Shear Luck: FRED Salon Finds Refuge in the East Village

Another retail victim to report on upper Orchard Street. The FRED.nyc hair salon is now gone.

According to signage on the shuttered security gate at 192 Orchard, the five-year-old business recently relocated to the East Village. The move to 40 East Third Street was a long time coming for eponymous owner Fred Connors, who braved terrible conditions the last few years during the construction of Ben Shaoul’s adjacent luxury development.

Connors, who founded the salon in Halifax (Canada) fifteen years ago, had previously spoken at length to DNAinfo about the challenges of being next to an active construction site – roach infestation, debris, and cracks in the floors and walls. This led to declining foot traffic and loss of customer base. It was a similar story for Alan Natkiel, whose Georgia’s Eastside BBQ business ultimately shuttered from same last year.

But now that the luxury development is completed, and the scaffolding gone, these retail struggles are history. Swept under by brokers and landlords who can now charge even more for the space.

August 2017