, maybe, but whatever hehe

As for April Glass, when my husband came home last night and I told him that Pat and crew were moving, he was very upset. We both love that store. AND Pat. The store has a little bit of everything. Knick knacks, candles, wine glasses, coffee sets, baby items, jewelry, books, clocks, etc. During the holidays they always have such wonderful ornaments and decorations.

I read this site faithfully and when a new business is announced more often than not, people are saying that “just what we need another cell phone store, drug store, pub, nail salon, et al.” These stores that are closing bring uniqueness to the neighborhood and I for one shall miss them dearly.

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Lily

It’s sad to see these small businesses go, but have we forgotten that new businesses are also opening up? Skillman Pets and Cafe Marlene, to name a few …

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Krissi

I always kinda wondered how they managed to stay open on Qns Blvd… I’ve always heard the rent is so expensive there. But as one of the best shops in Sunnyside, I truly hope they stay in the area!!! I’m hoping we can develop Greenpoint.. maybe cheaper rent there?

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Tony

I’d be interested to hear from the April Glass owners, or any other proprietor willing to discuss if indeed it was rising rents that forced the move. It may very well be that it is the flip side of the coin (falling venues) causing the rash of closures. Despite the technical recession having ended, it may be the continued recessionary spending pattern that is behind this. Which is a macro-economic issue that a few businesses in Queens can’t avoid.

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Patrick

It may be time for Jimmy Van Bramer to have a sit down with the building owners on the Boulevard – it must have something to do with excessive rent – after all, why are some stretches of Queens Blvd completely rented (Burger, Baruir block, as well as across the street), while some are filled with vacancies (April Glass block, isn’t it nearly 100% vacant in commercial space? OTB, April Glass, the Irish diner?).

At the same time, some responsibility must fall on biz owners for failing to adapt – April Glass strikes me as a yesteryear business – little appeal to current more youthful residents? In this day and age, it is adapt or die from what I gather. The store Jennifer Accessories boasts little appeal to me either – another sit down Jimmy can have – bring in a biz development specialist or someone along those lines that can offer ideas for staying afloat as a business owner.

Also, do business owners in Sunnyside conduct any market research before they open? Do they evaluate whether their biz idea will even fly? Do they walk the streets at night, during the day, in the morning? My guess: no. Let’s have Sunnyside biz owners try a little harder and maybe the biz clime won’t get the better of them?

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Susan

Very sad to hear this. What IS going on here? It feels like the neighborhood is being gutted of retail. If better stores were opening up in place, I’d cheer, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be the case.

April Glass is next door to what was the Rose Restaurant. Coincidence?

Maybe we can get a combined nail salon/pawn shop/Thai restaurant/cell phone store in one. Perhaps that would be the magic combination of stuff that can generate enough income to pay the rents being requested by owners (because I am convinced it is owner greed, not necessity, that drives up the rents).

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sunnysider

Very sweet lady. My whole family loved to shop in her store. How do we stop the bleeding. Does any one where she is going. She has a very special store. She and her staff do a very good job helping their custoomers. We all need to get into that store a buy someting quick.

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