Dueling Nail Salons On 7th Avenue: Which Will Open First?

One block of 7th Avenue is about to get a nail salon face-off, as two will soon be opening directly across the street from each other.

As we’ve previously noted, the stretch of 7th Avenue between Berkeley and Union is about to see two vacant storefronts filled, which is great considering how many vacancies we’ve had on the avenue for quite some time. But whether they’ll both stay open for long will have to depend on the demand for mani-pedis, in a land where there’s no shortage or those already.

It looks like the first to open might be Latoue Nail Spa II, the second outpost of a Bay Ridge salon that is setting up in the long-empty space at 92 7th Avenue (last home to Chiles & Chocolate, which closed in October 2011). They recently installed their awning, which signals things are moving along inside.

Across the street at 83 7th Avenue, the space once home to Leaf & Bean but most recently vacated by a Subway franchise, seems to be moving along as well. They recently posted a couple signs in the window (not pictured here), but as they got started after Latoue, we’re guessing they’ll be up and running after the newest competitor has already opened.

Just for some nail salon perspective, we’ve put together this map to show some (not even all!) of the places where you can already get your nails done nearby:

Despite our concern about the overabundance of nail salons in the area, we do know that there’s certainly a market for it, and there can be a lot of differences from place to place — so we’d love to hear if you have a favorite. Where do you go do get your nails done in the neighborhood? Or are you hoping one of these new spots will be what you’ve been looking for and not finding?