Looking for that perfect gift? It could be hidden in plain sight – right in your own backyard. Retailers all across the country – and in Brooklyn – are gearing up for the busiest time of the year: Small Business Saturday on November 24!
Small Business Saturday, a newish “holiday shopping tradition” marks the unofficial kick-off to the holiday shopping season and was founded in 2010 by American Express to encourage local residents to shop small on Main Street. From local restaurants to the paint store down the street, small businesses have created major impacts across all communities.
Just a few numbers:
With over 32,000 small business retail establishments citywide in 2016, Brooklyn is king, with around 10,000 of them; Manhattan is a close second with around 9,800 establishments, followed by 7,300 in Queens, 3,800 in the Bronx, and around 1,200 in Staten Island. And the total number of stores is on the rise. Between 2012 and 2016, NYC gained 900 small business retailers, with the most stores opening in Brooklyn (569).
In New York State alone are currently 2,100,000 small businesses in operation, making up 99.8 percent of all businesses. In 2014, small businesses created 79,923 new jobs, thereby nearly giving jobs to 51 percent of all employees in the state.
So skip the long lines and commercialism of Black Friday altogether, and shop instead on Small Business Saturday where your dollar helps supporting and growing your neighborhood.
Instead of highlighting a few businesses, BK Reader is listing the business and shopping corridors of each neighborhood, encouraging you to peruse on your own and to discover your local shops, the small businesses that serve as the backbone of your community. Happy holiday and happy shopping!
Bedford Stuyvesant
- Fulton Street between Marcy and Classon avenues
- Nostrand Avenue between Greene and Atlantic avenues
- Tompkins Avenue between Gates Avenue and Fulton Street
- Malcolm X Boulevard between Gates Avenue and Fulton Street
Brownsville/East New York
- The East Brooklyn BID is a 40-block area bordered by Powell Street to the West, Atlantic Avenue to the North, Pennsylvania Avenue to the East, and Sutter Avenue to the South
- City Line retail district, Liberty Avenue between Autumn Avenue and Forbell Street
The East Brooklyn Bid provides a full list of small businesses in the area. Click here to learn more.
Bushwick
- Grand Street, between Bushwick and Union Avenues
- Flushing Avenue, between Wyckoff Avenue and Broadway
To support businesses nearby, also check out the directories of the Grand Street BID and the Graham Avenue BID
Crown Heights
- Franklin Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Eastern Parkway
- Nostrand Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Eastern Parkway
If you want to support small business here, check out this list provided by Reclaim Home.
Fort Greene/Clinton Hill
- Myrtle Avenue between Flatbush and Classon avenues
- Fulton Street between Grand and Flatbush avenues
If you want to support small business here, check out the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership directory and FAB Fulton directory.
Prospect Heights
- Washington Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Eastern Parkway
- Vanderbilt Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Eastern Parkway
Flatbush
- Nostrand Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Clarendon Road
- Flatbush Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Clarendon Road
- Flatbush Avenue between Parkside Avenue to Cortelyou Road
Flatbush has a lot of culture and shopping to offer. To learn more go to the Flatbush Avenue Bid’s directory or check out the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID which features maps for shopping, dining and more!
