Doomsday Book -- Retail Edition

The first days of winter bring sad news for store lovers -- two Manhattan stalwarts are turning to dust. Linda Dresner on Park Avenue, a throwback to the days when personal service and a refined atmosphere were expected if you were spending thousands of dollars, is closing forever on December 13th. Dresner may have stocked cutting-edge labels like Comme des Garcon and D squared, but the ambiance was old-fashioned in the best sense of the word.

And in news that may be closer to Voice readers' hearts, Love Saves the Day, which has anchored the corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue for decades, is slated to shutter soon as well. Now where will East Villagers get their Howdy Doody puppets, their eviscerated Barbies, their slightly smelly tutus, their only-a-little-worse-for-wear winter coats?

On the surface, these two shops may have little in common, but they were both unique Manhattan presences and their shared fate is a loss not just to avid shoppers but to the flaneurs who stroll the city's streets straining for a whisper of difference and distinction above the din of chain stores. (photo via Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)