Oddly this may be considered one of our more controversial posts (of course we’re use to controversy) but we are going to come out in favor of Crumbs. Yup, that’s right, we love Crumbs! Crumbs is the made-by-hand bakery on Broadway by 38th, known for their flavorful, moist, and addictive cupcakes. It seems most people love them or hate them, but we admit, we love ‘em! Now many people just hate them on principle, for being a chain and available outside the NYC area. But let’s not forget Crumbs started just a few years ago as a mom & pop operation on the Upper West Side of NYC. Obviously New Yorkers feel very strongly about their cupcakes, as Crumbs has over 200 reviews on Yelp with some very passionate commenters.

All in all, we have to say their cupcakes and other pastries are delectable and stand out in a city known for starting the cupcake craze. Not only that, but in the Garment Center they have really filled a much needed niche. We desperately needed a place where, you could get that necessary 4pm sugar rush. When the day is dragging on and you are bleary eyed from endless techpacking or burned out from a three hour fitting, it’s time to get out of the office and run down the block to Crumbs. You no longer have to succumb to the lure of Starbucks or settle for stale pre-made cookies at Europa; instead head over to Crumbs for a decadent fresh baked treat!

To see their full array of treats and get more info check out the Crumbs website, here.

By the way, does anyone else miss the Austin’s that use to be located there? We still walk by, think of Austin’s, and get an unrequited craving for an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese.

This summer brings a new program to the Garment Center called, Sidewalk Catwalk.  Over 30 mannequins will be displayed between 34^th Street and Times Square, dressed by various local fashion designers.  The last few summers both Times Square to our north, and Herald Square to our south, have gotten make-overs becoming more pedestrian friendly with tables, chairs, planters, and all sorts of perks to appeal to both midtown workers and tourists alike.  However, as we’ve mentioned before our neighborhood, directly between these two hot-spots, has been overlooked but that will not be the case for 2010.

Many top designers will be included in this project like, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, John Bartlett, Tommy Hillfiger, Carmen Marc Valvo, and Diane Von Furstenberg.  One of many challenges these designers face, will be in using materials suitable for outdoor durability.  We are excited to see how the final project turns out, and have not doubt there will be loads of innovative pieces.  Another exciting aspect to the project is that besides established designers, students from both Parsons and FIT will have a chance to contribute their designs!

Bravo to the Fashion Center Business Improvement District for producing the event, as well as, to Macy’s and the NY Times for their sponsorship.  For those of you not working in the Garment District, make sure to stop by and check out the Sidewalk Catwalk on display from June 24^th to Sept 3^rd.

Made in Midtown from Design Trust for Public Space on Vimeo.

Today we have the inside scoop for you on a new and upcoming project called, Made in Midtown. The CFDA has partnered with the Design Trust to study New York’s fashion industry and its relationship to the Garment Center. They will be launching a full website in April, but you can check out a preview of it here.  The above video, courtesy of MadeinMidtown.org provides some fascinating insight, from fashion designers and Garment Center supporters, Diane von Furstenberg and Yeohlee Teng.

Made in Midtown will work to guide city policy on land use and zoning in the Garment District by creating a compelling and feasible vision for the role of creative industry in NYC.  They intend to make our neighborhood’s industrial ecosystem visible and accessible to a broad public audience.  We look forward to following their progress and we’ll keep all of you up to date on their launch.

Today we have a shopping treat from our dear friend, down the block, Tricia Lewis. Tricia works for the 34^th Street Partnership, a non-profit business improvement district that manages a 35-block area surrounding 34^th Street. She writes a blog, Fashion Herald, to promote retailers in the district and provide a resource for shoppers.  So many of you work in the neighborhood and know 34th Street is the place to shop around here, whether you have to run out at lunch to snag some make-up at Macy’s, stop by Banana Republic to pick up a shirt for your man, or mostly for all you designers, to trend research, check out competitors, and see how your products look on the racks. Well, there are lots of changes going on down the street and Tricia is going to fill us in!

