GL Correspondent Max Casey got some bad news last night while munching some snacks and checking out vids at Video Free Brooklyn on Fifth Avenue: the store, which is the only video rental spot in that section of the Slope is going to be closing. Word came from the store’s owner, who said that the level of rentals, and therefore revenue, wasn’t high enough to cover the expensive Fifth Avenue rent. THis caused Max’s ears to perk up and to convey the news to us almost immediately. Video Free Brookyn has a more established original location at 244 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens that is doing fine however. This branch, which is near Douglass, only opened in February, so it’s especially sad to see it go so quickly. That leaves Get Reel at St. Mark’s as the only other video shop in this part of the Slope and is quite a hike for those who used Video Free Brooklyn. Sadly, it’s become a Netflix world. Well, actually, it’s going to become a download world. The whole video rental business is going to seem like a quaint anachronism in about five years.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Gari N. Corp // Dec 10, 2008 at 10:19 am
That’s too bad, it’s been all of 6 weeks since I joined. Still, their selection of movies was pretty Spartan. And not in a good way
2 Gertie // Dec 10, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Smith is better, though every once in awhile, they remove a film that I rented all the time. Should be a clue to just buy it , right? 5th ave is snooty /yuppie anyway. No smart people who watch films, I mean REALLY watch them. Thank god for Photoplay on Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint. PLEASE oh PLEASE photoplay, open in my hood! Other than that, I like Video Free a lot! Rock on!
3 DK // Dec 10, 2008 at 5:26 pm
They seemed like really nice folks there, but it is not “quite a hike” to Get Reel or the places on 7th. Let’s….get real…..here.
4 Ima Dick // Dec 31, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Hey Gertie, I live near 5th ave and I REALLY watch movies. Really. You’re an annoying film snob it would seem. I happen to be of the ilk who enjoys everything from Pasolini and Truffaut to Batman and Caddyshack.
5 Ima Dick // Dec 31, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Oh yea, and I joined VFB after I joined Get Reel and I thought the vibe and the selection in VFB really blew compared to Get Reel. I never rented from VFB once even though its a shorter walk from me than Get Reel.