You can find items from Dress Shoppe II this summer at A Repeat Performance on 3rd Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

From left: Maegan Hayward, Sara Ann Rutherford and Delphine Le Goff

A Repeat Performance, the pop-up market extravaganza at the 3rd and B'Zaar space, has been extended through the summer.

The shop was set to close on Sunday after a three-plus-month run ... but the sales will continue here at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B through Aug. 28.

And the new crop of vendors, designers and artists will feature a familiar name starting today. Saroj Goya, who ran the recently closed Dress Shoppe II at 83 Second Ave. for more than 20 years with her late husband, will be selling her vintage Indian fabrics and clothing from the space for the summer. (You can read this post for more about the closing of Dress Shoppe II. Sales also continue at Etsy.) 

Here are some of the items via Dress Shoppe II...

"We feel so lucky to have The Dress Shoppe II as part of 3rd & B'zaar's A Repeat Performance market and are happy to have them back home in the East Village," said 3rd & B co-founder Maegan Hayward.

Hours here are 1-7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Check out the 3rd and B'Zaar Instagram account for updates and features on the participating vendors.

A Repeat Performance, the bric-a-brac shop at 156 First Ave., closed in July 2019 after 39 years in business. The sign became available ... and the folks at East Village Vintage Collective on 12th Street became the proud new owners. (Maegan Hayward is an EVVC co-owner.)

Meanwhile, have a great holiday season... 

Farewell to Dress Shoppe II

For the first time in 20-plus years, 83 Second Ave. is without retail tenant Dress Shoppe II. 

The storefront was cleared out last week... with the signage coming down on Friday. (H/T Lola Sáenz.)

As previously reported, the Indian clothing boutique closed on Jan. 30 ... wrapping up a challenging few years for owner Saroj Goya, who did her best to keep the shop going after her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. 

There were some well-reported financial challenges, and thanks to the efforts of Humans of New York and New York Nico, there was an outpouring of support to help Saroj make arrangements on the back rent and to take care of herself as she underwent treatment for breast cancer. (In the previous post, you can read more about the closing and the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.)

The business dates to 1978, first starting on Broadway, per this 2016 feature in The New York Times.

Moving forward, you can still find Dress Shoppe II's unique offerings via Etsy (link here).

 Here are a few photos of the warm, colorful shop from a previous visit by EVG contributor Stacie Joy...

Hopefully, Cooper Square will find something just as unique to fill the storefront ... (we're good on smoke/vape shops!) ... 

Last weekend in business for Dress Shoppe II

As previously reported, Dress Shoppe II, the Indian boutique at 83 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is closing, ending a 20-plus year run in the East Village (44 years total). 

Sunday is the shop's last day. 

Saroj Goyal has been doing her best to keep the business going since her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. (In a previous post, you can read more about the closing and the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.) 

There are advertised specials on items up to 80-percent off. The shop is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, with 1-6 p.m. hours on Sunday. 

Moving forward, Saroj will be selling items via Etsy. You can follow along on Instagram too.

Photo by Steven

Closing time: 1 month remains for Dress Shoppe II

Photo by Derek Berg

The closing sale sign went up late this afternoon at Dress Shoppe II at 83 2nd Ave between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

As previously reported, the Indian boutique’s last day is Jan. 31. 

Saroj Goyal has been doing her best to keep the shop going since her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. There have been financial challenges, and thanks to the efforts of Humans of New York and New York Nico, there was an outpouring of support to help Saroj make arrangements on the back rent and to take care of herself as she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

In the previous post, you can read more about the closing and the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.

You can find the Dress Shoppe II Etsy account here. The shop is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, with 1-6 p.m. hours on Sunday.

This is the closing date for Dress Shoppe II

As previously reported, Dress Shoppe II, the Indian boutique at 83 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is closing at the start of 2022, ending a 20-plus year run in the East Village. 

Saroj Goyal has been doing her best to keep the shop going since her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. 

She recently announced a closing date: Jan. 31. There are advertised specials on items up to 50-percent off. 

Meanwhile, Vidhu Kota, a film student at Pratt, posted this video short with Goyal this past week...

 

In the previous post, you can read more about the closing and the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.

You can find the Dress Shoppe II Etsy account here. The shop is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, with 1-6 p.m. hours on Sunday.

Dress Shoppe II will close in early January

Photos from 2019 by Stacie Joy 

Updated: The shop's last day is Jan. 31.

Dress Shoppe II, the Indian boutique at 83 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is closing at the start of 2022, ending a 20-plus year run in the East Village. (The business dates to 1978, first starting on Broadway, per this 2016 feature in The New York Times.)

Over the weekend, NBC News checked in with a feature on Dress Shoppe II, where Saroj Goyal has been doing her best to keep the shop going since her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. 

The story confirmed the closure. (There have been signs up in the store as well. On a recent trip, Goyal told us of her plans to close in January. There was also talk that she'd relocate to a smaller location.)

You can read the NBC piece here.

Here's an excerpt focusing on clearing out the space...

Goyal is worried. The sheer number of things that need to be moved out is dizzying. Her husband was a collector, and his life's passions are housed in the shop's back storage area, reminiscent of the Room of Hidden Things from "Harry Potter."

But for now, it's business as usual. The shop is still a colorful, warm haven for regulars and the city strollers who happen to stumble inside. With a small team of employees, she's keeping the spirit alive while she can.

