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Two Queens Blvd Businesses Close, With One to be Replaced by Dentist

Photo: QueensPost

March 24, 2014 By Christian Murray

Two Queens Boulevard businesses have closed.

Carpati Transport, located at 44-17 Queens Blvd, has closed and is being replaced by a dental office. The owner of Carpati, which focused heavily on shipping items to Romania, retired from the business and his lease has been taken over by a dentist. The store is currently undergoing a gut renovation and there is no word on when the office will open.

Meanwhile, Pink Icing, which has had its doors closed for months, has officially closed, with the business for sale.

Pink Icing, located at 44-13 Queens Blvd., opened in May 2012.

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34 Comments

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Cynthia L.I.

The reason “Magic Touch” beauty salon business on Queens Blvd near 45th Street closed was because the owner died, she left her son & daughter in debt with problems. The landlord was mean, rude, and did not want to help them or anyone from the salon renew their lease. The 4 – 5 salon employees were left stressed trying to figure out where to go to work. The business slowed down after the owner died, and the employees needed money to survive. After it closed, some employees went to work at 44th street and other at 46th street. Nothing more.

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A.Bundy

wait, people still ship items to Romania? it feels like we recently surpassed the 1980’s, lol. wouldn’t it be cheaper to buy the same items over there? rofl!

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silvana

A.Bundy, dont lose sleep over this matter!! People ship wherever they please, even France and Italy, especially for holidays. How about you take time to comprehend. “Anonymous” says: “my homemade holiday gift”. Get the picture? She made the goodies for her friends and sent them.

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whuh

Salt & Fat is always packed when I walk by. Don’t seem to be locals. I see tourists from the hotels walking around to buy groceries. The place is becoming a hotel mecca.

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whuh

I thought Rocco the Romanian barber did men not women haircuts? I see he gets lots of male customers.

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Sad News

I for one always had a great expierience at Pink Icing. The cupcakes were good and the iced coffee worked nicely. I’m very sorry to see them go. Others obviously feel differently and that’s fair.

I am worried about the future of small business in this neighborhood, in the five years I’ve lived here so many have closed down.

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ca$h munnee

Rubins ihateeveryone act got real old long ago, yawn***
Rubin, let us know when the moving truck comes and well have a parade time to escort you out.

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I'm so tired

Sunnyside post hates me … You are in the wrong town if you don’t like change. Google images of NYC 1950, 1970,1990,2010, guess what lots of things have changed, new buildings , different cars, different people,fashions hairstyles , change is what life is all about, hopefully you can change into a more positive person with a better outlook on life.

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Sunnysideposthatesme14

I’m so tired, keep looking, more stores have closed than that. Way more.

Don’t worry ‘ll be outta here soon enough. I can’t wait to wake up and look out of my window and not see into my neighbors apartment.

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JaneGrissom

If Rocco still work at Magic Touch don’t let him near your hair if you are a woman!

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me

with the super high rents being charged…hard for any new small business to survive unless youre a bar or restaurant….Im sure landlords would love to see all of them fail so they can sell the buildings and build new overpriced condos & apts. for the “I can afford $2500+ a month rent crowd” (notice I did NOT say hipsters!)

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Lila

Has anybody knows what is the rent price for this bakery?
Also store next to UPS previous Nodus store also seems like for rent. I am just wondering what are the rent prices for those locations?

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Hanim

I went to Pink icing a couple of times. One of those times, i told him he should offer other than pies since his pies weren’t that great. His cookies were really bad. Over baked, spread like lace cookies and tasteless. Chocolate chip cookies had almost no chocolate in them. I told him he cannot try to save from ingredients while he is trying to introduce his baking. He also mentioned that he is cake baker. I told him then make a catalog for special occasion cakes and make a couple of styrofoam covered with gum-paste and decorate to have a display to take advantage of this divers neighborhood since every culture has their something to celebrate all year around.
His failing business has alot to do with him other than his store location.

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Adam Smith

La Bella Pizza closed on Skillman Avenue (next door to the closed hardware store). Combine the 2 storefronts and a savvy business person could make something nice.

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Sunnyside Native

I believe Magic Touch Hair Salon right next to Carpati Transport, is closing too. The owner Marina died and from what I understand, the daughter is incapable of taking over the business. Regardless of that, I hear that their lease is up and the property owner won’t renew the lease. Go in and talk to Joe to get the scoop. He’s been there for years and might have more info for you…

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I'm so tired

Sunnysidepost hates me…. Opened salt and fat, claret, aubergine , dog and duck, Williams burger, de mole, veistrio, Molly blooms…. Closed pink icing, Romanian travel store, April glass, one yogurt store… Please please shut up and move out of the neighbourhood and this website like you said you would in previous posts. You should also get some help you are the most miserable sounding person even if you are just a troll

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Beenherefor25years

How about we set the Halal guy up in one of those stores. Based on all the comments he’d do a booming business. There would be people lined up around the block for his halal bagels.

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Sunnysideposthatesme14

Wow you people are completely delusional , There are plenty of neighborhoods that thrive because they DON’T change. Obviously Sunnyside has tried very hard to change, people who have invested in it are the ones to come on here and demand that people accept the change and that its for the better. This move from the powers that be has made the rents go up and small businesses have closed up shop. The personality that made Sunnyside is leaving and you’re gonna sit there and tell me its for the better? what a joke.

