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Avignone Chemists is officially closed, after anchoring the corner of Bleecker Street and Sixth Avenue for nearly a century.
Just a few blocks from the recently-shuttered Caffe Dante, signs taped up in the windows of the vacant store at 281 Sixth Ave. declared it had lost its lease and all of the fixtures were for sale.
Back in January, owner Abe Lerner said his entire block of Bleecker Street between Sixth Avenue and Carmine Street had been sold, and that his new landlord wanted to triple the rent for the 1,700-square-foot space that Avignone had occupied since 1929.
A letter in the window reiterated that story:
Dear Avignone Customers,
It is with deep regret that we announce the closing of Avignone. The sale of the building and tripling of the rent has forced us to close our doors. It has been our pleasure to serve this community continuously for nearly two centuries. We opened our doors in 1832 and moved to this current location nearly 90 years ago. We have cared for many generations of families, welcoming grandparents, parents and now their children to the store. We at Avignone take great pride in our store and realize that it is you — our customers — who have made it such a special place. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your patronage and friendship over the years.
R.I.P., Avignone.
