Established 1829

Jeremiah Moss with Neir's owner Loycent Gordon

Susan Neir, the granddaughter of Joe Neir, the bar's original owner

 

"This is all human capital. It takes time to build up a place like Neir’s, to build a reputation. We cannot allow predatory landlords to decide what happens to these businesses." -Olympia Kazi, NYC Artist Coalition

"[Neir's] was packed three deep again this weekend in crowds [owner] Loycent Gordon said he’d never seen before, both on Friday during the announcement from de Blasio, and on Saturday during a #SaveNYC rally that was previously billed as a farewell. The latter became part-celebration and part-rally for advocates of commercial rent reform; it was organized in part by Jeremiah Moss, who runs the blog Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York. Moss and others were happy for Neir’s, but worried for the future of small businesses in New York."

Text from Neir’s Tavern Avoids Closure (Gothamist)

All photographs by Beatriz Elena Rodriguez © 2020

Neir's Tavern = Saved!

Neir's Tavern just got a new deal for five more years on their lease! Come celebrate this good news and rally for commercial rent regulation. New York City has many more small businesses that need protecting — and in five years we might be fighting again for Neir's.

Saturday, January 11th. 2pm

Neir's Tavern - 87-48 78th St, Woodhaven, NY

Rally for Neir's!

After recently celebrating 190 years in business, Neir’s Tavern has announced that they are closing their doors this Sunday due to absurd rent increases, as well as their rejected attempt at landmarking the building.

"Neir's has been fighting for its life; recently, the Landmarks Preservation Committee rejected its application, though it's been around since before the Civil War. Founded in 1829, Neir's is greatly beloved — but love alone can't save our historic small businesses. Only a policy that ensures commercial rent stabilization can. But we don't have that in NYC. So this will keep on happening. Over and over and over. Until nothing authentic remains."

Come out this Saturday  and show the powers that be that we won't let our treasured NYC landmarks go quietly! Bring signs (make your own or print one from the #SaveNYC website) and prepare to make some noise!

Make no mistake, the Small Business Jobs Survival Act would've saved Neir's, along with countless other small businesses that are vital to the cultural and community fabric of New York City.

Rally sponsored by #SaveNYC, Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, the NYC Artist Coalition,

Disappearing NYC, ASAP Activists, and the Rego-Forest Preservation Council.

Saturday, January 11th. 2pm

Neir's Tavern - 87-48 78th St, Woodhaven, NY

Quote from Jeremiah Moss' Vanishing New York

Gem Spa Cash Mob & Art Event

#SaveNYC is hosting a cash mob at Gem Spa to help support this beloved East Village business--and keep it alive. Come prepared to spend some money — egg creams, pretzels, t-shirts, toothpaste! — and take your photo with a surprise work of guerrilla street art, as an acclaimed group of cultural activists and designers radically transform Gem Spa into a dystopian vision for the new St. Mark’s Place.

Saturday, September 14th. Noon

Gem Spa - 131 Second Avenue, NYC

Rally To Save Scoops

Scoops, one of the oldest Caribbean owned businesses on Flatbush Avenue between Lincoln and Hawthorne, has been given an 30 day notice to vacate by their landlord Jeremy Properties or they will face a legal eviction. For 35 years, Scoops has been a cultural and culinary institution in Flatbush. Tony Fongyit, the owner of Scoops is well-known for serving amazing Ital vegetarian foods and vegan ice cream, as well as provided wellness products and advice to our community. We are asking  Jeremy Properties to do the right thing, and give Scoops a new lease!

Friday, July 19th. 6:30pm

Scoops - 1624 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn

Fight For Our Future

"This is not about commercial rent control. [The Small Business Jobs Survival Act] is the only one that can establish a better process for lease renewal. It’s the only real solution to stop the closing of long-established small businesses and save jobs." -Ydanis Rodríguz, NY Council member

All photograph by Beatriz Elena Rodriguez © 2018,
shot at the Rally for the SBJSA at City Hall on  October 23rd, 2018

People Power Against Profit

Skyrocketing rents and loss of leases replace NYC’s diverse neighborhood cultures — spaces, stores and restaurants — with vacant storefronts. Tell the NY City Council to pass the Small Business Jobs Survival Act. Come testify! Tell your story of a favorite space that closed, a lost lease, or how important it is to you to preserve NYC’s unique culture. If you cannot make it to the hearing you can still show your support for the bill.

