Eagle Freaking Out Over Ricky’s?
As previously reported, Montague Street is about to get a shot in the arm as popular sundries chain Ricky's opens there soon. The Brooklyn Eagle reports on neighborhood reaction today, with a focus on some of the more "controversial" aspects of the store:
Brooklyn Eagle: Ricky's - Is Brooklyn Heights Ready?: But then, there’s that back room. The one with the chocolate penises, vibrators and other sex toys, along with a month-long October celebration featuring trashy Halloween costumes.
And this is what has parents in Brooklyn Heights worried — especially parents of tween-age girls likely to be attracted to Ricky’s like moths to a candle. It doesn’t help that an eye-catching sign hanging in the front window advertises the coming of “The hottest, sickest, freakiest costume superstore in New York City.”
“My daughter is at the age where she loves streaking her hair and doing her nails,” said a Brooklyn Heights mother of a 13-year-old. “But I’m not thrilled with the idea of her seeing dildos hanging up in a shop on Montague Street. She’s just starting to walk around the neighborhood with her friends.”
The threat of a Frankenstein mob of angry prudes doesn't phase the folks at Ricky's:
Dominick Costello, president of Ricky’s NYC, reassured us that Ricky’s will tone it down in Brooklyn Heights. “We are doing a very scaled-down version of the adult room It will be on the lower level and there will be no other kid type merchandise on that level,” he said.
“It’s not porno – it’s really gag stuff bachelorette type of stuff.”
He said that children would not be allowed into the “adult” room, and that the store’s managers would be trained. “We do the best we can. Do things happen? Sure, but we try our best. It won’t be graphic stuff – there might be a vibrator with no picture.
“I have kids, my brother has kids. If we put everything downstairs that’s a little racy, maybe we won’t let kids downstairs at all. It’s hard to say because we’re not set up yet We’ll make our managers aware that that’s what parents want and we’ll take care if it,” he said.
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Posted : July 11th, 2007 at 8:32 am by Homer Fink under News.
Tags:brooklyn daily eagle, Brooklyn Eagle
Comments: 14
Comments
Comment from Tim N.
Time: July 11, 2007, 11:26 am
I’m shocked that Brooklynites can be so provincial. There’s a Ricky’s across the street from my daughter’s school in Manhattan (she’s 10) and she and her friends never give it a second thought. C’mon, people, grow up.
Comment from Bklyn Native
Time: July 11, 2007, 11:44 am
Come on Homer, I would hardly characterize the Eagle article as a “freak out.”
Hyperbole and sensationalism just cheapens the journalistic integrity of BHB.
Just my $0.02
Comment from GHB
Time: July 11, 2007, 5:24 pm
Wait til the whores start turning tricks on Montague! Connecticut Muffin’ indeed…
Comment from Teddy
Time: July 11, 2007, 8:05 pm
I’ll have to keep my fly on standby. ;)
Comment from stew
Time: July 12, 2007, 10:53 am
Connecticut Muffin’ Indeed!!! HAHAHA! Absolutley hilarious, GHB!
Comment from anon
Time: July 12, 2007, 12:19 pm
my concern about ricky’s isn’t that I think the store with taint the kids of our neighborhood - i think just think it’s a super-tacky store. My guess is that a lot of people complaining about this think the same thing, but they’re hiding behind the “it’s bad for the children argument.”
just goes back to the same ol’ bullshit about what type of stores “should” be on Montague vs. the stores that can afford to pay rent. Until small business can get breaks on the exuberant rents, look for more opticians, banks, re brokers and ricky’s!
Comment from anon
Time: July 12, 2007, 12:25 pm
my concern about ricky’s isn’t that I think the store will taint the kids of our neighborhood (give me a break) - i think just think it’s a super-tacky store. My guess is that a lot of people complaining about this agree with my assessment, but they’re hiding behind the uber-transparent “it’s bad for the children” argument.
just goes back to the same ol’ bullshit about what type of stores “should” be on Montague vs. the stores that can afford to pay rent. Until small business can get breaks on the exorbitant rents, look for more opticians, banks, re brokers and stores like ricky’s.
Comment from GHB
Time: July 12, 2007, 1:14 pm
What the hell is “super-tacky”? If Ricky’s is beneath you, then don’t patronize the store. It’s about damn time we got something a little different on Montague! Jeez…
Comment from Chris
Time: July 12, 2007, 1:25 pm
My God people grow a sac! It’s a cosmetic store with a back room. You know the video store on Montague has a back room. Nobody’s complaining about that. Godforbid some people have some fun in this neighborhood!
Comment from Weegee
Time: July 12, 2007, 7:53 pm
Ever since the demise of Barney’s, it’ll be nice to have another local joint for my fix of vintage hair pomade!
Comment from Bklyn Native
Time: July 13, 2007, 8:16 am
Ah Barney’s! That place was the ultimate schlock shop.
I used to tell people that I shopped at Barney’s all the time. I didn’t mention that it was Barney’s of Court St.
The ultimate was the walk in humidor with the sliding glass. Classy!
Comment from Tim N.
Time: July 13, 2007, 3:38 pm
God, I miss the Smoke Shop. Those guys were cool.
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Comment from stew
Time: July 11, 2007, 10:01 am
I think this is fine. I never found this place to be all that racy.