I have often dreamed of living in some small French village where everything is on a very human scale. Where old men gather in the town center and play boule, there is no traffic, everyone knows everyone, and even the outsider is greeted like family. Where people really care and will go that extra mile to help. And the quality of one’s life is measured by his or her relationships.
A place where time is stopped, there is no sense of urgency, and things are done deliberately.

There are many places like this, and I have seen them. However, to live in a small town, I would miss all the things New York City has to offer. So at times, foolish that I am, I try to find a microcosm like that in New York City. If you look hard, you can find a place where it’s a small world after all.

At Precisions RCs, the metaphor becomes literal – the diminutive size of the place is matched by its scale models, mostly radio-controlled (RC), for the serious hobbyist. Here, in this tiny shop, you will find an inventory of radio-controlled airplanes, cars, helicopters, and boats. There are also trains, rockets, and plastic models. The owner carries a line of current models, has an online business, and also specializes in many discontinued models – of interest to the aficionado. I accompanied a friend from out of town who has an interest in RC planes and purchased an out-of-production wood frame model.

Technology has made a huge impact in this hobby, as in most other areas of our lives. Although nitro-powered engines are still manufactured and sold here, there has been a shift to electric engines/motors for many types of RC models, fuel- and maintenance-free.

The value for the dollar is amazing – the result of a combination of technological advances and Asian manufacturing. The owner demonstrated an amazing little RC helicopter which can be flown indoors (photo lower right), controlled by a sophisticated multi-channel radio – all for only $100.

What I enjoyed most was the clubhouse atmosphere with valuable floor space given over to regular visitors. When we arrived, four men were sitting at tables in the tiny shop. We were immediately welcomed and included in the conversations. Many of the customers are members of the flying club which meets at Floyd Bennett Field.

Everything conspired to send one message – that even in New York City, you really can find a small world 🙂

Note: Precision RC is located in a small two-story building (see the outside here) at 2306 Bath Avenue in the Bath Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. Bath Beach is located in southwestern Brooklyn along Gravesend Bay.

In a city like New York, there is a lot of substance abuse. But it takes many forms, and one that may not immediately come to mind is the company that oversells and underdelivers by taking what quality it has and abusing it through excessive marketing.

I want to believe that behind great companies lie great products. That reputations are built on merit. That marketing is a recent addition. That the maxim most businesses want to follow is the pithy undersell and overdeliver. That they understand the disappointment and bad taste left by a product where the operative was to oversell and underdeliver.

However, when a few raise their voices at the dinner table, soon everyone must do the same to be heard, and a screaming match ensues. And so it is with an overcrowded marketplace of products and services. To undersell is perhaps to risk not being heard at all, regardless of the quality you have to offer. Developing a cult following for a product through word of mouth and evangelism is not the easiest to orchestrate. Companies such as Apple have done well, however, this approach is often initially an organic process, not part of a marketing plan.

Louis Vuitton is a company that was built on merit – quality of product and innovation. I cannot speak for the quality or durability of the products today. They are so pricey, and I would be frightened to use them – its stores display their wares more as works of art in a contemporary museum than as products to be used. Bags run $1000 to $2000 dollars, and their signature piece of luggage in leather is $6000. In my recent travels seeking out holiday windows, I decided to drop in to the Vuitton flagship store at 5th Avenue and 57th Street. The store is sleek and modern.

Louis Vuitton was born in France and began designing flat-bottomed trunks in the 1850s. Even at that time, his distinctive designs were copied, and the problem of counterfeiting remains today. Vuitton employs a full-time team of lawyers and investigators just to curtail piracy. Read more about the company here.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to find any company that flies by the quality of their content or products alone. Marketing and branding is absolutely part of the business model today, even more so with a legacy brand name. The question is whether any product lives up to its marketing. Perhaps some of you have experience with Louis Vuitton products and can let us know – is this still a quality product or a case of substance abuse?

Bendel’s has been one of New York City’s upscale retailers for over 100 years. In December 2008, I did a photo shoot of their windows at Christmas time.

Bendel’s was established in 1895 by Henri Bendel, a milliner. They were originally located at 10 West 57th Street and moved to their current location at 712 Fifth Avenue near 56th Street in 1990. The store occupies two landmark buildings, the Rizzoli Building (712 Fifth Avenue) and Coty Building (714 Fifth Avenue), along with a new five-story building. Lalique windows were discovered during the restoration. The store has four stories, a lower level and an atrium with balconies. See the view from the top down here.

However, even quality products and a legacy cannot stop changes in consumer habits or a poor economy. In 2009, Bendel’s decided to stop selling clothing. According to the New York Times:

Several employees briefed on the plans said on Thursday that they were told that Bendel had decided to eliminate the fashion departments because there was no sign of a turnaround in the sale of high-ticket items, but that beauty and gift products were selling well and typically with much higher margins. About 8 percent of the employees will be laid off, including sales clerks and executives in its buying office, these people said. About 250 people work at Bendel.

Luxury stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York have all eliminated hundreds of jobs and scaled back their orders from designers in reaction to the economy. Sales of $1,000 dresses and cashmere sweaters began to plummet last October.

