Pop-ups popping up in vacant storefronts

A pop-up eBay store at 3 West 57th Street

From the December issue: Diet Coke, eBay and Fortunoff are not typically brands that have a lot in common. But this year, those companies each occupied the same temporary Manhattan address, 3 West 57th Street, following Bulgari, Coach and other temporary tenants who have set up shop at this site just west of Bergdorf Goodman. The site’s landlord, the Hakim Organization, which did not return a request for comment, is said to be seeking as much as $5 million in annual rent — a sticker price seemingly too high for a long-term deal. While pop-up stores began proliferating across the city several years ago as a way for landlords to fill vacant spaces for a few weeks between long-term leases, thanks to the recession they now have a new function. Indeed, some retail spaces, such as 3 West 57th Street and 134 Spring Street, are quietly becoming home to a revolving collection of temporary stores, with no permanent tenants in sight. In addition, landlords that had not previously been open to temporary deals are inking them.