Nearly three years after going out of business and shuttering all its stores amid the pandemic, a beloved New York City department store reopened its Manhattan flagship store Tuesday.
Discount luxury goods store Century 21 returned to lower Manhattan — its comeback in the city where it opened its doors for the first time back in 1961.
"Century 21 being back means New York is back," said Nelva Taub, of Kensington, Brooklyn.
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The store became a destination for bargain hunters looking for deals on designer dresses and shoes, cosmetics and housewares. But the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Sept. 2020 and closed all 13 of its stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida at the time, stating that its insurers to cover its pandemic-related losses and would not pay out $175 million in proceeds under business interruption policies.
But the flagship store reopened it doors Tuesday at the location on Cortland Street and Broadway, not far from Wall Street. And there was quite a lot of excitement and fanfare with it.
"It’s great, it’s almost like the Yankees winning the World Series," said Karen Brathwaite, of Forest Hills, Queens.
Shoppers came from near and far for the reopening. And no, Forest Hills doesn't count as far compared to some shoppers.
"I go straight to the internet, find plane tickets and after 16 hours," said a man who came all the way from Estonia — in eastern Europe. He said the trip was his Mother's Day gift to his Century 21-loving wife.
A mother and daughter, Barbara and Alma, flew in from Sweden for the opening, which had lines wrapped around the block and people waiting hours outside beforehand.
The reopening is a bit of an anomaly: A department store re-opening at a time when online shopping is driving legacy stores into extinction. And while only the NYC store has reopened, it's still a draw for many bargain hunters.
"I said, "They’re opening Century 21 again?' I was here 10 o'clock in line. I love Century 21," said one shopper.
