Top Drawer, a Bell Boulevard gift shop, will soon close its doors after 35 years on Bayside's commercial strip.
The store, located at 39-36 Bell Blvd., is currently holding going-out-of-business sales on its merchandise, which includes jewelry, pocketbooks, scarves and picture frames.
"Our lease is up and our rent was raised 20 percent, plus we have a 4-mint hold grandchild," said Jeffrey Serin, who owns the shop with his wife, Karen. "And my wife has worked six days a week without a day off for 35 years. It's reached the point where it's time to retire."
The store, which first opened in 1979 in a spot on 41st Avenue and relocated to its current locale 23 years ago, has many customers who have been dropping by for years, Serin said.
"It's a great town," he said of Bayside. "And we have a great customer base. People received service here they couldn't get in a department store."
Serin said merchandise is currently at 50 percent off and that the store would close either when business slowed down or in late February when the store's lease is up.
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