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Monday, July 20, 2020

Capital One Bank To Close Its Court Street Location In Carroll Gardens

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Over the week-end, Capital One customers in Carroll Gardens received a letter stating that the bank was making some changes to "branch banking" and was closing its Carroll Gardens location at 420 Court Street at the corner of Second Place. The branch will permanently close on October 22, 2020.

The financial  institution announced a few months ago that it will shutter branches throughout the country.  The
Covid-19 pandemic seems to have increased the number in the Tri-State area.

Personally, I have banked at this location for the past 30 years, as different banks were taken over by bigger ones. Who remembers Home Federal, Hamilton Savings, and Northfork?

Of course, online banking is an alternative, but some people may still prefer a brick and mortar branch.  But the other banks in the neighborhood may not currently be an alternative.
Reader B. sent us an email saying:
"The TD Bank on Court St has been closed for months.. It may be next
Citibank has been closed for months too.
I guess customer service from a local bank is out of fashion….. How do I trust a bank I can not visit with my money
?"

Reader C. would "love to know what might go in there. Hopefully not just another bank."
One can also imagine that the owner may sell the one story building as a development site. After all, the zoning for Court Street in Carroll Gardens would allow a 70 foot residential building with a commercial overlay.

Just out of curiosity, where are Capital One customers in the neighborhood thinking about moving their bank account in the area?  Citibank, Chase, TD Bank, Investors Bank or Apple Bank?
Any advice?
Are bank branches a thing of the past?

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13 comments:

  1. I remember when they added the rose bushes. Talk about curb appeal. I was amazed. Citibank was the first low rise building I saw when I first came to this neighborhood looking for a place to live. I had an account already there. Anyway. A bank will move towards the future. Or remodel. The tellers are behind glass anyway. I know people hate citibank but this branch always local. Always nice. Let’s hope for no 70ft tower on Capital.

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  2. Hi Katia,
    I recently divested from Capital One bank as it is a big supporter of fossil fuels and other industries I don't support. Most big banks are, TD is another. I changed to Amalgamated, an investor in sustainable industries and positive social causes. They have a location in Sunset Park and 2 in Manhattan I think but their platform is for online banking. There are many nearby ATM's available to use for free. I was reluctant to use online banking at first, I too banked at Capital One and solely for the convenience of the location. (I found customer service 50-50 but that's another story.) But lately I found myself using the ATM outside the branch for most everything and most of my bills and so on were paid online so I felt I was almost there already. So I overcame my fears and opened an account.
    Due to COVID the Brooklyn Branch is closed so I had to do everything online.
    I just did it so don't have much to report except it did take over a week to do the "paperwork" online. I could speak to someone but they just said to go online.
    I urge everyone to divest in the big banks for the health of our planet and people. Amalgamated seemed the easiest for me but there are other options.
    Go for it,
    sandye

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    1. Good points. I was thinking about going to a community bank

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  3. Anyone have a local bank with a safety deposit box vault they would like to recommend?

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  4. Good now out what our neighborhood really need,A SUPERMARKET!

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  5. A supermarket is really needed! Place one in its place!

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  6. Starbucks!

    Kidding. But really: one-story buildings like this are an insult in a dense urban fabric. Build housing.

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  7. Maybe they can add a nail salon or another children's store—or maybe a overpriced "home goods" store? Not sure we have enough of those.

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  8. As far as banks, you omitted Investors Bank located on 431 Court
    Street between 3rd Pl and 4th Pl. Investors is the only Bank south
    of Capital One and just about tied with Citibank as the closest bank
    to Capital One's location. Also, parking spaces are usually more
    plentiful.

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  9. It looks like I will also be ending my relationship with Capital Bank. I agree with the other comments about the inconvenience of its loss and want to add the hardship of ATM fees incurred if I want to withdraw cash at one of the banks left standing.

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  10. Ridgewood is the best “local” bank in the neighborhood. Apple bank has safety deposit boxes.

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  11. Local banking with local, oldschool "charm": Apple and Ponce, Apple has a good online banking platform, Ponce less so. And, as pointed out by another, Apple has Safe Deposit boxes. Citibank is the best of the bunch amongst the biggies, if you do any international banking they cannot be beat. I, too, remember Hamilton - had my first account there as a child (Christmas Club, anyone?). Whoever suggested to build housing, I hope not in Carroll Gardens. This neighborhood is saturated, we really do not need any more folks adding to the "greatness" (could only imagine how much the newer crowd would have loved living here in the mid/late 20th century when it really was fun and cool). Regarding the commercial space that houses Capital, it is too big for a Starbucks but am sure someone, somewhere is licking their chops to build a high-rise that will incorporate a ground-level retail shop that can handle the odd barista or two. Which is ironic because apparently Capital One is moving toward a branch model of Bank Cafes, yeah, good luck with that one... That said, I will miss them here, they were a decent bank and the managers (who have mostly left) were nice...

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