Go Here: Shopping in East Village, NYC

Where weird New York still thrives

Last week I spent several days in NYC. My wife and I are launching a new project - uniforms for waiters, artists, gardeners and cooks. I was there to visit our pattern maker in the Garment District (an exhausting pocket of NYC) and look at some cords, buttons, stoppers, and trim.

Scenes from an East Village dinner.

I had some great meals at Cervo’s and Superiority Burger, and caught up with a number of friends, new and old. My cup runneth over.

I stayed at The Standard East Village because room rates in NYC have gotten ridiculous and it hit the matrix of affordability and location, paired with a vague sense of fading cool that I could abide. Honestly, it was a great stay. The front desk staff was incredibly warm and fun, I like the attached Cafe, and the location is tops with easy access to uptown, downtown, West Village, Soho, and most importantly for this newsletter - the East Village.

Now, a lot of folks complain that “weird” New York is fading or gone. That skyrocketing rents have pushed out mom-and-pop businesses, and the odd shopkeeper has had no choice but to move further afield to ply their trade. I’d point the naysayers to the East Village, where there are still a number of weird and wonderful shops, often run by an eccentric cast of characters, providing services that you didn’t know you needed but may soon require.

Let me tell you about some of my favorites: