Business Closings on 181st

Following a recent trend of closing businesses in the neighborhood, Holy Moses Ladies Wear, a stylish dress shop on 181st between Ft. Washington Ave and Pinehurst, has closed.

Empty mannequins at Holy Moses Ladies Wear

Holy Moses was one of the few retail clothing stores west of Broadway.  Jennifer Ouellette's hat shop closed in December of last year.  Probus, which specializes in mens clothing and shoes just east of Ft. Washington, seems to be doing well.

In November, a sign was posted in the window of Holy Moses stating that the store would be closed for two weeks due to a "medical emergency."  This weekend, the store was empty of its considerable stock of evening wear and other womens clothing and accessories.

A simple online query showed that the business was incorporated in 1990.  Admittedly, in my 7+ years in the neighborhood I never purchased anything there.  While I often admired the fanciful dresses on display, I only ever went in twice. Once, the dress I wanted was sold out in my size.  The second time I couldn't find anything within my price range.  It also wasn't the type of store you'd just go in to browse through; it was chock full of racks of (usually) label or designer dresses - you told the owner or saleswoman what you were looking for and they'd bring forth a selection for you to try on.  However, it seems like they had a foothold in the neighborhood and it's a shame to think that health troubles caused them to leave.

Did you ever shop at Holy Moses Ladies Wear?  If so, what did you think?

Would you want a different retail offering here?  What kinds of businesses do you think this strip of 181st needs?