It was great timing for 39^th & Broadway to ask me about new stores coming to 34^th Street in Midtown Manhattan, as there are so many upcoming changes that even I was getting confused!  It is, truly, turning into musical stores down there. Let’s talk 34^th Street between 5^th & 6^th Avenues, what is considered the prime block:

Aldo moved down 34^th Street next door to the new Geox store, in a brand new space at 29 W. 34th;

Aeropostale moved into the old Aldo space at 15 W. 34^th (Aeropostale also has a store just down 6^th Avenue in Manhattan Mall, and their new tween concept store, P.S. by Aeropostale, opened in Manhattan Mall last spring);

Spanish retailer Desigual is moving into the old Bakers Shoes space; (We are super excited about this one, if you haven’t been to their Soho store check out their website here and await their 34th Street opening)

Bakers Shoes is moving down the block on 34^th Street;

Korean retailer Who.A.U. is moving into the old Kira Plastinina space on the south side of the street;

An 18,000 Esprit flagship is opening soon at 21-25 W. 34^th next to Aldo and Geox; (So thrilled for Esprit – we are having 80’s grade school flashbacks already!)

Foot Locker is moving out, and an Original Levi’s store is moving in at 43 W. 34^th.

Bare Escentuals opened a new boutique last spring on the south side of 34^th Street, and don’t forget the addition of JCPenney in Manhattan Mall last summer.

There are fewer changes down the block: at the corner of 34^th & 7^th, Tourneau is moving out and Swarovski is moving in its new concept store, Crystal Source. But the future is full of exciting opportunities for 34^th between 7^th and 8^th Avenues. Older stores  (including two Conways), are moving out, and lots of space is opening up, which further fuels rumors of popular big retailers coming into the district. I could speculate, but let’s keep it to fantasy:  JCrew, Topshop, and American Apparel are just a few I’d love to see on 34^th Street. (Yes Tricia, lets make this happen! Also, anybody else wish we had a good restaurant around?)

Why so much growth and change, particularly in a down retail climate?  Mainly one major factor: pedestrian traffic. In the 34^th Street district, it’s huge.  Imagine, at our busiest corners, almost 9,000 people pass through during rush hour, and an estimated one million people pass through the district a day. Fifteen subway lines converge on the area that includes the Empire State Building, Macy’s Herald Square, Penn Station, and Madison Square Garden. You can imagine how attractive all this is to retailers: for example, the Gap at 34^th & Sixth is the largest volume store in the country

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So yes, the reason why some of us New Yorkers are cursing while walking down Broadway and 34^th (maneuvering our way around crowds and tourists staring at the Empire State Building), is the same reason why retailers are eager to join the block. My recommendation? Walk down Broadway Boulevard and through pretty Herald and Greeley Squares, so then you can enjoy the ride!

Our thanks to Tricia for all the insider scoop and be sure to check out her fantastic blog, Fashion Herald!

]]> http://www.39thandbroadway.com/34th-street-evolution/feed/ 8 http://www.39thandbroadway.com/garment-center-hipster-neighborhood/ http://www.39thandbroadway.com/garment-center-hipster-neighborhood/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:53:02 +0000 admins http://www.39thandbroadway.com/?p=4860

It stared with a recent article in the NY Times and the rumblings continued online and throughout the city, is the Garment Center about to become the new “it” neighborhood?  For those of us familiar with the neighborhood, it certainly seems to contain all of the proper elements.  Lower rents then surrounding areas (check), large loft spaces (check), artist and designers (check), a certain grungy feel (check), old school mom and pop shops (check), plus, unlike Williamsburg or LIC the Garment Center is centrally located.  We’ve written many times before about the shrinking of the Garment Center as domestic clothing manufacturing has moved overseas leaving our neighborhood factories vacant.  Thankfully much of the area has zoning protection to support the local fashion industry.  However, due to our close proximity to the theater district, many smaller theater companies have started infiltrating the Garment Center.  So in addition to fashion industry designers and artists, there’s also a growth of actors, musicians, costume designers, and directors.  As Shira Beckerman the Director of the Pearl Theater Company told the NY times, “If you walk through the area it sort of looks like an arts district developing.”

While it’s hard for us to imagine our neighborhood (directly between two of the country’s biggest tourists spots, Times Square and Herald Square) becoming the next SoHo, it’s not exactly unthinkable.  Add in an overpriced nightclub, indie bookstore, a gastro pub, a pop-up art gallery, and we’re a haven for hipsters. In some ways that could be very good for the neighborhood, as long as our workspaces (which should be protected for the fashion industry) don’t become high-end lofts for wealthy parents to buy for their recent grads. Perhaps the Garment Center can improve and update their grungy hip factor, while at the same time protecting our manufacturing and fashion core.

We also adore Anna Sui who made it clear how unhappy she was that Fashion Week was moving out of the Garment Center. In her show we saw the usual wild pairings of colors, prints, patterns and textures in Sui’s fantastic trademark hippie-glam style. We also loved the more unexpected addition of the elegant retro flapper dresses.