There will be a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall before the hearing at noon featuring David Eisenbach, (Founder of Friends of the SBJSA), Ruth Messinger (Former Manhattan Borough President and City Council Member, Original Sponsor of the SBJSA), Elvis Silverio (President at New York State Latino Restaurant Bar & Lounge Association, Nelson Eusebio (National Supermarket Association), Paul Lau (Executive Director of the Sportswear Apparel Association, Andrew Berman (Executive Director, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation), Quenia Abreu (President & CEO, The New York Women's Chamber of Commerce), Kin Ming Lam (Garment District Factory Owner), Frank Garcia (National Association of State Latino Chambers of Commerce), Giovanni Taveras (Founder of the New York State Veteran's Chamber of Commerce), Rafael Martinez (President, NY Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), and Jeremiah Moss (Author of Vanishing New York).

City Dreaming

"Last night, buoyed by this prospect, about 50 New Yorkers gathered at Dream Baby in the East Village for an SBJSA-themed happy hour hosted by #SaveNYC. (The bar’s location on Avenue B is, of course, not currently among the 20% of retail spaces currently sitting vacant in NYC, up from 7% just two years ago.) Attendees were offered $4 off beer and well drinks, $2 off everything else, and got a chance to organize ahead of the City Council hearing on the SBJSA scheduled for the fourth Monday in October... The event featured pro-SBJSA speakers Jeremiah Moss, Jenny Dubnau, and David Eisenbach. Moss is a #SaveNYC leader, anti-gentrification activist, and author of the book Vanishing New York. He drew guests via his beloved blog of the same name."

Text by DJ Cashmere from Bedford & Bowery
All photographs by Beatriz Elena Rodriguez © 2018

The City Of Tomorrow

At long last, the Small Business Jobs Survival Act is getting a hearing. Come celebrate, meet and mingle, and strategize next steps for this important event and beyond.

Jeremiah Moss and others will be speaking on the importance of this historic bill. David Eisenbach, the anti-REBNY candidate for Public Advocate, will talk about his work and what we can do to get ready for the public hearing later in October.

Dream Baby is giving #SaveNYC an extended happy hour: $4 for beer and well drinks, $2 off everything else.

Wednesday, October 3rd. 7-9PM.
Dream Baby - 162-164 Avenue A, NYC

Follow The Money

"When Mayor Bill de Blasio was a Councilmember he sponsored the Small Business Jobs Survival Act. When he ran for Public Advocate, he championed it. Now that he is mayor, he is prohibiting the same bill from reaching the floor for a vote and recommends urging landlords to be less greedy.

As we head into election-year debates, the city needs to know what happened? Why has Mayor Bill de Blasio abandoned his campaign pledges to take this city in another direction from Mike Bloomberg and help our struggling small businesses so they can survive? There are vacant storefronts in once vibrant neighborhoods and affordable grocery stores are closing all over the city.

Why hasn’t the mayor called a public hearing on the small business crisis so New Yorkers can hear all of the proposals to address it?"

Text excerpted from Powerful Forces Stop NYC Leaders from Helping Mom & Pop Stores by Kirsten Theodos (City Limits, July 20th 2017)

Save Errol's Bakery

Beloved Errol's Bakery has been serving the Flatbush community for the last 15 years. On November 30th 2016, their lease expired. The owners, Dorothy and Errol Miller, are hoping that their landlord will renew their lease so they can stay at their current location at the corner of Hawthorne Street and Flatbush Avenue.

Due to gentrification, Flatbush is rapidly losing long-time small and family-owned businesses. This is why it is so important to support Errol's Bakery and other long-time small businesses in the area. Come out on December 17th from 3pm-5pm to show appreciation for the amazing Caribbean food and service that Errol's Bakery provides. Let's help ensure that Errol's Bakery is able to stay where it is and to thrive for many years to come!

For more info please contact Equality For Flatbush

Empty Chair Syndrome

"At an alarming and ever-increasing rate NYC has been losing its beloved retail, restaurants, art spaces, and other local institutions. Are we to look forward to a city filled only with chain stores, banks, and luxury boutiques?"

