Visitors frequently ask where essential services, such as gas stations or lumber yards, are located in New York City. Many of these businesses have relatively unassuming presences and are not readily noticed, especially with the distractions of so many other city stimuli. But shoe repair shops, laundromats, grocery stores, gas stations, auto repair shops, hardware stores, and locksmiths do exist, tucked away here and there.

Many, however, are disappearing. Operating costs, particularly rents, have soared to levels which make it extraordinarily difficult for all but the well-heeled or chain store to survive. In some cases, ownership of the building by the business owner guarantees lifetime protection from the slings and arrows of a gentrifying environment. Not so long ago, there were 4 lumber yards in SoHo and neighboring Village areas. Now, only Met Lumber remains.

Metropolitan Lumber and Hardware owns and occupies an entire stone building at 175 Spring Street. The building, with its colorful exterior graphic, was previously a power generating plant. Met Lumber is a well-stocked, full service operation with cutting facilities. Keep in mind that if you patronize a place like this, you may be subjected to a New York-style reception. Regular customers/contractors are steady, larger buyers who typically know exactly what they want. But there are many do-it-yourselfers who are unknowledegable. The volume of these customers, combined with the barrage of questions and time needed to educate the customer in a busy operation, makes a rough retail environment. Unlike chain stores, many with poorly trained employees and high turnover, Met Lumber has a staff of seasoned people who know their stuff. But they have been taking a beating for many years…

The cult-like phenomenon surrounding Apple Mac users is well-known. In fact, Guy Kawasaki wrote of it in his book The Macintosh Way. He advances the concept of marketing a business by creating an evangelical customer base. This may sound farfetched, but only if you haven’t met some hardcore Mac users.

But we have a small problem. Even with the tremendous success of the Apple computer and Steve Jobs bringing it back from the brink of disaster, the market share of Macs is quite small. And the architecture of the Mac is not as open as with the PC world – people don’t build and customize their own machines. It is a very proprietary world. So what about service? There’s the big problem. Prior to the Apple stores, there was virtually nowhere to go. And when you pay a premium for a product, you want your machine treated like a special baby by dedicated experts who are as zealous about Macs as you are. Ideally people who belong to the same religion and don’t even service other machines. Is there such a place?

Yes there is: Tekserve at 119 W. 23 Street in Manhattan. Founded in 1987 by David Lerner and Dick Demenus, their original location (also on 23rd Street) was on an upper floor. Getting off the elevator, you were greeted with sound of a Mac chime. You entered a secret world that you knew immediately was Mac-centric and cool – there was an antique Coke machine and a swing.

Until the recent openings of Apple stores, Tekserve was the only game in town – the only place to get walk-in Mac service. There was definitely a strong attitude at the old location – not unusual for a business that has no competition and holds all the cards.

The new location is greatly expanded and occupies a retail space on 23rd Street. It still has a number of unique things in the store, such as a giant fish tank (seen in the photo) and the old Coke machine from the previous location. I’m not sure if things have changed, but I still see a waiting area for service – people take numbers and sit and wait, reminiscent of a doctor’s office. In a more competitive environment, this would be a serious Achilles Heel. I understand that the Apple store service areas are also very busy, with lines and waiting for service.

The Tekserve staff has a reputation for competence and even gives free phone advice. Clients are still willing to wait for what they believe is the best in town – some are pleased with the experience, some are not. Try an online search for “Tekserve” and “attitude.” You’ll see what I mean 🙂

This shop is nearly sensory overload; the visual impact alone is what compelled me to take photos for this article. Started four years ago by Joseph Pauletich, SoHo Treasures at 123 Mercer Street specializes in mid-century furniture and articles acquired through estate sales and auctions. The articles are sometimes reupholstered or refinished. The store sells to retail clients, along with designers, shop owners, and others who may utilize the items as props in stores, various environments, TV, or film.

Originally, the store made acquisitions through locker room sales, some of them made where the entire contents were sold as a lot. In these cases, bidders are not allowed to enter a locker or touch the contents before bidding – they can only attempt to assess the value via a view from the doorway of the storage room.

This is one of those unique NYC spots that you won’t find elsewhere. I put SoHo Treasures on a list, along with ABC Carpet and Home, as a place for the visitor or resident to check out if you are interested in home furnishings or perhaps a stroll through a menagerie of one-of–kind items – furniture, art, bars, display cases, jewelry, lighting, and mirrors. Go here to visit their website.

Note about the photo: The individual reflected in the mirror is my photographer friend Bill, who has been mentioned a number of times on this blog.

Although Canal Street has been in flux, it remains the discount mecca for New York City. Here you can find a myriad of consumer items at tremendous discounts. The streets are lined with shopping stalls packed with merchandise.

Unfortunately, for manufacturers of top-branded items, this area of Chinatown around Canal Street and Broadway is also the mecca for fakes and knockoffs. Trinkets, baubles, tourist T-shirts, and tacky NYC memorabilia are mixed with fake designer watches and designer bags. This is where Prada, Gucci, and Coach bags can be found for a small fraction of their normal retail price. Or Rolex watches for a few dollars. There are stories of back rooms and underground chasms where serious customers are led for counterfeit treasures (read an article about this here). Crackdowns and large scale arrests are made regularly, particularly targeting the importers and larger operations. But the pirates are tenacious, and the cat-and-mouse game continues.

I can’t speak to the quality of these fakes. I have never really partaken in these goods – my purchases have been confined to discounted legitimate products such as Casio watches, durians, or shopping in places such as Pearl River Mart, Pearl Paint, Space Surplus Metals, or Canal Rubber.

Legitimate bargains abound on Canal Street – if that is your interest, there are plenty of discounts to be had without supporting pirates…