We have a new obsession with Chris Benz, he is another local designer who believes, “our responsibility is to support the domestic garment industry.” We found this excellent video of him discussing the issue here:

Throughout the week many designers have made an effort to support local manufacturing and business and we would like to see that trend continue.

So what else did we like from fashion week? Well there was a lot actually, but here are some favs, with images courtesy of NY Mag.

Badgley Mischka                     J Mendel                    Catherine Malandrino

Diane Von Furstenberg         Carolina Herrera                    Marchesa

Many of you may no be aware, but recently Mayor Michael Bloomberg and fashion heavyweights from all genres gathered together at Macy’s to discuss the future of fashion. They recognized the importance of our industry to the national economy and with about 200k local employees as the second largest industry in the city; which is huge to the New York economy. The usual fashion big shots where there: Anna Wintour for Vogue, The President of Hearst Magazines, the CEO of Saks, the director of the CFDA, and of course political and government officials.  Interestingly, this meeting included a fewer lesser recognized perspectives. The founder of the Gilt Group was there to represent online shopping, apparel company presidents were in attendance including the large (as in taking over every other apparel company) Li & Fung.

Some topics discussed were: how to spread fashion throughout all five boroughs, using fashion to increase tourism, the 2nd annual Fashion’s Night Out project, making Fashion Week more accessible to the public, pop-up shops, and incorporating technology into the industry and more. For the most part the meeting was a success and we are thrilled to see fashion on the city’s agenda. However, there were a few areas of concern for us. First, we would have loved more attention to Saving the Garment Center and supporting domestic production and area small businesses. Second, one of the topics debated was how to shorten the buying cycle, so stores can sell more “wear-now” clothes to be on trend faster.

As consumers, sure it would be great to see an item on the runway or magazine and have it be in my local shop the next week. However, as designers we know that the fashion calendar is already so tight that working conditions suffer. It is so tight, that creativity gets burned out in favor of quicker turn around. It is so tight, that “fast fashion” is already common place. It is so tight, that many companies have resorted to simply knocking of existing styles and sending samples directly to overseas factories that work 24 days to get garments out to retailers asap. It is so tight, that consumers are already complaining that goods are less innovative and made of lesser quality then in the past, and part of the reason why is our designers being overworked for faster fashion. If you haven’t read any of our posts on how designers at many apparel companies work, please check out this post and this one. Now imagine the cycle becoming even shorter, what would happen to people making your clothing? What would happen to the already fading creativity in everyday clothing? Hopefully, these fashion industry veterans can find a way to make everyone happy, but until then we are skeptical that this will push an already overtaxed industry over the edge.

Last week local designers Nanette Lepore, Yeohlee Teng, and Stan Herman took their Save the Garment Center fight to Washington.  The director and producers for the HBO documentary “Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags” attended as well.  There was a special screening of the documentary by Representative Diane Watson and Representative Carolyn Maloney.  Following the screening there was a panel discussion open to all members of congress that included representatives from the apparel unions, designers, and Representative Tim Ryan of the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus.

We are thrilled to see the Save the Garment Center efforts moving forward.  Finally seeing political attention being paid to support the fashion industry and specifically domestic production is wonderful. Nanette Lepore has done an enormous job in increasing Garment Center awareness.  To show your support and stay on top on of all of the latest Garment Center happenings join their Facebook page by clicking here.

Ok, we really don’t even know how to go about explaining this, so let’s just spit it out. Did you know people eat lunch in hallways? No, not just standing around snacking and gabbing with a co-worker, but actually eating at a restaurant in a hallway? Hmm, that doesn’t really explain it either. More specifically, did you know in some freight/service hallways in the Garment Center people are serving up food? Really!

How did we stumble upon this? Well, frankly we got a bit lost on the way to a sample sale and stumble onto a bizarre sight, right on 39th street (although the address is 550 7th avenue). In a loading dock/service hallway there was a counter and a guy frying up food and serving it to customers. It was one of those odd sights that make you think, only in New York.  Now, we did not stop and eat there nor did we have a camera at the moment but as soon as possible we Googled the place. What was found online was even more surprising. It’s called Nick’s Place, and had been reviewed by the renowned Midtown Lunch and actually received decent comments. Plus their lunch special, which sounds yummy, costs $9.25, a bit steep for lunch in a freight hall if you ask us.

