One woman started crying when she heard gift haven The Paper Rabbit is moving, said owner Danielle Smith.

First, Smith consoled her and then she assured her patron that the business would move to another Montrose location. After battling a spiking rent and a lessened scrapbooking interest from shoppers, the new location will be decided in the upcoming days, she said. 

As the business signs change, some Montrose merchants like Smith are moving and others are closing in the wake of recession. 

Locals are urged to continue supporting local merchants while several businesses - including The Paper Rabbit, Shoe Fantasy and Slender Sweet Shoppe - are set to change locations in the new year, according to the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce.

Several businesses are planning to enter the shopping park. Here's a roundup of where businesses are moving, which are closing and what remains vacant: 

• Husband and wife-run Ocean View Books Etc. is having a liquidation sale and is set to close in January. The store continues to offer difficult titles and unique gifts until the end of the month, when Shoe Fantasy moves to the location at 3701 Ocean View Blvd., Montrose. 

• Slender Sweet Shoppe is also slated to close and may move to a new location down Honolulu Avenue, away from its corner location at Verdugo Road and Honolulu Avenue, according to Jennifer Grafius of Slender Sweet Shoppe. Although no location can be immediately confirmed. 

• The Paper Rabbit, a scrap-booking and gift store known for it's bubbly personalization and decorations, will move to another location in Montrose this January, owner Danielle Smith told Patch. Paper Rabbit's online store will continue selling items, including Christmas sale decor, gifts and Valentine's Day treats. 

• Frank's Famous Kitchen & Bakery will close the dining portion of the location and keep six tables for dining, including three inside and three outside, but will focus on catering and dine-out for customers. "We thank you so much for all your encouragement and support during these challenging years," according to an email from the store. "We will still maintain three tables in the front and three more outside, but our main focus will be on take out and catering. This is how we started and we hope that with your continued support, and by going back to the basics, we will be able to not only survive, but to thrive in the coming years." The local eatery will offer daily, weekly specials and now serves sandwiches on baked bread and rolls made by Baked on Oceanview. 

• Baked on Oceanview fired its oven back in December, bringing fruit tartes, fresh-baked breads, pies and muffins at the former Oven Fresh location, 3600 Ocean View Boulevard. 

• CrossFit Array, a new fitness location, will move in to the former Expressions for Hair and Nails salon at 2234 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. The exact date for opening is unknown.  

• An unknown business has also begun to place wooden shelves inside the Montrose Village Newsstand location at 2329 Honolulu Ave. The newsstand closed up in September 2011. 

• The former Color Me Mine location at 2282 Honolulu Ave., near Ocean View Boulevard, could become a Starbucks if the city of Glendale approves both the proposed parking reduction and fast food permits required to begin business at the location. The parking permit was a heated debate at the Glendale hearing officer this month. The city has not made a decision on approving the permits yet, Glendale Case Planner Brad Collin told Patch. Color Me Mine moved to 2280 Honolulu Avenue. 

• The old spot for Jane's Cakes & Chocolate Supply in Zwick's Plaza remains empty after the local sweets spot moved to 645 Foothill Blvd. in La Canada Flintridge. 

Do you know of any other businesses coming to Montrose or La Crescenta?