In July, Brandon Stanton, the creator of the Humans of New York storyteller series, featured Saroj on his @HumansofNY Instagram account. He also got involved in helping her business, launching a crowdfunding campaign in the process.

Amplified by Nicolas Heller, aka @NewYorkNic, the campaign raised more than $412,000 in the first 17 hours.

In the previous post, you can read more about this, including the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.

You can find the Dress Shoppe II Etsy account here. The storefront is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, with 1-6 p.m. hours on Sunday.

Humans of New York inspires an outpouring of support for Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue

Photos from 2019 by Stacie Joy 

Dress Shoppe II, the Indian boutique on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, has had its share of heartbreak and struggle in the past two years. 

Purushottam Goyal, the family's patriarch, died in September 2019. His wife of 50 years, Saroj Goyal, has been doing her best to keep the shop going... now she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer...

Brandon Stanton, the creator of the popular Humans of New York storyteller series, featured Saroj on his @HumansofNY Instagram account yesterday. He also got involved in helping her business, launching a crowdfunding campaign in the process.

He writes:

Saroj is in a tough spot. She's still grieving her husband. She is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. And the stress is really destroying her mental health. I've spent the last several weeks digging into her situation, and it hasn't been easy to unwind. But I think we've figured out a path.

There's a lot of background on her financial situation. The following is from the GoFundMe page:

By the books — she is behind 24 months of rent. This is due to the disruption of her husband's death, her own health crisis, and the pandemic. Her store is located on 2nd Avenue, which is a prime location. And with tax and utilities, the full arrears would be $200,000. But there is certainly cause for major concessions from her landlord.

But Saroj's "landlord" is not a landlord at all. Her storefront is owned by the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II. The MHA II is a collective that subsidizes low-income residents on the Lower East Side. This means that the rental income from Saroj's storefront goes directly toward subsidizing the rent for low-income New Yorkers. MHA II is a lifeline to many people. And unfortunately the organization's finances have also been badly hurt by the pandemic.

The board of MHA II is composed entirely of low-income tenants themselves. They have agreed to accept $130,000 to settle Saroj's debts. In addition to this — they have agreed to allow Saroj to stay in the store rent free for another six months as she attempts to sell as much inventory as possible. After this time hopefully Saroj will be in a position to relocate to a more manageable location.

The $130,000 from this fundraiser will not only eliminate Saroj's debt, but it will also subsidize the rent of low-income New Yorkers. Any additional funds will go directly to Saroj, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and has to pay 20 percent of the expenses out of her own pocket. She is worried about losing her house.

I know it's a lot of context to absorb. But beneath all the numbers and accounting, the goal of this fundraiser is to get Saroj out of crisis so that she can focus on healing. The waters are rising all around her, and we want to get her to some dry ground. The one thing she has is a lot of inventory. So we are hopeful that with some breathing room, she will be able to reposition herself for the long term.

If you are in New York City, and would like some vintage handmade Indian clothing and fabric, please visit The Dress Shoppe at 83 2nd Avenue.

As of 8 a.m., the campaign — amplified by Nicolas Heller, aka @NewYorkNico — has raised more than $412,000 after 17 hours. 

And here's Saroj's story on Humans of New York...

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny)

A holiday night to remember a loved one at Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue

Last Wednesday evening, friends gathered at Dress Shoppe II during a holiday sale to support the nearly 20-year-old Indian boutique on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

The event was organized by Jenny Goldberg and Naza Crea, two Dress Shoppe II supporters...


[Goldberg and Crea]

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by and spoke with owner Saroj Goyal and her son Prashant.

The event also marked the three-month anniversary of the death of the family patriarch — Purushottam Goyal. They miss him terribly. (The Goyals had been married for nearly 50 years.)


[Prashant Goyal with Saroj Goyal]

Saroj intends to keep the store up and running.

Here are a few scenes from Wednesday night...











There's also a book on the front counter for people to leave remembrances of Mr. Goyal (read more about his life here) ...



--

Dress Shoppe II is located at 83 Second Ave. Find them on Instagram here.

A holiday shopping event to support Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue

Purushottam Goyal, who along with his wife Saroj have owned and operated Dress Shoppe II on Second Avenue these past 18 years, died on Sept. 12.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 11) night from 6-8, there's a holiday sale at the shop, 82 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, that specializes in new and vintage clothes from India. The flyer states "Let's support [Saroj] by shopping for gifts at her beautiful store this holiday season."

The Goyals, who had been married for nearly 50 years, were the subject of this feature in The New York Times in August 2016...

The owner, Purushottam Goyal, has a weakness for the past, and for nearly four decades he has filled the store with intriguing relics. Amid the tunics, scarves and batik blankets, you can find 100-year-old saris made with silver thread, wooden cowbells, old kerosene lamps and vintage radios. (At home, he has a yellow taxicab from 1929.)

Mr. Goyal was born in Delhi, India, the youngest of 18 children. Before he came to New York, he worked in his parents’ textile shop and, briefly, as a customs official. In 1978, he opened a shop on Broadway. He did not have the money for a sign, he said, so he painted over part of the old one: Smart Dress Shoppe became Dress Shoppe.

In 2001, that building was sold, and the store moved to its present location. Dress Shoppe became Dress Shoppe II.

[Photo from October by Steven]