As if that was not surprising enough, according to Midtown Lunch, this was only one, of several hallway lunch spots in the Garment Center. Who knew? We spent some time on Midtown Lunch following this mysterious trail and found they highly recommend the food at one such spot, called El Sabroso, which serves up delicious Peruvian food. This spot, hidden away on 37th between 7th and 8th Avenues, has a rotating menu and everything is under $7.

So what do you think? Did you know about this? Do you know of any others? Would you eat lunch cooked in a service hallway?

All pictures are from Midtown Lunch

Many of us think of Bryant Park as our go-to summertime lunch spot, but it really comes alive during the Holiday Season. So if you have not been over to BP since the weather turned, now is the time to check it out! First up, if you have been an uber Christmas shopping procrastinator, head over to the Holiday Shops in the Park. Since many of us have no time off due to the insane fashion industry schedules, here is a close spot to run over to at lunch and snag some last minute gifts. With over 100 different artisans and designers from around the globe, you can find really unique gifts. Perhaps we are a bit biased, but compared to other area Holiday markets, which seem to have a lot of crap, the BP shops are very quaint and artsy.

Besides shopping, one of our favorite winter activities is alive, well, and FREE at Bryant Park. That’s right, ice skating! They have transformed the lawn into an ice rink and if you bring your own skates it’s free. Don’t worry if you don’t own a pair, they do have a skate rental and offer lessons too. If all that skating makes you hungry there is an enclosed food lounge with views of the ice.  For the holiday season the skate pond is open until Midnight, so enjoy! For more info click here.

If you need a little break from shopping and skating don’t forget the delicious gourmet sandwiches from ‘witchcraft or lounge with a spiked hot cider at the Southwest Porch. Read our post about the Porch here for more details. Whatever you are in the mood for Bryant Park is a nice reprieve in the heart of the Garment Center. So put down that techpack, step away from the computer, postpone that fitting, and head next door to Bryant Park this week!

While the Garment Center is the heart of the fashion industry, it is hardly a shopping mecca.  In fact, from a retail prospective we are pretty much bare bones around here.  When you want to run out at lunch for some quick shopping, 34^th street is your best bet.  There are a few exceptions of course like Meridian or Alice + Olivia.  So we were pleased to hear of a new boutique in the neighborhood called, Coup de Coeur.

This quaint, little boutique specializes in fashion forward women’s wear at affordable prices.  Additionally, they offer a full range of unique accessories from jewelry to handbags.  Located on 6^th Ave between 38^th and 39^th we definitely recommend that you pop in and check it out.

The above video is from last month’s Save the Garment Center rally.  The rally was a huge success but really just a first step in the efforts to save our industry. The Save the Garment Center organization is moving forward with the next phase and is holding a town hall meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the issue in-depth.  So please, if you can, head on over before work to Parson’s and show your support. Here are all the details:

Join the Board of Directors of SAVE THE GARMENT CENTER on DECEMBER 8TH for our first official “town-hall style” meeting at Parsons The New School for Design. The first half of the meeting will be an informative presentation about the launch of SAVE THE GARMENT CENTER as a non-profit trade association. What you’ll learn:

• Our official platform and mission

• Our action-oriented agenda

• Organization membership and how to become involved

• What’s been accomplished to date

• What is happening in NYC on the government level

• What is happening in Washington DC on the government level

• Where to buy SAVE THE GARMENT CENTER tee shirts

The second half of the meeting is up to you.  We want to hear the voices of the garment district in an open-mic format.  Tell us about the challenges you are facing, and how our organization can better serve your needs.  All ideas and points of view will be welcomed.

Time to get your drink on! And by drink, we mean Hot Toddies! Especially, Spiked Cider so yummy. So, where can you go after a long day of slaving away in the Garment Center to grab a snack, a cocktail, and lounge on a comfy couch? Bryant Park’s Southwest Porch is where.  Now, we know what you’re thinking; “Hey, that’s outside, it’s too freaking cold to be sitting in the park.” True, except Southwest has winterized their porch just in time for the holiday season. They have added, outdoor heaters, a fire pit, a winter menu and of course those Hot Toddies to warm you from the inside out. As usual they have free WiFi, lots of power outlets, tons of open seating and you can order from their own menu or ‘witchcraft’s menu.

We were recently invited to their winter opening and took a few photos for you. It really is a lovely place to grab a drink and now that the park has their Holiday shops open, it is the perfect place to take a break from all the Christmas shopping. We particularly enjoyed being served S’mores around a fire pit in the middle of Manhattan. Plus, we got a free “Slanket”, how can you not love that. The only downside, was a weird man (waiter? security?) who kept following us around to make sure we didn’t carry our alcoholic beverage out of the porch area. Seriously, he must have asked us four times in ten minutes not to leave with our drinks, until finally, irritated we just left. Aside from annoying guy we had a great time and would definitely recommend a visit.

