Army & Navy Bags Adds New Canopy on East Houston Store

This image has been archived or removed.

Eleven months ago, the Lower East Side nearly lost one of its treasures.

Army & Navy Bags at East Houston almost met its doom last August after the landlord nearly tripled the rent. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed, and the forty-year-old business was able to negotiate a relatively favorable price of “just under double” the previous amount. Still terrible, though.

But as the neighborhood continues to change in its midst, the army navy store had to keep up with the Joneses. That meant swapping the green vinyl for a less conspicuous canvas canopy. In fact, landlord Serge Hoyda reportedly stipulated that such storefront improvement was part and parcel of the deal. It needed to be more “high class.”

On a recent trip, we learned of the frustrations about running the store in the current clime of gentrification. The manager noted how the landlord had previously begged them to stay during the difficult years of the eighties, and how the tune has since changed. Pack up so they can trade up.

Hopefully Army & Navy Bags stays for many years to come. Its die-hard customers would certainly appreciate as much.

This image has been archived or removed.

August 2013