Speaking of Storefronts

Brooklyn Storefronts as Metaphor for a Changing Borough.

(And don't miss the comments.)

Comments

[Fnarf]

See, that's what I'm talking about with the narrow storefronts!

[David Sucher]

Fnarf,
I kinda doubt if most of those stores are narrower than 16 feet. Ome may be as narrow as 12 feet but I think most are about 20 feet wide. (I scaled off a number of them using an assumed 3' width for the door.)

The width of the store reflects the likely structural system i.e. the ceiling/floor joists probably span 18-20 feet across the store, the short way, so it makes sense. That's is about the most you can get out of dimensional lumber. (You can go farther these days but you have to use more expensive manufactured products such as I-joists.)

However in general I agree that more small stores the better — if you want small stores, which I agree you generally do in a neighborhood context.

[Fnarf]

Yes, I am stupidly wrong about the "ten feet" part. 12 to 20 feet wide is what these are, and these are EXACTLY what I had in mind when I started talking narrow storefronts. The "ten feet" I pulled out of the air, and I was wrong.

But note that a lot of these are in fact 100 feet deep -- though that may just be lot, with a yard in back, leaving a building depth of maybe 75 feet.

I notice that James Miller of Connor Homes, in today's Slog item about West Seattle, is talking about 1200-3000 sq ft spaces as if they are small. That's not small, and I'll bet it's nowhere NEAR as small as the stores that are being replaced. That's bad, and it's going to seriously damage the Junction.