The Half-Empty Block of Cortelyou

The south side of Cortelyou Road between Coney Island Avenue and Stratford Road was sitting half-empty for about a year, after La Nueva Union moved up the block and the Liberty Tax on the corner closed up shop. Those two had just added to the empty spaces of Vox Pop and the former florist, which had most recently been a pharmacy.

Now that the corner is occupied and there’s a rumor about Vox Pop, we’ve got hope that these two spaces in the middle might see new life soon.

It might be a lot to hope for on 1012 Cortelyou, the one with the florist sign. This store has been empty for about 8 years, and there’s no record of it currently listed as available to rent. Public records show that the owner lives in the building, so if you’re really in love with the space, that’s the place to ask about it.

1008 Cortelyou was previously occupied by La Nueva Union Bakery, but that business moved out just over a year ago, and it’s been empty since. The owner of 1008 seems somewhat more eager to rent, however. Signs in the windows have the contact number, which is 201-871-2355, and you can often find him sitting out front on the sidewalk in a lawn chair.

A neighbor who looked at the space at 1008 recently told me that in his opinion, the rent seemed a bit high for the area, but that the space could be utilized well, especially the backyard.

Here’s hoping some potential business owners are able to get into these spaces and bring some more life to this block.