Must Be V Closes After Three Years in Babylon

The women's clothing boutique Must Be V has closed up its storefront on Deer Park Avenue around three years after opening in the village.

The storefront, normally filled with merchandise and lit up brightly, has been mostly emptied and darkened the last few days this week, leading to speculation that the business was no longer open.

The store's landline phone number was out of service when it was called on Thursday afternoon.

The clothing boutique was opened in late 2010 by Lindenhurst native Vanessa Kleeman, who previously owned and operated a children's boutique in Dix Hills.

The store joins a staggering number of shops that have closed up in Babylon Village's normally bustling downtown this year.

Many businesses, such as White Iris, MetroPCS, The Lite Choice and The Custom Jewelry Shop, have come and gone with little notice while others such as Coastal Island Treasures, Young Imagination Toys and The Village Basket have announced their physical departures from the area.

In all, 14 shops in the Deer Park Avenue-Main Street area have closed since the beginning of 2013. About 64 percent of those storefronts have been taken over by new businesses or are in the process of doing so.