A House Of Ill Repute On Smith Street? Something Is Amiss At Number 257

******Please see the UPDATE Below******

Something sketchy seems to be happening inside the storefront of 257 Smith Street between DeGraw and Douglass Street here in Carroll Gardens.  Amidst the restaurants, boutiques and nail places, it would appear that we now have a house of ill repute.
Until recently, the building at this address housed a string of Indian restaurants, the latest being an outpost for the chain Baluchi's. When Baluchi's closed a few months ago, the windows were papered over, a construction crew did some interior work and a sign was posted to the door indicating that a business called Tao, Inc. would soon open.

Whatever Tao, Inc. is or stands for is hard to determine from the outside.  Heavy curtains hang in the front window, the front door is covered in paper and entry is only granted by ringing a bell. Two small video cameras have been installed to monitor the sidewalk.

In the past three weeks, PMFA has received several emails from local residents asking if we knew what was going on inside.

Reader J. asked PMFA:
"Any clue what the new business is on Smith street between DeGraw and Douglass--called Tao Inc?
It has a handwritten sign with the name and has wall hangings covering the doors and windows (and a neon sign that always says "open"!)
Very, very weird."

Local resident H. actually ventured inside and confirmed that the place was very suspicious:
"I'm writing about a serious concern about activity at 257 Smith Street - I am concerned it is a brothel or houses some other illicit activity.

A few weeks ago a suspicious store front went up at 257 Smith (which used to house a few Indian restaurants). I thought nothing of it until last night when, walking home, I noticed two men knock on the door (in their defense, they seemed to be concerned neighbors too). In my passing I saw the door opened by an Asian women in a bathrobe. Behind her there was no indication of any actual commercial activity, rather just a series of closed doors.

I decided to investigate myself and my concerns were only amplified. The outside door is monitored by a camera - they knew I entered without knocking. Once inside, I was greeted by a southeast asian woman who spoke no english. She insisted I remove my shoes and go into a room - the space consists of a hallway and 4 or 5 doors to small rooms. There was no commercial counter that one would expect to find in any sort of a business.
Sorry to get graphic, but once I entered, I could hear a man groaning from one of the rooms."

Not wanting to post information that could hurt a legitimate business, PMFA sent a male friend to investigate for us yesterday.

This is what our friend reported:
"The bright curtain blocking all visibilty, neon OPEN sign, and hastily-installed wireless doorbells seem odd, and the lack of other signage means that the business should be treated with a measure of suspicion. After waiting inside the small lobby, with security cameras watching and listening to two ladies speak in Mandarin, I was let in by a Chinese lady in a revealing bathrobe who asked if I wanted a massage. More unusually, she asked how many ladies I wanted. There were no other patrons visible (or audible), just a long narrow hallway leading to individual rooms, brightly lit. Prices were quoted, but the bare futon near the entrance and the emphasis on security and lack of signs were definite indications that something was amiss. Neighbors mentioned seeing a woman in high heels and a schoolgirl outfit come out regularly."

Do you live near 257 Smith Street or on one of the side streets?  Have you been witnessing strange comings and goings?

******UPDATE*****

Dear Readers, some of you have taken the time to reach out here and on PMFA's Facebook page to  say that you are concerned about the tone of the post as well as some of the comments.

I take your comments very, very seriously.  You are my neighbors and we are one community and I appreciate our conversations because I think it makes us all feel more connected.

My reason for posting about Tao, Inc. was out of concern for the welfare of the young women who are working there. 

But how best to help?  I admit that my first response to call 911 or 311 was the absolute wrong one and I have amended the original post.  Instead, there are organizations  that can offer the women much more meaningful and immediate assistance.

I sincerely thank Erin, Katherine and other wonderful community members, who have already reached out to the Urban Justice Center, Red Umbrella Project and the New York Asian Women's Center.

I will update everyone as soon as I can.

In the meantime,  let us, as a community be tolerant, respectful, and let our comments reflect this.

Thanks, everyone!

*Please be advised that the link to an ad for the business at 257 Smith Street, left by a reader in the comment section, should be opened at your own discretion and certainly not at work or in front of children.