Warby Parker inks lease for first Brooklyn shop

Don’t let the thick frames fool you — Warby Parker isn’t based in Brooklyn, but it plans to open its first shop in the borough.

The purveyor of trendy specs has just inked a 10-year lease in Cobble Hill, marking the store’s premier New York City location outside Manhattan, the Wall Street Journal reported. The store will take up 2,080 square feet at 55 Bergen Street, adding to three locations in Manhattan and 20 others throughout the United States.

Paul Webber, formerly of Cushman & Wakefield, represented the landlord, Brooklyn investor Frank DeFalco. The store is expected to open in the spring. Information on the rent was not immediately available, but according to Agorafy, the asking rent was $10,938 per month.

“Cobble Hill is seeing tremendous growth from a retail perspective,” Webber told the newspaper. “We are seeing rents continue to rise and seeing an interest in retail space by diverse enterprises with local, domestic and international roots.” [WSJ] — Kathryn Brenzel