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Read the press release here.

Basketball City Finally Opens, While Chinatown Loses 26 Shuttered Bus Lines

By Serena Solomon | June 12, 2012 10:09am
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (right) was at the opening of Basketball City with owner Bruce Radler.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (right) was at the opening of Basketball City with owner Bruce Radler.
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Office of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver

Openings

The Little Shoe Store

The Little Shoe Store for women in need of sizes 3 to 6 opened on Orchard Street two weeks ago. It had previously operated online before opening as a pop-up store in the East Village before landing the permanent location at 58 Orchard St. The store is also collaborating with fashion tech start-up the Odd Slipper, an online store that makes shoes for those with small feet.

Basketball City

Basketball City, a seven-court complex on Pier 36 at 226 South Street, was officially opened by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver last Friday, according to a press release. Work on the facility of 70,000 square feet has taken more than 18-months and the new $12 million structure will join numerous other locations the company has around the county.

Ruby Volcano

Ruby Volcano, a store dedicated to handmade imported gifts for men, women and the home, opened at 167 Avenue C, according to EV Grieve. At the store, which also has a location in Jackson Heights, one can pick up a wool Nepal Hat for $19 and a Monostenango jacket with hood for $159, which are also available on its website.

Betola

Sindy Sagastume (left) and Sydney Pringle (right) are partnering to bring tiny shoes to small feet.
Sindy Sagastume (left) and Sydney Pringle (right) are partnering to bring tiny shoes to small feet.
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DNAinfo/Serena Solomon

Another espresso bar has joined the pack already in the neighborhood, according to EV Grieve. Betola has opened at 514 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B and will be serving up coffee along with the work of local artists on its walls.

The Openhouse Gallery

The Openhouse Gallery with its main location on Mulberry Street  has opened a nearby annex at 379 Broome St.  The gallery will add 2,000 square feet of space with a garden area, kitchen and bar, according to the Bowery Boogie.

Exchange Alley

A New Orleans-themed restaurant is set to open on 424 E. Ninth St., according to the East Village Local. The restaurant will be christened Exchange Alley and will draw together Paul Gerard, a former chef at SoHo House, John Harris from Lilette in New Orleans and Billy Gilroy, a partner with West Village speakeasy Employees Only.

Closings

Some Chinatown Bus Lines

Federal authorities shut down 26 low-cost curbside bus lines at the end of May that had stops in Chinatown. The three companies that oversaw the shuttered lines — Apex Bus, Inc., I-95 Coach, Inc. and New Century Travel, Inc. — once ferried 1,800 passengers each day along numerous East Coast routes.