Written By: Kaitlin Hurley
Stewart Manor is a small town that consists of five blocks; therefore, everyone knows everyone. Upon going into town, which is Covert Avenue, there are many stores that have been there for what feels like forever. Stewart Manor is a place where everyone treats each other like family since it is so small. Covert Avenue has all the stores you could ever need on its one block, such as a bagel store, bakery, nail salon, hair salon, dry cleaners, etc. If you need something and you live in Stewart Manor, you go to Covert Avenue. We rely on these stores, and these stores rely on us to keep them in business. A lot of these stores are small businesses that were sadly forced to close when COVID hit. These businesses were already struggling enough throughout the pandemic until devastation hit. In September 2020, a huge fire took out ten businesses on Covert Avenue. The people who owned these businesses were truly destroyed because they put their hearts and souls into these businesses. Community members were so heartbroken over these businesses being burned down that they came together to help out by thinking of ways these businesses could rebuild their livelihoods. These businesses were determined to come back better than ever with their determination and the help of the community. While speaking with members of the community about this devastating fire, here is what Joan had to say. “The fire was extremely sad news for everyone in the community because we loved those businesses so much.” One of the businesses, K. Hunter Boutique, perished in the fire, which was where everyone in the community shopped because her clothes and accessories were one of a kind. Three years after the fire, K. Hunter Boutique was able to reopen in the same town and right across the street from where their business used to be located. Upon interviewing one of the kind women who worked in the store, they gave me incredible insight into how the fire and COVID affected them personally and how they rebuilt their one-of-a-kind store. The first question asked was, after the fire, what made you want to reopen your store and have it be in the same town? She replied, “We wanted to keep the store in the same town because of the community and the followers that we have built over the years. We love being in Floral Park because it is a close-knit community, and we received so much love and support, especially after the fire, that it didn’t make sense to go anywhere else.” The second question asked was, what were some of the obstacles you had to overcome to reopen your business? She said, “First, Floral Park is a small town, so trying to find space within Floral Park and not going too far was definitely a difficult obstacle. Since the fire was right after COVID, we had to stay shut for a while, and then trying to open a new store was a little bit of a challenge after losing everything in the fire. Getting supplies and getting the work done when we finally found a store was an issue.” After interviewing this strong woman, seeing their determination to open up a new store even though many obstacles were in their way and be successful at it was inspiring to see and hear. K. Hunter Boutique is now thriving in its new location and is an inspiration to us all. They overcame hardship, reopened in the same town as the fire, and prevailed in their business. As you gained, Stewart Manor and Floral Park are a tight-knit community with loyal customers and members that want to help and see these businesses succeed. If you live in Stewart Manor, these businesses are crucial to you because of their proximity, and everything that you could possibly need is there. Unfortunately, after the fire, some businesses were not able to reopen in Stewart Manor or Floral Park and had to relocate, and some businesses were not able to reopen at all. While people were trying to salvage their businesses after the fire, COVID was at its peak, making things much harder. We were quarantining and on lockdown while all of this was going on. After going to these stores my whole life, it was sad to see them burn down and not see some of them being rebuilt. After interviewing Ann, who is another member of Stewart Manor, she told me, “It was truly a terrible thing that happened because businesses were already struggling after COVID hit, and the fire completely wiped them out.” Businesses were already hanging on by a thread, especially a restaurant called Capo, because bars and restaurants were closed for a while, and then the fire completely took them out. The Floral Park mayor also wanted to lend a helping hand by brainstorming ways to help, such as setting up tents so that people could still pick up orders and permitting space for food trucks. Unfortunately, Capo was unable to rebuild in Floral Park and had to relocate to Franklin Square, where they are flourishing again. A town-favorite pizzeria burnt down and was never able to rebuild at all, which was devasting because everyone knew the people who worked there and the owner, and they were such nice people. There is still an empty space where the businesses used to be, and members of Stewart Manor are patiently awaiting when the new businesses will be built and what the new businesses will be. That empty row on Covert Avenue reminds us of the terrible event but also shows how strong Stewart Manor is. If you ask any member of the community, they will say everyone is like family to them and that they like to shop locally to support businesses. As much as this fire devasted the town of Stewart Manor, it also brought the community together, which is an amazing thing to witness. When tragedy strikes, it is inspiring when everyone in the community lends a helping hand.
