UNION SETTLEMENT BUSINESSBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT CENTERCENTER

EAST HARLEM STOREFRONT SURVEY

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0

P R E P A R E D B Y P . G U Z M A N & K . A R C O S Overview

This is the first known initiative of its kind; and is publicly available at: unionsettlement.org/business-development, in the form of an interactive map showing: business name, address, location area, zip code, essential/non-essential flag; type, subtype, and underlying activity. The Survey counted ONLY storefronts* located in Zip Codes: 10029, 10035 and 10037 (East of Fifth Avenue). Randall’s Island was not included. Home-based businesses, or businesses not occupying a storefront were not included. Data was collected via direct observations by members of the Business Development Center of Union Settlement in the month of December 2020, during business days (Monday to Friday) and business hours (10 am to 6 pm). Holidays, falling on a business day, were skipped. Historic data, between May and July 2019 (pre COVID-19) was collected from Google Maps.

A commercial space (brick & mortar), filed as such with NYC Department of Buildings, and part of, or adjacent to, a building.

1 Features

This is a reliable account of storefronts by number, location and status, with data not available on Google Maps. The Survey provides an updated measure of impact, as a result of social distance and indoor servicing restrictions imposed by official agencies in 2020 (tool not available on Google Maps). For this purpose we added an essential / non- essential flag, and an Attrition Report (AR), as additional evaluation tool for vacancies in the District. The AR compares new occupancies (businesses opening within the most recent 9 months) and new vacancies (businesses closing within the most recent 9 months), for an alternative account of commercial vacancies.

Note: Most vacant storefronts along Streets have remained vacant for over 3 years prior to the survey. It is understood that such vacancies are not necessarily linked to an adverse economic environment, but may instead represent an excess park of storefronts, compared to the actual demand for space.

2 Benefits

Knowing the number and type of businesses can help develop specific strategies for economic development with maximum impact to merchants. The breakdown of businesses by underlying activity serves to better understand which industries are thriving and which are struggling. It also provides additional tools to promote / discourage further growth. The inter- annual comparison may allow for elaboration on the impact of recent economic initiatives directed to a particular type of business. The interactive map allows you to visualize which areas of the District are developing faster, adding judgment tools for a comprehensive growth strategy. The Survey also provides a record of vacant storefronts, updated as of December 2020, not available at this time in Google Maps (their most recent reading: July 2019).

3 Suggested Users

Investors willing to open a new business in East Harlem can obtain an updated and reliable indication of feasibility for their desired location. Union Settlement's Business Development Center can anticipate the impact of proposed initiatives directed to specific industries, including the formation of local working groups. Community Board 11 can access a record of businesses, per type and underlying activity (who-is-who), for an additional evaluation tool when considering new permits and licenses. The NYC Department of Small Business Services can access comprehensive data on businesses by type and number, for comparison purposes with other similar districts, and to develop strategies to impact specific areas of this District. The Councilmember's office and the NYS Assembly office may also find this data interesting.

4 STOREFRONT COUNT Vacant 21.5%

355 SURVEY RESULTS

1,300

Occupied 78.5%

STOREFRONT OCCUPANCIES (BY ZIP CODE) 1,250

1,000 202

750

VACANT 500 148 855

OCCUPIED 250 431 5 0 10037 10035 10029 14 5 RETAIL VACANCY RATES (SELECTED CORRIDORS)

30% 30%

21% 19% 20% 16% 16% 16% 16%

10%

0%

C M E T E E T Y E V S V V S N L A H A A H R T X T D E D A R 6 L N 5 H 3 1 2 2 T 1 1 S A E

ATTRITION (Prepandemic vs. Postpandemic*)

OPENED CLOSED

135 90

0 50 100 150 200 250

Pre-pandemic figures from Google Maps. Post-pandemic figures from direct observations by the BDC

6 MOST COMMON BUSINESSES (By Underlying Activity) 300 253

200 160 157

100

0 S S S T E IE N IC R A V E R R C U E A S O T R S L G E A I R N L O E S D R E P

THREADING 5.1%

FULL SERVICE 24.5% BARBERSHOPS 26.8% HAIR SALONS 45.2% TAKE OUT 51%

EAT IN 24.5% NAIL SALONS 22.9% Full Service: Table service. May, or may not, carry a Liquor License. Eat In: No Table Service. No Liquor License. Take Out: No significant Eat-In area. No Liquor License.

7 ESSENTIALS vs NON-ESSENTIALS (NYS Executive Order 202.68)

1150 226

0 500 1,000 1,500

LINK TO INTERACTIVE MAP (Click on Map to unveil additional features)

OPENING CLOSING

Numbered red pins represent clusters over 99 merchants Numbered blue pins represent clusters up to 10 merchants Numbered yellow pins represent cluster of up to 99 merchants Red pins represent a single merchant

8 Conducted, produced and distributed by Union Settlement's Business Development Center, 2020