Retail Vacancies Continue To Abound In The Upper Haight

Retail Vacancies Continue To Abound In The Upper HaightAfter 13 years, Tibetan gift shop Reincarnation closed earlier this month with little notice. (Photo: Camden Avery/Hoodline)
Camden Avery
Published on January 31, 2017

As residents and merchants in the Upper Haight brace for a deluge of tourism and festivities to be thrown this year in commemoration of the Summer of Love's 50th anniversary, the commercial climate on the street shows signs of being stuck.

For reasons we've mentioned here before, the cost of commercial real estate in the Upper Haight is prohibitive to many businesses, which need to cough up over $6 per square foot per month to make a go of things.

Several of the shuttered storefronts on the street today have been closed for months or years. And while new store openings typically crop up after the new year, things are looking slow at the moment.

Here's a look at recent closures, moves, and for-rent statuses in the 'hood. 

Super7 (1427 Haight St.) closed this winter to consolidate its brick-and-mortar operations into its other location, at 3253 16th St. in the Mission. An overhaul on the space is already in the works, with neighboring retailer Cookies set to move in following the renovation.

Hyperoptics (1463 Haight St.), initially vacated almost two years ago when the optometrist moved to its new digs on the 1700 block, is under construction in part of a makeover that appears to be for Haight St. Hot Dogs. We'll keep you posted as that project moves forward.

Skunkfunk (1475 Haight St.) remains shuttered and for lease after nearly two years, with no buyer in sight. The space is still listed for $5/square foot, or $7,500 per month.

Ducks In A Row (1510 Haight St.) closed at the end of the year to consolidate into their web store. Records are quiet about whether the space has a taker, but we'll keep you posted.

Fresh (1603 Haight St.) remains closed and for lease ($6,000/month).

Kids Only (1608 Haight St.) is still closed and undergoing renovation after its closure nearly a year ago to the day. No new businesses appear set to move on the space. 

Haight St. Shoe Repair (1614 Haight St.), which closed in December of 2015 when owner Carlos Lopez retired to move to Nicaragua, is also still unoccupied.

Dollhouse Bettie (1614 Haight St.), the 825-square-foot storefront adjacent to Zam Zam, remains closed and available after a protracted retirement sale last fall.

Haight Ashbury Vintage (1711 Haight St.) remains closed and for lease after a year and a half. Recent construction inside included new concrete floors, but so far the space is still on the market.

Second Act (1727 Haight St.) is currently closed following a fall run as The Bindery, a satellite store for The Booksmith (where this writer also works). The doors are scheduled to open for good this spring following some renovations on the space.

Reincarnation (1784 Haight St.), the 13-year Tibetan gift fixture at Haight and Shrader closed earlier this month with little notice. The shop, which famously advertised a "going out of business sale" for years, posted a thank you to the community in the window, which also directed patrons to Love of Ganesha (1573 Haight St.)

And, of course we'll continue to keep you updated as new shops crop up this year.