It's time again for a little thing called Mo' Banks, in which we profile new checking and saving spots around town. If you've spotted a bank opening or (heaven forbid, closing), do let us know. And now, on to the banks!

1) Noho/Central Village: The general public is usually displeased when a store or restaurant is shuttered to make way for another generic bank branch. That was not the case with dingy, now-closed University Place eatery BBQ, which readers were happy to learn would be replaced by a bank. At that time, the identity of the bank taking over the space was unknown; now we see it's going to be a North Fork (pictured above). Will they be able to scrub the place free of the scent of greasy ribs? TBD! [Racked Staff]

2) Park Slope: Hot bank news from the Brooklyn Eagle: "A bank is moving into a portion of the 4,500-square-foot vacant space on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Sixth Street, said building owner Larry Wittlin, declining to reveal the bank name due to 'contractual agreements.'" Mysterious. [Brooklyn Eagle]

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Subtle BoA plywood

1) Cobble Hill: Just a few weeks ago, the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Court Street in Cobble Hill looked like this.

It's been a big year for New York City retail (and not just because Racked was born in March). This week, we'll relive the glorious highlights and gruesome lowlights. We've recapped the year's most ridiculous lines, saddest goodbyes, most menacing retail presences and the most notable Street Scenes. Now, we're tackling the year's most turbulent retail stretches.

Opening day at the Apple Store on 14th Street and Ninth Avenue

While stores come and go all over this town, this year there were a few neighborhoods that really evolved (or devolved, depending on your perspective). The following four ‘hoods were hotbeds of retail activity…

4) 14th Street in MePa: A ginormous new Apple Store had us christen the entire neighborhood the "iPacking District," but it wasn't the only arrival MePa weathered this year. Diane von Furstenberg's spectacular flagship opened in May, bringing chic wrap dresses to 14th and Washington. In September, word leaked that Hugo Boss would be taking space on 14th right next door to Apple (the store is still under construction). Meanwhile, we awaited new flagships for Poleci and Ports nearby. Though the 'hood welcomed many newcomers this year, it also lost delicious pastry purveyor Little Pie Company and housewares shop Bodum, which may or may not be relocating to Soho.

Once in a while, we pull letters from the Racked Inbox and post them for your enjoyment and/or enlightenment. Want to contribute? We're listening. Anonymity always assured.

It's no secret that banks have eclipsed Duane Reade and perhaps even Starbucks with their unchecked growth. Landlords see them as safe bets, quiet tenants (unlike bars) that are willing to pay high rents. Some areas of the city, like the stretch of Eighth Avenue in Chelsea between 14th and 20th Street, are clearly overbanked, and other nabes aren't too far behind. What will stop the madness? One reader thinks that the city should step in:

What would it take to pass an ordinance limiting the number of banks that can pop up in the city? I was thinking something similar to the sex-shop law from the late '90s. Only, instead of forbidding banks within 500 feet of residences, they would be forbidden within 500 feet of each other (I'm willing to lengthen the distance, if possible).

Porn shops at least serve the community in many ways. They temper rents, have dance-related jobs to those who couldn't make it into the American Ballet Theatre, and offer a safe space for people who would otherwise rub one out on the subway. Banks provide nothing but crumpled receipt litter and bright lighting that makes everyone look pale and tired. The only exception I can think of is the Washington Mutual ATM branch on Bleecker street that also seems to have become a urinal for local indigents and drunks.

Photo of 808 Columbus via Curbed

It's been far, far too long since we've checked in with Columbus Village (aka 808 Columbus) on the Upper West Side. The massive site, located between 97th and 100th Streets, will eventually be home to a Whole Foods, but a fancy grocery store isn't all that the multi-tower retail and residential development has up its sleeve. A tipster writes:

Time for another update on Upper (Upper) West Side developments? Straight from Shopping Center Business to you comes this profile of Winick Realty, which is charged with leasing all 320,000 square feet of that nifty space. The Whole Foods at 97th and Columbus and the Duane Reade are long since confirmed. Now we learn that contracts have been signed with Chase and Bank of America, a real thrill for those of us dreaming about cafes, bookstores, and art houses. But the real mystery in the article is the lease that has supposedly been signed with "Models." Is this a hot new store we should know about? Or is Modell's coming our way?

1) Fort Greene: Carver Federal Savings Bank, named after George Washington Carver, has signed a lease at 362 Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene. According to Brownstoner, Carver Federal is the largest African- and Caribbean-American operated bank in America. They also have branches in Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights and Harlem. [Brownstoner]

2) Chelsea: The new residential tower rising at 16th Street and Eighth Avenue will have a bank, oh yes, it will. What company was lucky enough to snag the spot? Per Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, it will be a Bank of America. Welcome to the party on Eighth Avenue, BoA! Citi, Wamu, Valley National and North Fork are chatting over there by the cocktail bar. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

3) Noho: More Commerce insanity! A tipster writes: "A few months ago I was in the one on Broadway and Bond (I think?) and they were doing *karaoke*. Like, offering customers the chance to sing. In the bank." Doesn't banking make everyone want to sing? [Racked Inbox]

Photo via

[Commerce at 47 Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets in the East Village; click to expand]

A Racked reader spotted this Commerce Bank mascot flagging people down on the sidewalk in the East Village a few days ago. What marketing schemes will they think up next? The mind boggles.
· Commerce Bank [Official Site]

It's time again for a little thing called Mo' Banks, in which we profile new checking and saving spots around town. If you've spotted another bank opening, let us know. And now, on to the banks!

Chase coming soon to 14th Street and Fifth Avenue. Photo Femia

1) Flatiron: Mo' Banks vet Chase is now rising in the space on 14th & 5th that used to belong to a florist. You can all thank Hope Consolo of Prudential Douglas Elliman for this one. [Racked Staff]

2) Williamsburg: As Brownstoner reports, Commerce Bank has its eye on 118-130 North 4th Street, which, if a developer gets his way, will be a brand-new residential development. "A few board members expressed reservations about the bank’s design (the phrase “it looks like a mall” was said several times), though at least one person noted that Williamsburg increasingly needs services like banks and supermarkets." [Brownstoner]

3) East Village: Do banks beget other banks? Jeremiah's Vanishing NY ponders that question after making note of the new Commerce location at 10th Street and Third Avenue in the East Village: "In the first floor of the new SVA dorm on 10th and 3rd, a bouncing baby Commerce welcomes itself to the neighborhood by papering its wall with a vintage photograph (or photorealist painting) of what looks like the Third Avenue El passing by St. Mark's Place circa 1950-something." [Jeremiah's Vanishing NY]

Does your bank give out 24-karat gold pigs? Huh? Does it? Well, the Chase at 180 Canal Street in Chinatown does. Er, did—too bad this offer has since expired. The deal was: open and deposit $50,000 in a savings account, receive a 24k gold pig. The reps at the branch said they might bring the pigs back as rewards for something else come the Chinese New Year, so do check back.

Photo via Flickr/satanslaundromat