When the Gotham Pizza across from Third Avenue North Residence Hall suddenly closed last year, the student body suffered a deep loss. Now, the NYU community has lost another store just down the road. Shiina has occupied the storefront below the north tower of Third North since June 2017, selling mostly Asian clothing, accessories, decor and makeup. But the store has now packed up and moved out, and the retail space sits empty with signs advertising its availability.

Marcella Vilotto, a GLS first-year and Third North resident, said she did not notice the store had closed and feels that most residents won’t notice either.

“I think that hardly anyone will notice because most people walk out south tower if they’re going to campus, so it’s not the typical route that people take,” Vilotto said.

The store did not seem to be especially popular with residents. Ciara Smith, a CAS first-year, said that she went into Shiina once with a friend and echoed that the store was not a popular destination for students.  

“Besides the friend that went in there with me that one day, I don’t know anyone that’s been in there,” Smith said. “I’ve never heard anything about it otherwise.”

Steinhardt first-year Daniel Tavdy, a spring admit and resident of Third North, had no knowledge of the store that stood on the ground floor of his building

“I’ve never heard of anyone mention it,” Tavdy said. “I don’t even know the significance of it, what it’s background was or anything along those lines.”

Like many in Manhattan, the storefront has had several occupants in recent years, including a coffee shop and bubble tea store. The owners are already hunting for a new tenant after the ill-fated retail store failed to take hold in the community.

Email Faith Marnecheck at [email protected]