Photos by Stacie Joy
Above: East Village Finest Deli
On walks this spring, we started casually taking portraits — no agenda, just a nod to the people we see every day. Shopkeepers, business owners, and restaurant staff.
Now, with summer arriving, it felt right to share a few of those familiar faces.
... Jane's Exchange...
...Clash City Tattoo...
...HAGS...
... CLLCTV...
... Stoned Pizza...
...iGirl...
...Exit9...
...Laundry Mart...
...Essex Card Shop...
... 3rd & B'zaar...
... C&B Cafe's Jaylen (on the right and with a friend)...
... and EV resident Lenny Rotali, who recently retired from the Tompkins Square Station of the USPS ...
9 comments:
I think this is a great. It made me look up a few places which are of interest to me now.
It's great that small businesses are getting a shoutout.
These are the people in your neighborhood... in your neighborhood... in your neighborhooood...
I love all of these photos and I know a lot of these folks on a first name basis. However, with much respect to this site, can we have some coverage of the problematic areas of the neighborhood?
I work on 14th Street, early morning shift, and walk to my place of employment with my work issued box cutter in my hand because I do not feel safe on our streets.
The corner of First Ave and 14th Street is like the Walking Dead. Junkies... I'm sure there's a more PC term but at 6AM IDGAF. They have set up shop outside Kathy's Jewelry and the liquor store. They are aggressive. I do everything I can to avoid them without looking like I am avoiding them so I'm not on their radar.
One of these guys has come into the store I work at and stole beer for a week straight. He couldn't care about the store's security. Myself and others have told him to knock it off, not today, etc. The last time he stole the cops happened to be on the block and they were able to arrest him. He was carrying five knives.
Ironically, a few days before we had a customer pushing a baby carriage, with a baby, who screamed at the cops parked outside of our store for simply standing there. This very normal looking guy, with his baby in tow, went off on the NYPD because they weren't walking the block. This guy instigated the s--- out of the cops and I have so much respect for them and the fact that they didn't arrest him. He was asking for it.
After he left, we thanked the NYPD for being their because when s--- goes down, we need their help.
Point being, Summer is here, nut bags are out, local stores are beginning to suffer, can we get some coverage?
We should be thankful to the cops for not arresting a man with a baby who didn't break the law but only hurt their feelings? Jesus. I think it's suburbs time for you.
Thanks for the positivity! But can you give me some negativity to balance it out? Thanks!
@Sarah The move to suburbs like was cliche 20 years ago. I'm sorry that is the only part of my comment that resonated with you.
LOVE these small business owners that make our neighborhood what it is. <3
Wildflower, I hope you are privileged enough to not have to earn a living on this block or work at any retail location in NYC. If you did, you'd have to put up with the crime and potential physical harm most retail workers have to deal with on a daily basis.
Sarah, the MIT THINK Scholar, missed the whole point of my comment when it was lost on her that the neighborhood needs the NYPD to keep us safe.
The irony of the man with his baby in tow screaming at the NYPD for 'not doing their job' of keeping the neighborhood safe because they were having a meeting is ridiculous. He bought his items and walked home with his baby unharmed. He is the epitome of privilege and proof a police presence helps.
Are you and Sarah both so far removed from NYC's working class that what I've described is lost on you? I'd be willing to bet that at least one of the local businesses included in this post have had issues with crime. And that is my point in all of this.
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