Back in mid-April, we got an email from Purple Skunk Skate Shop owner Lizzie, telling us that they were in a bind. Their lease was up and after the building had been recently sold, the new landlord was imposing a 50% rent increase. Despite being at their 5820 Geary location for 20 years, Purple Skunk had no choice but to pack up.
The good news is that the shop found a new home just down the street at 6037 Geary. They’re located next to the Jiffy Lube on the corner of 25th Avenue and across from the House of Flowers. The space had been vacant for about a year.
Lizzie says they’re not fully moved in, “but we have landed. We love our new location, our new neighbors and the energy it brings.”
Purple Skunk doesn’t have any signage up on the outside yet, and when I peeked in last night it looked like they were still unpacking a few things. But they are open for business – skateboards, longboards and snowboards are aplenty.
Given all the commercial vacancies in the Richmond District, you have to wonder what goes through a landlord’s mind when they don’t renew a business’ lease, or jack up rents that end up forcing tenants to move.
Joe’s Ice Cream was forced to move for similar reasons after decades in their corner location on 18th Avenue and Geary. It worked out well for them – they moved just a half a block away into a new space, and business has been booming ever since.
But it didn’t work out well for the landlord of the old space. A cafe opened up in the old Joe’s but only lasted a few months. The space is still standing empty.
Cherish card store at 115 Clement closed recently, telling customers that they “lost their lease”. It’s unclear if building owners failed to renew their lease, or if the rent became too steep. Either way, it will be another empty storefront in the neighborhood.
Let’s hope Purple Skunk’s next chapter is similar to Joe’s, and that they thrive in their new location. CBS News recently named them one of the best skate shops in San Francisco, and after 20 years in business, I’m sure their customers won’t mind going a couple of extra blocks down Geary to find them.
Sarah B.
sadly, it seems that all too many landlords get sucked into the mentality that if they aren’t receiving the maximum return that a space can provide in the current market, regardless of local conditions, then it is better to receive nothing, and leave the space vacant, than to deal with the humiliation of only earning a portion of what they imagine they might. It’s an unfortunate aspect of human nature.
Greed. Plain and Simple.
Either they imagine some moneybags will want to open a gilded caviar shop, or they will try to sell the space/building. It’s just a sad state of affairs. Makes me wonder if the landlord is even local. I think Lizzie and the gang will have more visibility at the new spot. Seems the old shop got lost in the drab ugliness of the business around it.
Be there soon Liz. I need a new deck!
glad they didn’t move out of the neighborhood, because I’m planning to go there and buy some parts for my board after my board arrives in the mail.
I don’t think the other, operating business around it were all that ugly; but it did get lost in that block. Also, it appears others were pushed out since it there a number of empty storefronts. Kudos to the new locale and wishing them lots of bucks!
A shame they had to move, but glad they found a nearby location. Maybe they’ll set a good example for House of Flowers, across the street, which has had a graffiti-filled awning forever. What will it take the owner of the building to clean up his act?
Reminds me of the owners of both the Busvan building and the building on the south side of Clement near 5th. Green Apple has asked both several times about opening a childrens bookstore in either location, but neither landlord is willing to give good enough rent and/or a long enough lease.
I wish the folks at city hall would try to do something about the empty storefronts. But, you know, Eric Mar is more concerned with happy meals, cigarettes and other nanny-state laws rather than actually trying to fill all the commercial vacancies in our neighborhood.
@Rick – What can city hall do if owners are not willing to rent or demand rents that this area will not support?
Glad to see that this small business is staying in the neighbourhood. New space is more and visible than the former space (an area not drab, but now stands an empty store front). May you thrive for another twenty, PS!
Dear Richmond District, Bloggers and especially Sarah,
We are so grateful for our new location (we are a tad closer to Golden Gate Park Disc Golf Course)! Thank you for all your good wishes and support. We are still settling in but please swing by to checkout our new home and say “hi”. The move was a blessing in disguise. Enjoy! Lizzie
Why not publish the names of landlords who do this? Don’t post addresses, just names. Why shouldn’t we know who they are? In my opinion, putting a long-standing lessee out of business by upping the rent to exorbitant levels is wrong, greedy, and immoral. They clearly don’t care about the businesses they hurt, or the cost to the community. In fact, too many commercial landlords around here are responsible for blight and trashy-looking facades.