Hopefully, it was not an omen, but Sat., Nov. 18 — the date of the main event of a monthlong effort to revitalize retail stores along Bleecker St. — was a rather raw and gloomy day. To try to reverse the trend of empty storefronts along the famed boulevard, the Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce has launched #ShopBleecker, a local revitalization project to “restore the community” this holiday season. Running all of November, the effort aims to reinvigorate Bleecker St. and the surrounding neighborhoods by encouraging consumers to support retailers along and around the 20-block stretch of Bleecker. With roughly 38 empty retail storefronts between Eighth Ave. and the Bowery, Bleecker St. has a sizable 14 percent vacancy rate. Saturday saw a series of events for the whole family, including yoga classes, in-store events, samplings, giveaways and raffles. Shoppers should hold onto their receipts from any of the participating businesses, and take them to 359 Bleecker St. throughout the month. The amount spent determines the number of raffle tickets a person earns: Every $50 spent equals one raffle ticket. Shoppers can pick which raffle-prize packages they want. Raffle winners were drawn on Nov. 18, and will be again on Nov. 30. For more information about events and participating merchants, visit shopbleecker.nyc .
