(photo taken from NY Post)

NY Post (January 28, 2010): Three years ago, it was an ailing, three-block stretch in Downtown Brooklyn filled with vacant storefronts and 99-cent stores.

But today, Livingston Street, from Hoyt Street to Flatbush Avenue, is prospering in the face of an economic recession with a host of new retail stores serving a wide variety of clientele.

Local officials credit the opening of a new International House of Pancakes in Dec. 2007 on Livingston Street as being the catalyst for the street’s revitalization, along with new spillover customers from Fulton Street Mall (which is prospering also from a diversification of new retailers).

Since then, eight new businesses have moved to the stretch on Livingston Street, either replacing failed stores or taking over unused space, such as the popular hip-hop clothing chain, Pulse (358 Livingston).

“Over the past year, we’ve had a real influx of new retailers that have made Livingston Street a lot livelier and attractive for shoppers,” said Michael Burke, director of planning and policy for the public-private Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.

The others stores are Wendy’s (291 Livingston), Liberty Tax (304 Livingston), Hair Heaven (308 Livingston), Cotton Candy Café & Creamery (312 Livingston), Nevins Drugs (326 Livingston), Lucy’s Hot Dogs & Donuts (330 Livingston), and Exclusive Eye Wear (362 Livingston).

Two years ago, there were more than a half dozen empty storefronts and others were on the brink of shutting down. Today, there are no vacancies, said Seth Taylor, the business services manager for the Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn Business Improvement District.

Timothy King, a top Downtown Brooklyn real estate broker, credits the comeback in part to Livingston Street offering cheaper rents compared to competing nearby shopping corridors Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street. He also said interest is greater because it now seems like the planned NBA arena that is part of the nearby Atlantic Yards project will finally be built after being held up for years by lawsuits.

Burke said Livingston Street is also benefitting from recent streetscape improvements to Flatbush Avenue – considered the gateway to Brooklyn via the Manhattan Bridge – and various high-rise condo projects that are either complete or in the works and will bring thousands of new residents.

Taylor said many of the new businesses were attracted to grant programs offered through the Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn BID to help attract customers.

Check out the article here.