NEW YORK — Could the retailer N, set to open this month, be to Harlem what Jeffrey New York was to the Meatpacking District?
While N’s prices will be gentler than Jeffrey’s European and American designers, the store’s three owners hope it is a catalyst for transforming 116th Street into a stylish retail corridor in the same way that Jeffrey New York pioneered the West Village for the fashion crowd.
“We’re looking to be an anchor store for the neighborhood,” said Larry Oritz, one of the partners. “It’s important for us to make a statement.”
The 4,000-square-foot bi-level space at 114 West 116th Street, between Seventh and Lenox Avenues, will feature labels such as Hugo Boss, Nicole Miller, BCBG, Tracy Reese and Velvet, many in their own in-store shops. There will be jeans from Paper Denim & Cloth, G-Star, Citizens of Humanity and vintage Jordache.
In addition, N will feature Harlem designers such as Etu Evans, Emilio Sosa, B. Oyama and Minoritees. Rounding out the product mix will be coffee-table books about the Harlem Renaissance, Jonathan Adler’s home accessories, apothecary by Red Flower Candles, Three Custom Color Specialists cosmetics and Skincare by Skyn Iceland.
The store is projected to do $1.2 million to $1.5 million in sales in its first year, said Oritz, who is basing his estimates on the thriving business on 125th Street, a crowded and more populist retail thoroughfare where stores such as H&M, Mony, Models and Old Navy do sales of $600 to $1,000 a square foot.
Oritz and his partners, Nikoa Evans and Lenn Shebar, said they chose 116th Street because of the critical mass of luxury residential development in the neighborhood.
“There are 12 to 15 projects under construction,” Evans said. “This is where the young, upscale professionals are moving.” Prices for luxury condos and co-ops start at $500,000 for one-bedroom units.
For years, community leaders have watched Harlem’s economy struggle as residents spent their money elsewhere. “More than 70 percent of the area’s consumer demand isn’t met by the local retailers,” Evans said, noting that N’s prospective customers typically shop downtown at Scoop, Intermix, Big Drop, the Lounge and Atrium.
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“In Harlem, the market is saturated with discount retailers and hip-hop clothing stores,” Shebar said. “With the increase in home ownership, we’re responding to the needs of those who want goods and services that reflect their lifestyle and income.”
Already, several upscale restaurants have opened, signaling a stepped-up pace of gentrification, Shebar said, adding that Starbucks, a harbinger of a neighborhood’s upward mobility, is said to be looking for retail space in the area.
N’s owners hope to lure shoppers to Harlem from lower Manhattan, particularly as the location is easily accessible via subway.
N’s look — clean lines and geometric shapes throughout — is the vision of Henry Mitchell of Henry Mitchell Interior Architecture, under the direction of the Kramer Design Group. The muted palette is derived from natural materials such as wood, glass and stone. “He created a very modern space within a traditional design,” Shebar said.
N hopes to expose mainstream fashion to Harlem. While the owners believe there always has been a market for such labels, most fashion companies have been reluctant to venture uptown. They hope N will persuade firms to eventually open their own stores in the area.
“These vendors have been very interested in selling to a customer that resides in Harlem,” Oritz said. “The strategy was to create a launchpad to show that we can create the sales to warrant a freestanding store. G-Star already recognized the potential. Many of the stores recognized this from their zip-code analysis.”
The partners have strong ties to the neighborhood. Evans, a former vice president of finance for the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, oversaw a $3 million Harlem retail and restaurant initiative. She was also an executive at the Rouse Co., which developed South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan. Ortiz, who was born and raised in Harlem, was an assistant buyer at Charivari and did stints at Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York. Shebar, also a Harlem native, was a former manager of board relations for the Parsons School of Design.
“We’ve started discussions for establishing a business improvement zone for 116th Street,” Evans said. “The community, politicians and businesses are trying to work with the brands. People have been talking about trying to launch this level of retail in Harlem for a long time.”
Bud Konheim, chief executive officer of Nicole Miller, one of N’s resources, said Harlem has been on the company’s radar screen. “Harlem is really coming into its own. If you look at Strivers Row and Frederick Douglass Boulevard near 125th Street, you see nothing but money there,” he said, referring to residential development. “It’s big time. The tourist business is heavy duty. We want to be in Harlem. It’s a big part of New York.”