Stuck in New York much of the week thanks to his criminal trial, Donald Trump is staying in his apartment in Trump Tower. Many of his former tenants, however, are not.
In fact, a peek inside the skyscraper shows that many of the businesses that once leased space inside the building have moved on. Others are under construction with no firm reopening date, or otherwise struggling or falling behind — such as the gift shop still plastered in “Trump 2020” signs.
Other areas have been roped off or shut down. Nell Scovell, taking photos for The Daily Beast, reported:
“Both public terraces appear to be permanently closed to the public. The lack of public outdoor spaces may be in violation of a deal with the city which traded additional square footage for these gardens.”
Maybe that’s why, as Trump has posted a series of boasts recently about inviting foreign dignitaries to his building, he’s released such limited photos and videos, like a clip of a former Japanese Prime Minister entering the building, but no photos that show meetings, tours, or dining.
Even Ivanka Trump’s jewelry store is gone from the building.
This exodus isn’t entirely new. Some shops, like the Starbucks that used to occupy a portion of the second floor, shut down during COVID-19 and never reopened. Others may be fleeing the stigma that is increasingly attached to the Trump name. Either way, they’ve been moving out for a while. In 2022, Forbes reported:
“The Fifth Avenue skyscraper once hosted dozens of retailers on six floors, but the place now looks mostly like a monument to Donald Trump. Inside, there’s the Trump Store, Trump Grill, Trump Café, Trump Sweets, a second Trump Store and 45 Wine & Whiskey, a bar named in honor of America’s 45th president, Donald Trump.”
Even with those tainted emporiums, that leaves a lot of empty space.
You wouldn’t know it by the building’s official site and social media, though. The Trump Tower Instagram, for instance, still boasts:
“One of the most iconic skyscrapers in NYC. Home to the finest residential and commercial space, restaurants, shopping and panoramic views.”
That page, and the rest of the building’s public media, are still flooded with gilding-drenched photos of the remaining shops, and the official website of the tower still advertises the aforementioned Starbucks — the one that’s been closed for years.