The stores that have closed didn’t close because they didn’t put a sign up for people to see it, they closed because the people who used to afford sunnyside have started moving out and the people who moved in don’t support the local stores. that’s what it comes down to.

Someone do the math, how many stores open vs how many stores have closed in Sunnyside. Prove me wrong and I’ll shut up.

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Sunnyside Gourmet

Always sorry to see a business fail. Sometimes it’s poor management, sometimes it’s a bad product. I tried Pink Icing a few times but their baked goods were not that great so I stopped going. I fear for Bliss 46 Bistro, they have the best cook in Sunnyside, prices are reasonable – plus you can bring your own booze, but most times when I pass the place it’s empty. You don’t know what you got until you lose it!

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Anonymous

It’s sad to see these two businesses go. I will definitely miss Carpați (Carpathian) Transport more since the place was really helpful in getting my homemade holiday gift sent to my friends in Bucureşti (Bucharest). As for Pink Icing, their deserts didn’t taste as good as the ones at Nita’s European Bakery, where it’s twice as good. I wonder who will take the space of Pink Icing, and thank goodness the business that took Carpați (Carpathian) Transport is not another hair salon or a trendy ultra modern venue.

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Julia

Not surprised that Pink Icing closed. I went in with friends not long after it opened. We were excited to try it out. The staff had no clue about the details about the pastries, how they were made, etc. Really poor marketing and uninspired products. It all came across as being nothing special. Made me sad for the business owner. We never went back.

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Tequilla Mockingbird

@ Stay Loose, Sunnyside
I agree that business owners here operate on a model that is outdated.
I am surprised that they don’t venture in commercially successful neighborhoods and observe what is being done as far as display, products, storefront presentation etc …

Shops are closing down at a fast pace on Greenpoint ave, and they were by no mean “hipster stores” whatever that even means.
Hopefully they will be replaced by stores that provide something the community needs and also new, varied, more contemporary stores to attract new energy and new people.

A neighborhood that doesn’t evolve is a dead neighborhood economically and culturally.

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South

“I am surprised that most new businesses in the neighborhood are clueless about PR, advertising, promotions, traditional media and social media. No sales, no handbills, no specials, no variety in the window displays. Perhaps the established businesses can get away with this, but new Sunnyside businesses aren’t even getting listed on Google Maps or the Yellow Pages. These business owners need to do their homework.”

^^^

Completely agree. The most startling example of this is the new La Vida Saludable location on 41st st. just below Greenpoint Ave.

Very curious about what @Sunnysideposthatesme14 means by “trendy” – I think we may have very different definitions.

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Lucky Lu

@Sunnysideposthatesme14, what exactly about either the transport company or Pink Icing was trendy?? Pink Icing fell far short of that mark. For trendy, see Salt & Fat, Claret, Aubergine Cafe, Cafe Marlene, Dog & Duck, Quaint, all business that don’t seem to be going anywhere. Pink Icing had a number of problems, despite having good cupcakes and good coffee drinks. There was zero atmosphere and the customer service was a bit lacking. And, as mentioned above, zero marketing. I’m hoping more “hip” business open up since those are the ones that seem to be improving the neighborhood and are actually thriving.

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Frank Daykin

Also, Pink Icing had the bad luck to be located right next door to an often-odorous fish store. Not exactly a dessert incentive.

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Stay Loose, Sunnyside

Pink Icing had a dispute between business partners before it opened and I think that sank it. I don’t know what the business plan was, but I never saw that business do any marketing. It completely relied on location and word of mouth. It never did anything to be trendy. I never saw anything in the store with pink icing. And the decoration was sloppy. There are some amazing bakery and cupcake stores out there with premium products and savvy marketing. Pink Icing never proved to be anything special.

I am surprised that most new businesses in the neighborhood are clueless about PR, advertising, promotions, traditional media and social media. No sales, no handbills, no specials, no variety in the window displays. Perhaps the established businesses can get away with this, but new Sunnyside businesses aren’t even getting listed on Google Maps or the Yellow Pages. These business owners need to do their homework.

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Ilovesunnysideandyoushouldtoo

@Sunnysideposthatesme14 I don’t think it’s a matter of Sunnyside trying to be a hipster neighborhood. Look at the places that are thriving. There’s a level of quality that sunnysiders and people who are willing to trek from the city demand. The shops that have closed have not lived up to that level. I’m excited to see what pops up next. Hopefully it’ll be another success like Claret, Molly Blooms, or The Dog and Duck…to name a few.

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Annie D

Does anyone else find it kind of funny that as the sweets shop is leaving we are getting a dentist.

No one?

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Widmark

What are these trendy stores that only lasted a few months? I’ve never seen a trendy store in Sunnyside. Salt & Fat seems to be doing well.

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Sunnysideposthatesme14

Are you paying attention yet Sunnyside? Every attempt to invite some trendy store only lasts a few months (with the exception of Yogurtberry).
Never before has so many stores closed up shop. This is the result of your greed. Your ignorance in thinking you can change a neighborhood. Sunnyside is not a hipster spot, it won’t be for a very long time.

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