21 Broadway

With its sharply pointed roof and weathered brick and stone facade, 21 Broadway makes a distinctive aesthetic addition to the Broadway shopping district. Its two neighbors, Good Nature Market on the right and an Italianate style building with two clothing stores on left, emphasize the verticality of 21 Broadway, which almost seems to be squeezed up through the existing skyline set by the neighboring roofs.

The presence of the new, fast-casual restaurant, Junzi Kitchen on the first floor of 21 Broadway heightens this architectural drama. The chic interior of Junzi, with its pale wood panelling and spare furnishings, makes for an interesting effect when paired with the neo-gothic facade of 21 Broadway.

1926-1987: Simon Persky & Sons

2018-Present: 1055X Properties LLC

Since the late 17th century, the confluence of York, Broadway, and Elm Streets was home to one of the most thriving residential and commercial areas in New Haven. In the period between 1845 and 1865, Italianate commercial buildings began to appear in this commercial hub. C.F. Tuttle, a grocer at 21 Broadway, and James Olmsted, a druggist at 1 Broadway, both moved in around this time. 21 Broadway predates its neighbor, 23-27 Broadway, a load bearing brick and masonry structure with concrete facade detailing dating back to 1929.

As Yale expanded during the 19th century, the Broadway commercial area was influenced by the expansion and accompanying architectural changes on campus. Some buildings acquired facades specifically designed to harmonize with the new campus icons. The area also became increasingly dependent on the patronage of the university community, with several upscale tailors, Whitlock’s Bookstore and the Yale Co-op moving into the area in the 1920’s.

Leasing and ownership records of 21-27 Broadway show that Simon Persky and Sons owned the suite of three buildings from 1926 to 1987. At that point the building transferred ownership to Tyco Printing and Publishing. TodayYale University Properties owns it. In 1926, Simon Persky obtained the properties on Broadway with mortgages from the First National Bank and Trust Company and the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company for $48,000 and $50,000 respectively. Persky leased out number 27 for 10 years, at the time, for a rate of $2,400 a year. Property information specifies that the premises were to “be used for the sale of automobile, bicycle, radio and electrical supplies, as well as repairs and hardware.”

For a period between 1948 and 2012, 25 and 27 Broadway were home to a retail mainstay on the corridor, Cutler’s Records. Lee and Nat Cutler began the business in 1948 at 41 Broadway, moved a few doors down in 1953, and came to their final location in 1982. In 2012, the store was run by their grandson Phil Cutler, who assumed leadership of the location from his father, Jayson. He recounts that the store hosted visits from ”Tom Jones, Brenda Lee, Everly Brothers and Tony Bennett” which kept “life in the store very exciting.”

One employee, Bob Briar, started selling records at Cutler’s in 1974 when he was just 17 years old and continued at the establishment until 2012. Briar has worked at the store since 1974, when he was 17 years old. Today, 21 Broadway is home to Junzi Kitchen, and 27 & 25 Broadway host an outlet of Barbour. 23 Broadway is home to women’s retail space, LouLou. Elm Campus properties rents apartments to Yale students in the space above the ground floor retail, charging about $1200 a month for one bedroom units, and $1775 for two bedroom spaces.

The Shops At Yale sit side-by-side in the Broadway shopping district just north of the New Haven Green and adjacent to the Yale University campus. The university manages most of the buildings in the shopping district and caters to students and tourists alike. Today the neighborhood serves as an alternative retail district with high end stores one might not expect to find in downtown New Haven.

Under the umbrella of “The Shops at Yale,” 21 Broadway stylistically mimics other Neo-Gothic buildings of its landlord: Yale University. It is a member of a suite of properties that extends on the left hand side of the building and includes all the addresses up to 27. These properties are housed in the larger, brick, Italianate building that specialize in dry goods retail. Their European architectural influences make a successful aesthetic pairing with the upper-end retail outlets they house. We can find the Italianate character of The Shops At Yale with wood dentils that punctuate its roofline.

Sources: Cutlers Records: http://cutlers.com/ Randall Beach. “Cutler’s record store in New Haven closing after 64 years in business.” New Haven Register: http://www.nhregister.com/article/NH/20120516/NEWS/305169928.

https://gis.vgsi.com/newhavenct/Parcel.aspx?Pid=14953