Michael Goldstein, Owner Of New York Retailer Park Avenue Liquors, Dies At 74

Michael Goldstein, owner of New York retailer Park Avenue Liquors, passed away on December 9 at the age of 74. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Goldstein built his once-modest family liquor store into a nationally renowned mecca for wine lovers and whisky aficionados.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Goldstein began his career at Chemical Bank. He joined family-owned Park Avenue Liquors in 1965 when his father passed away, and helped his mother run the store. Wine became Park Avenue Liquors’ first area of expertise, as Goldstein learned to focus on high-end, hard-to-find labels. During the 1980s, he saw the untapped potential of selling rare and high-end whiskies, and burnished the store’s reputation in that area as well.

“My dad recognized the appeal of unique items, which built Park Avenue Liquors into a destination store,” said Goldstein’s son Jonathan, who runs the business with his brother Eric and cousin Scott Abramson. “But first and foremost, he was a people person who treated every customer the same—whether they were shopping for a first growth Bordeaux or a half-pint of vodka.”

Park Avenue Liquors derives its name from its original location at 97 Park Avenue. The store was at 292 Madison Avenue for 40 years, but last year moved to a new and expanded venue at 270 Madison Avenue, on the corner of 39th Street. —David Fleming

Tagged : Chemical Bank, Park Avenue Liquors

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