We’ve all had discussions about the neighborhood changes in Dumbo. Rents are expensive and going up. Dumbo is the most expensive Brooklyn neighborhood and has been for at least the past 10 years. And that’s affected the commercial and retail tenants that can’t keep up with the market pricing. But we all know the constant is change in Dumbo and it’s no longer the secluded urban wilderness we once knew. There’s good and bad to the changes.

Unfortunately, when stores close, business owners take on a huge burden and often financial loss. P.S. Bookshop is on the brink of closing, Baxter & Liebchen closed at the end of May and moved to Tribeca in Manhattan, Pinkberry closed in January, Zakka closed in August after 20 years in business (8 years in Dumbo), and of course Galapagos Art Space moved to Detriot.

In the past two weeks, a few more retail stores have closed:

• Gramercy Park Flower Shop (28 Adams Street) has closed its Dumbo location last week. They opened on Adams Street in February 2011.
• Halcyon (57 Pearl Street), the record/music shop closed in the beginning of August and relocated to Williamsburg Brooklyn. They were in Dumbo from 2004 to 2015.
• Dabney Lee (the retail location at 45 Washington Street) is closing at the end of August. Dabney opened in Dumbo in 2012 and several years before that as a design studio. Visit the store for 40-50% off merchandise. Dabney Lee will continue to operate their Shelter Island location as well as keep a design office at the new WeWork location in Dumbo.
• Stewart Stand seems to be closed. Calls to the store have been unanswered. They opened the location at 165 Front Street in 2010.

Best wishes to the business owners and thank you for serving Dumbo! Despite the closings, there will be new stores opening, so stay tuned.