One of Fort Greene's Only Starbucks Will Close This Month

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — The neighborhood will lose one of its only Starbucks locations by the end of the month, the store announced. The Myrtle Avenue Starbucks, between Vanderbuilt and Clermont Avenues, posted in its window recently that the store will close down on Dec. 29.

"Please visit us at our nearby location (at) Lafayette Ave and Grand Ave," the post read, directing patrons to the next closest Starbucks at 325 Lafayette Avenue in Clinton Hill.

The Clinton Hill spot will essentially be the two neighborhoods' only Starbucks once the Myrtle Avenue location closes, maps on Starbuck's website show.

But, the closure will likely be welcomed by residents who spoke out against the chain coffee store coming to the area just a few years ago. Bklyner reported at the time that the incoming Myrtle Avenue store created "near-universal alarm" from Fort Greene residents who preferred local businesses instead of the coffee giant.

Readers were quick to list about a dozen independently-owned cafes in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill that they would go to instead, and a few others have opened in the neighborhoods since then. Bklyner listed many of them at the time, here.

It does seem that some Fort Greene residents chose Starbucks over local options once it opened, though. Local favorite bike shop, cafe and bar, Red Lantern Bicycles, said Starbucks moving in nearby was one of the reasons it closed down last year.

Owner Brian Gluck said at the time that he reworked and expanded his menu to compete with the chain, but that it still "just killed" the business.

For those still craving Starbucks, the chain has several locations on Fort Greene's border on Flatbush Avenue and nearly a dozen in nearby Brooklyn Heights.

Photo by Noah Manskar/Patch.