Conway moves!

A few weeks ago, I was shocked and saddened when it seemed as if Conway, a staple of downtown Brooklyn since the mid-80s, was going out of business.

But my annoyance was unwarranted. As it turned out, Conway was indeed closing, but not because it was going out of business. It was moving from its 505 Fulton St. location up the block to 427 Fulton St., into the space of the now defunct ABC Superstore.

Relieved that Conway wasn't going the way of the dodo, I nevertheless was a little concerned about the move. The previous location was a very large, two-level retail space, yet Conway was always notoriously cramped from lack of space. How was it going to squeeze all of its merchandise into 427, which was only one floor?

Curious, I snuck a peak at Conway's new location two weeks ago and found myself pleasantly surprised. To accommodate Conway's large inventory, two new levels were added to the former ABC Superstore space, so now it has three levels instead of one. The space is still somewhat smaller than at 505 Fulton. However, it definitely has a much better look and feel. Not only is it more organized and not as cramped as before, it's just brighter and more cheerful than the previous location, which was always dark and gloomy due to its dull interiors and dim lighting.

How will Conway fare in its new location? From the looks of things when I was last there (tons of shoppers as usual), it appears that it will do just fine. A more interesting question is how Fulton Closeout, Conway's replacement at its old location, will do. It remains to be seen.

Linda Collins, "Conway To Open New Brooklyn Flagship Store on Fulton Mall", Brooklyn Daily Eagle