EAST VILLAGE — A 125-percent rent hike is forcing a small vintage clothing shop to close after six years in business, according to its owner.
Dusty Buttons, at 441 E. Ninth St., announced it would likely close on July 29 and possibly move to Philadelphia in a “Dear John Letter To The East Village” posted on Facebook Wednesday night.
“I knew this day would come, that energy was swirling about for months,” wrote owner Amanda Loureiro, who did not immediately return a request for comment.
Loureiro and her husband, who live in the neighborhood, opened Dusty Buttons in October 2009. The shop sells a mix of vintage and new women’s clothing, footwear and accessories.
They received a 30-day vacate notice from their landlord, Icon Realty Management, last week, Loureiro wrote online. Icon previously told her to vacate the premises “for an undisclosed amount of time” for building repairs and offered her a new lease “with a whopping unaffordable 125-percent increase for our less than 300 square foot store,” she added.
Icon Realty did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The property — located in the same building as Cafe Pick Me Up, which closed in May after 20 years in business — is currently listed for $5,000 a month on its website.
Loureiro and her husband decided to start looking for a new affordable neighborhood storefront after Icon took over the building last year, but they have been unsuccessful so far, she wrote. They are now considering a move to Philadelphia, where rents are lower “and a creative energy feels full and strong.”
Dusty Buttons will have a closing sale until the end of the month, Loureiro wrote after thanking all her customers. Everything in the store will be 20 to 50 percent, according to EV Grieve, which first reported the closure.
“Come by and say farewell,” Loureiro said. “I can't promise to not be tearful because this little shop was my baby, and saying goodbye will hurt like hell.”
