Park Slope welcomes Dime Community Bank and its modern touch

A brand that Park Slope can bank on.

Dime Community Bank, which was incorporated in 1864 in Williamsburg, cut the ribbon on its newest branch in Park Slope on Thursday, June 15, as Dime representatives and local community leaders discussed how thrilled they are that the venerable institution is a part of the neighborhood in a space offering a modern and unique feel.

“I can’t think of a more quintessentially Brooklyn brand than Dime and the same can be said about Park Slope,” said Dime Chief Executive Officer Ken Mahon. “With the variety of small businesses in Park Slope, the professionals and different ethnicities, it is the quintessential Brooklyn neighborhood and we feel grateful to be here. It took us 153 years to get to Park Slope, but we’re finally here.”

Mahon focused on customer service. “Dime is not a regional bank. It’s not a national bank. It’s a community bank and that’s why we have community in the name,” he said. “Our goal is to show you why that’s important to you and Park Slope. Our mission is reflected in the design of this branch. We built a facility that is in harmony with the other businesses here on Fifth Avenue. We hope it’s friendly and inviting. We hope it’s quick, in and out for customers. We don’t expect them to want to spend a lot of time here other than get their business done.”

Branch Manager Charles Alexander also expressed his enthusiasm. “The neighborhood has embraced Dime with open arms from day one,” he said. “It’s amazing to me how friendly everyone that I met has been. It’s so unique in this big city to find a community like this.”

“I don’t think there’s a more welcoming branch in the neighborhood,” said Mark Caserta, executive director of the Fifth Avenue Park Slope Business Improvement District (BID). “They’re more than ready to work with the community and work with the BID and they believe in our small businesses. I’d love to have more tenants like this.”

One of the key talking points of the day was the branch’s modern look. “The idea of the space is to be a warm, welcoming place that doesn’t feel cold, all glass, chrome and steel,” said Mahon. “It’s intended to be warm woods with a place for people if they want to sit down and consult with our financial advisers. For those who want to get in and out quickly, it does that as well because there are no lines and no lobbies. You sit down, take care of your business and away you go.”

“It has a modern, even futuristic type look to it,” added Alexander. “You can still depend on getting old-fashioned customer service and that’s really what we’re looking to do. We want to create a customer experience that is second to none.”

During the event, Dime recognized two organizations that serve the Park Slope community and made a donation to each.

One of them is Community Help in Park Slope (CHIPS), an organization composed of Brooklyn neighbors, volunteers and friends trying to help those in need. The other is Dream Factory, which was founded in 1980 as a single all-volunteer chapter in Kentucky but which has grown since to become the largest all-volunteer children’s wish-granting organization in the United States.