Bendel’s, famous for its “store of store” shops and signature brown-and-white striped shopping bags, hatboxes, and matching line of cosmetics bags, will focus more on branding and merchandising. They have been opening stores nationwide since 2004 and currently have 10 locations, many in upscale shopping malls.

I have never shopped at Bendel, but it is rather saddening to see a historic company go in this direction. In 1986, the store was sold to Limited Brands. What worries me most is that at the rate of change we are seeing in stores here, New York City’s merchants will become less unique every day. As one reader commented recently, it is the amalgam of all things in New York City that makes it unique. I hope he is right and that we do not just become the biggest mall in America…

Note: Henri Bendel has a special significance to me – the reason will be revealed in a future story, if I can get the interview and photo opportunity with a particular individual. Look for Because I’m the Best.

There is a book I enjoyed very much – French or Foe, written by Polly Plat, an American expatriate living in France. The book is oriented towards those who will be in France for extended periods, living or working there. However, it is of value to the armchair traveler as well or to those who just want a window into the French culture, much like the Culture Shock! series of books. In French or Foe, each chapter examines and explores a different facet of French culture.

In one section, Platt explains how to navigate the bureaucracies of France, which can be quite vexing. The secret, according to her, is to develop a relationship with an employee. Individuals in those positions can certainly pull strings and make things happen.
In many ways, the concept is applicable on this side of the Atlantic anywhere you have a public agency or in the private sector, where you have a captive audience. How can that be in New York City, with so much competition?

In Manhattan, the business environment has become very difficult, even prior to the economic downturn. Vacancies are everywhere. However, there are still plenty of merchants in many sectors – there is no shortage of clothiers or restaurants. Where there is a particular dearth of merchants, however, is in essential services, where markups are limited and luxury pricing is not doable (laundromats, shoe repair shops, lumber yards, and hardware stores), and in industrial supplies, due to both real estate costs and lack of customers, since most industry has left the city.

With industry gone, many industrial/commercial supply houses have also left or gone out of business, such as Tunnel Machinery, Commercial Plastics, Space Surplus Metals, Victor Machinery, and Zelf – a fascinating place in SoHo that offered rental of heavy machinery.

But industrial/commercial suppliers are still needed by the trades. Ordering online is not always desirable; often repairs and work cannot wait for shipment. As I wrote in No Students After One, most suppliers to the trade in the city operate at street level and are subject to patronage by retail customers, many who are very unfamiliar with the product line and would be better suited shopping elsewhere. Compound this with the dwindling number of these places, and you have all of the basic ingredients for a captive audience with impatient salespeople and brusk, occasionally abusive, service.
The solution is much like dealing with the French bureaucracies: develop a relationship with someone there, earn his/her respect, and you can be treated like a customer.

This area was once home to forty dealers of machinery, now gone when the last dealer, Grand Machinery Exchange, relocated to Long Island in 2006. Some suppliers to the trade remain, such as Faerman Cash Register and Lendy Electric Supply, located at 176 Grand Street in Chinatown/Little Italy (seen in the photo). Lendy’s atmosphere is unmistakably one to the trade. There is no self-service or browsing aisles – the customer takes a number and waits in line to be served. Products are brought to you as you ask for them, so you need to know what you want and what it is called. At times, the place can become quite crowded, but here you will find a knowledgeable staff with products you can trust – the bulk of the customers are contractors. You will get honest dealings and no-nonsense recommendations. Upselling is not going to work here.

I found my recent visit there quite pleasant and my salesperson very informative and accommodating. Lendy’s has a broad range of hardware and electrical items, including many unique specialty products which are nearly impossible to find in the city. However, they do not take advantage of their captive audience and punish the customer. If you go there, you will find, as I did, a French tutorial will not be needed. At Lendy Electric, you are released from captivity 🙂

I would guess that you will not find another sign like this in New York City. Students are typically afforded privileges, and their regular business is encouraged – student loans, student discounts, etc. (These days, student discounts are ironic. In New York City, many students appear to be better off than many of the residents.)

In the garment district, you will often see signs which read “wholesale only” – a warning that business is open only to manufacturers and the trade, not to retail customers. This is strictly a business issue – merchants posting signs such as this one work on smaller profit margins and are not interested in selling a yard or fraction of a yard of fabric. They cater to those who buy one or more entire bolts of fabric at discounted pricing.

Being a wholesaler/distributor in the city, however, poses a unique problem for many vendors since they often occupy ground floor spaces on streets with retailers and foot traffic. Even neighborhoods which at one time were predominantly commercial or industrial now have many residential tenants and visitors.

At Kaufman Shoe Repair Supplies at 346 Lafayette, even though the business caters to the shoe repair industry, many of the products are of interest to the consumer or art student and are sold in sizes and quantities reasonable to someone outside the trade. Items such as foam crepe rubbers, specialty leathers, dyes, and adhesives are virtually nonexistent elsewhere in the city.

