Video Gallery, Park Slope’s Last Video Store, To Close At End Of Month

Video Gallery, the movie rental shop at 316 7th Avenue, between 8th and 9th Streets, will be closing at the end of September, marking the end of video stores in Park Slope.

A ‘going out of business sale’ sign went up in the window of the shop, which has been open for more than 15 years, last week. When we stopped in on Friday evening, owner Kathy Smelyansky seemed a little wistful about closing, watching as neighbors picked through the DVDs, most of which are for sale at three for $10.

She didn’t explain the reason for the closing, and though she did seem to be looking forward to her next phase, she wasn’t very specific when we asked what she’d be doing next.

“A lot of things,” Kathy said. “A lot of good things.”

Video Gallery was the last holdout of several neighborhood video stores, both independently-owned and chains, that have closed over the past few years — most recently, Royal Video on Flatbush Avenue and Get Reel Video on 5th Avenue both closed in 2013, and Video Forum on 7th Avenue closed in 2011. Plus, this will make yet another vacancy along 7th Ave.While Netflix and other online video services continue to grow, it’ll be hard to replace the personal experience a shop like Kathy’s provided — for instance, who’s going to tell you the best Christmas movies to watch during the season, noting as Kathy did last year, “I’m Jewish and I really love Christmas”?So be sure to stop by to wish her well and thank her for her recommendations over the years.