Empty Manhattan Storefronts Double Historical Rate - "Even the real estate store is out of business"

Some of the busiest streets in midtown Manhattan are plagued with vacant storefronts as a drop in tourism and office workers have severely punished the retail industry during the pandemic.

A new report released Thursday from the Real Estate Board of New York outlines how 30% of 311 storefronts in retail areas around Midtown East and Grand Central are vacant, which is more than double the historical rate. The report also said Madison Avenue had a retail vacancy rate of 28% among 289 stores.

Rob Byrnes, president of the East Midtown Partnership, told Bloomberg in an emailed statement that “the data underscores the critical need for workers to return to their offices.”

“With every passing day, our retail and dining sectors suffer, resulting in vacant storefronts and lost jobs,” Byrnes said.

Kastle Systems, whose electronic access systems secure thousands of office buildings across NYC, showed that only 29% of workers were back at their desks in late September.