Kaufman opens at 6:30 AM and closes at 2 PM. In their final hour of business, there is no time for casual shoppers and perusers of merchandise. You must know what you want and not make it difficult to service regular accounts who come just before closing. I have done business with Kaufman from time to time over the last 30 years and have found them professional and helpful overall.

I am reminded, however, of an incident which is indelibly branded in my mind as one of the most hostile retail encounters I have ever witnessed in New York City. I was waiting for service in a very busy lumberyard whose core business was the contracting trade but was certainly open to retail. Dealing with customers who are often unsure of what they want or what they are doing can be tiring to someone accustomed to tradespeople who know exactly what they want, and one salesman in particular was at the breaking point. With a room full of customers, he glared at an individual who was asking too many questions and said, “Sir, this is not a f**king university! If you don’t know what you want, leave.” I wonder, would this mean no students after 1?

There is a peculiar variety of retailing in New York City. This is where sales people are actively involved in an anti-sales approach. I’m not talking about ignoring customers. I refer to sales people who actually argue with a customer, preferring that he/she buys nothing rather than buying a product which they do not consider worthy of consideration, even if they stock it.

As a long-time resident, I have become used to this flavor of arrogance which can be found in certain businesses, particularly ones in a highly specialized niche market, often with high-end products.

Welcome to Bicycle Habitat at 244 Lafayette Street in SoHo, a store where bike aficianados both shop and work. Complaints here range from being ignored (with sales people chatting among themselves, an all too common scenario these days) to outright rudeness. My experience there on one occasion is illustrative.

I was interested in a Dahon folding bike. Bicycle Habitat was a dealer for Dahon at the time, but there were none on display. When I asked the salesman, who, judging by his attire, was a serious bicyclist, whether I could see one, he said if I really insisted, he could go downstairs and get one. However, he was quite reluctant and instead asked why I would want to spend money on a folding bike when I could buy a “real” bike for the same money? I answered that I had a “real” bike in storage which I never used and that if I had a folding bike, I could store it in my home and actually use it. The conversation ended here – there was apparently no use in him discussing the matter further with someone willing to compromise.

A review site I visited shows 21 reviews for this shop. The distribution of 1 to 5 star reviews is an almost perfect inverted bell curve or well curve. Startling, isn’t it? Service here is typically experienced by the customer as great or horrific, with virtually no middle ground.
The secret to a shopping in a place like Bicycle Habitat is to be knowledgeable about the products and on the same page as the staff. These are the customers who have positive experiences.

Is it worth the trouble dealing with a place like this? Often, a customer has no choice, where the vendor is virtually the only one of its type, such as Canal Rubber. We have specialty stores here which exist nowhere else and where, often, the staff is extraordinary in their knowledge and expertise. Customers are very appreciative that such a place exists at all.

Not every business with a dominance or captive audience abuses the privilege. Places such as B&H Photo treat customers very well in spite of their virtual hegemony in their retail niche.
But for some, the get well curve, even in recessionary times, appears to be based on the philosophy there’s no business like no business 🙂

I have always loved bookstores. A great wave of comfort comes over me when I enter one – all of those books with the wisdom of the ages just waiting to be tapped.
When traveling, I have found a city or town’s bookstore a good barometer of a place: the type of bookstore, atmosphere, inventory, patrons, and perhaps most importantly, whether a town has a bookstore at all. A small town with one or more bookstores says a lot about a community. They have a lot of readers. I grew up in a blue-collar town of 40,000 people with no bookstore to be found. Moving to New York City was like nirvana.

When I first moved here, there were no bookstore cafes. It was rumored that somewhere out West, perhaps in Boulder, Colorado, there was a place where one could sit, read, relax, and even have snacks and beverages. But this was really a dream, a mirage. Certainly such a phenomenon would never come to pass in New York City, where magazine stands posted signs which said “No Reading.”
Now bookstore cafes are a standard – customers expect them, along with unlimited browsing, reading, WiFi access, and laptop use. People park themselves for hours with stacks of books and magazines, often making notes or studying. The bookstore has become a library of sorts.

One of the most inviting spaces is Housing Works Bookstore Cafe at 126 Crosby Street in SoHo, a used bookstore, literary hub, and concert/events venue. The bookstore is stocked entirely by donated books, music, and movies and is staffed primarily with volunteers. See more photos here.

Apart from the bookstore cafe, Housing Works runs a chain of nine thrift shops (with lots of used designer clothing), a catering company, and a screen printing business as social enterprises to support their work and reduce their dependence on grants and donations. Earned income from these businesses accounts for approximately 90 percent of their revenue.

Housing Works, Inc. is the largest community-based AIDS organization in the United States and operates more than 50 facilities in the five boroughs of New York City, Albany, NY, and Washington, DC.
Housing Works was founded in 1990 by Keith Cylar, Charles King, Eric Sawyer, and Virginia Shubert. The organization has provided housing, medical and mental health care, meals, job training, drug treatment, HIV prevention education, and social support to more than 20,000 homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. Learn more at their website here.

The colors are so warm and the atmosphere so inviting – why not accept the invitation?