NY Council Member Robert E. Cornegy Jr. (the Chair of the Small Business Committee) was a no-show at last night's The Death (&Rebirth?) Of NYC's Mom-And-Pops forum, despite being scheduled to be a part of the discussion regarding the crisis-level issues facing small businesses in New York City.

Photo via Kirsten Theodos

The Death And Life of A Great American City

Give Small Businesses A Fighting Chance!

"When now-mayor de Blasio was a council member, he supported the SBJSA. Now, he won’t go near it. Same

goes for City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Councilman Brad Lander, and Public Advocate Tish James, 

all of whom supported the bill before they ascended to leadership positions." -Village Voice, September 30th 2016

Activists from the Artists Studio Affordability Project (ASAP), New Yorkers For A Human-Scale City, #SaveNYC, TakeBackNYC, and other groups stood in solidarity at a press conference on the steps of City Hall on Friday, September 30th to bring attention to the Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA), and to call for the scheduling of a public hearing and vote on the legislation. Inside City Hall, the Committee On Small Business and the Subcommittee on Zoning & Franchise held a sham hearing on "Oversight - Zoning and incentives for promoting retail diversity and preserving neighborhood character."

Photograph by Ann McDermott

Call For A Public Hearing

[Click here to send a letter in support of the SBJSA to Mayor de Blasio and Council Speaker Mellisa Mark-Viverito]

Let's Get Mad!

It's just about spring in NYC and #‎SaveNYC is getting ready for a new season of meeting, greeting, and sharing ideas for taking action to raise awareness and fight for the city's small businesses and cultural institutions.

Winter was tough on our small businesses. Now that the weather is getting better, let's get out there and take action. What do you want to see done? A party or a protest? A cash mob for your favorite struggling business? A cultural event like a reading or art show? You conceive it, put it out to our Facebook group for discussion and networking, and let's make it happen together.

#SaveNYC needs more photos and videos for our main site, and we want to see our sign all over town. We'll be putting out that call to action soon, so think of where you want to see our signs hanging, and what businesspeople you want to feature on film.

Let's get mad, take action, and #SaveNYC!

Text and photo by Jeremiah Moss

Save Our Supermarket!

"This supermarket is an important source of affordable groceries for the residents

of Chelsea and Greenwich Village. Join us on Sunday as we call on the landlord to

negotiate in good faith and preserve a vital source of affordable groceries."

Stand in solidarity with residents of Chelsea and Greenwich Village in their fight to save the Associated Supermarket this Sunday, March 13th at 255 West 14th Street. Bring your #SaveNYC signs and remind those in power that the Small Business Jobs Survival Act (File #: Int 0402-2014) is the only legislation which will give businesses a real fighting chance against gluttonous landlords and developers!

Time For Action

"[NYC's] great property values make it more attractive for some to speculate – often meaning ousting small business that helped build that value. Each month, an average of 491 NYC small businesses are evicted. Commercial rents are skyrocketing, and all over the city, mom and pops have closed, replaced by banks and chain stores.

The speculation results in entrepreneurs losing their dream, their livelihood, and for residents, shuttered neighborhood favorites. Mom and pops and professionals are the lifeblood of our communities. They are a stepladder to a better life, and provide habitability and services.

NYC Council Members do not have easy jobs with a fickle public: But if they could hammer out passage of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, they could save the city. "

Text excerpted from Noble Work by Patricia Dorfman,
director of the Sunnyside Chamber Of Commerce

A Tale of Two Cities

Keep the pressure on... Join us for "The People's Response to the State of the City" and speak on topics such as the destruction and displacement of our communities for big business and real estate interests!

Yes To Commercial Rent Control!

At yesterday's MAS Summit for New York City, the vast majority of people in the audience said "yes" to commercial rent control during a panel discussion. The callous reaction of Alicia Glen (Deputy Mayor for housing and economic development): "I’m not sure that necessarily adopting commercial rent control would lead to solve the problem that people think the problem is. There are some small businesses that are probably going to just fail because they’re not very good businesses."

More on the corporate takeover of New York City: Darwinian City?

Photography by J. Brash