For more info on the porch you can click here or check out their very own blog.

Flickr image via jennaddenda

Can zoning save the Garment Center?  That was the question batted around a discussion panel we recently attended.  Fashion heavyweights, city planners, Garment Center representatives, and the public, gathered to discuss the future of the Garment Center.  As we have mentioned many times before, zoning (as boring and unfashionable as it sounds) has played a key role in the development of the NYC fashion industry.  Barry Dinerstein, a NYC City Planner, reminded us that the 1987 zoning laws are what protected our neighborhood in the past, and really have enabled the Garment Center to continue to exist as the heart of the American fashion industry today.

The zoning laws protect the buildings in our neighborhood from being converted into hotels, condos, law offices, and basically any other non-fashion related business.  However, as we all know, landlords break these laws all the time.  Zoning laws are step one, but actually enforcing them is the greater challenge.   In today’s technically advanced world, a fashion business is just as likely to be a room full of people working on computers, as it is employees hunched over sewing machines. Unfortunately, this leads to difficult grey areas for inspectors to enforce, when they are unsure of what constitutes legal “use” of manufacturing space.

From the design perspective: Stan Herman, former president of the CFDA, made it clear that the hundreds of designers he represents support the protection of the Garment Center.  He admits, that like others he does not know exactly what that means for the future.  Designers are firm in their belief that the core manufacturing space should remain.  The shear geographical and logistical ability that the Garment Center has to support fashion professionals, from buyers to designers, within a few small blocks can’t be found anywhere else in the country.   One particular project that Stan was very excited about was the Fashion Incubator Program.

The program, which was announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is a way the city is stepping up to support emerging designers. Since we all know how ridiculously expensive it is to get office space in NYC, not to mention how practically impossible it is to financially launch a label, the city is offering help. The Fashion Incubator Program will provide state of the art showroom space to 12 young designers in the heart of the Garment Center. Below is a CAD of the proposed space.  While we love the concept of the program, with hundreds of design professionals out of work in the area, not to mention  hundreds more graduating every semester and flocking to NYC for work, we would think space for a 100 would be a start, but 12 seems more like a PR stunt.  Yes, cynical we know, but 12? Really?

Many others spoke including Magda Aboulfadl from Community Board 5, who shared her personal experiences working in the Garment Center.  She also reminded us why the Garment Center is so special and its unique ability to house both grit and glam in a few short blocks.  The president of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, (i.e. the button and the needle kiosk) Barbara Randall reminded us of our neighborhood’s history in manufacturing.  The entire area was built specifically to house clothing factories in the 1920’s.  At one time the Garment Center provided over 200,000 production jobs, while today there are only 9,000.  Barbara too admits that in the wake of overseas production and in order to keep landlords profitable, there is no clear solution for protecting the neighborhood.

On a positive note, Patrick Murphy from New York City’s Economic Development Corporation revealed that the city considers fashion to be a growth industry.  He explained that the city believes in supporting its “creative economy” and if we have learned nothing from the last year it is that NYC needs to become less reliable on Wall Street.  Our neighborhood, despite its challenges, is the US fashion capital with no other city even coming close.  As Patrick pointed out, every major company has a design office here, from Calvin Klein to Walmart.  And let’s not forget that out of town retail buyers spend more than 18 billion dollars on goods a year in this little neighborhood.

So will zoning save the Garment Center?  It seems before this question can even be answered we all need to decide what version of the Garment Center needs to be saved.  No doubt zoning will certainly help. It is a much needed foundation to protect the fashion industry and American apparel manufacturing.

With so much attention recently on New York’s apparel manufacturing, from the rally to the HBO documentary, the Garment Center is finally getting the recognition it deserves.  But the events do not end there; tomorrow on Tuesday November 17^th there will be a discussion held called, What is the future of New York City’s garment district?  The panel will be held downtown, at Studio X (180 Varick Street, Ste 1610) at 6:30pm.  Among those speaking are, Barry Dinerstein (NYC’s City Planner), Stan Herman (Former President of the CFDA), Barbara Randall (President of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District), and several more.  So please come and show your support, the event is free and open to the public.

** Update, we just got back from hearing a fascinating group of people discuss our favorite topic, the Garment Center and we will have a full report on our experience next week, so stay tuned!**