Back The Neighborhood

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Father Graeme Napier from St John’s in the Village about his perspective on the issues facing the Neighborhood. Father Graeme explains his backstory prior to arriving in the Village in 2018. He discusses the impact of the pandemic on the local community and how he used neighborhood social network, Next Door to understand what locals were talking about and what was missing.   Understanding the need for connection and community he set out to address this need, with a particular focus on food insecurity those with limited internet access. Working with an organization called Invisible Hands, a voluntary delivery service, the Church set up a dedicated phone line to take people’s food orders. Father Napier sourced donations from beyond the US, to fund the purchase of food.  Scaling it, at the peak, his team served all five Boroughs. In addition Father Graeme’s team have helped local musicians and performers to use the Church theatre to live stream and sell tickets to audiences around the world. Father Graeme shares his views of the needs of the community coming out of the pandemic and how St John’s can help address these needs. We also discuss what other needs that the Church could address moving forward. Now over to Father Graeme. Links: Invisible Hands Musae Streaming  Saint John's 

I recently met Lani Steinberg, archivist and manager of the Thrift Shop at St Lukes in the Field, the West Village institution that was founded over 40 years ago by a group of local mothers. Lani describes the changing fabric of the West Village over the last decade. She describes the impact of Covid during and post lockdown, the changing demographics, the community role of the store, and the church gardens as a touchstone in the neighborhood. Lani discusses the culture of thrifting and broad range of motivations. I ask Lani about homelessness, food insecurity, mental health and the needs of parishioners, the role of churches, how neighborhoods will evolve, and if peoples’ priorities will change as we move beyond the pandemic. Lani shares her hopes that we will emerge with more empathy as individuals and a more entrenched sense of community. We also discuss what is missing in the neighborhood and the changing nature of the church congregation.

I recently sat down with Claude Noelle, the co-founder of West Village, French-sourced Pottery and Antique Store - Le Fanion. Claude Noelle describes her journey from the South of France, studying political science, her 1980’s rites of passage trip across the US  in a world before the internet and social media, that led her to living, working, and eventually running her own small retail business in the West Village. Claude Noelle explains the backstory to Le Fanion and opening in 34 years ago with her business partner William to import pottery, art and antiques from the Provence Region of France. She also explains the changing fabric of the neighborhood, a microcosm of New York and the world, in the face of globalization and gentrification. Claude Noelle explains the challenges and resilience in the time of Covid, the importance of a supportive landlord,  loyal customers and doing business over Facetime and Instagram. We discuss the escalating rents that hit the neighborhood in recent years,  her hopes for the future of retail of the West Village, need for collaboration with landlords to attract retailers of interest and character and retain the attraction of the neighborhood. And the growing appreciation for authentic and artisanal products by a new generation of consumers. Finally we talk about ideas for building better community between local retailers.

We recently sat down with Kiana Malekzadah owner of the recently opened West Village Knit and needle - an inspiring fiber arts store on west 10th As an Expert Knitter, Crocheter, Needlepointer and Instructor Kiana serendipity set her on the path to opening her own store when the retail space on the ground-floor of her residence building became available. Kiane provides us with her back story, opening WV K&N, we discuss the reaction it creates and opportunities it creates for a new generation of artists and fiber art creators. We discuss the challenges facing the neighborhood, changes and improvement needs and how we can reknit the fabric of the neighborhood going forward.

Mother and daughter team Barbara Anderson and Jackie Graham's response to the pandemic, the shuttered stores, barren windows and deserted neighborhoods was to create an on-street social initiative to support local artists and bring life back to the streets. Turning New York's Columbus Avenue's empty storefronts into a gallery space, Art on the Ave reimagines street art and democratizes art spaces and access. Their second exhibition launches in the West Village  and run from April through May.  In one year Art on the Ave has established itself as an organization that spotlights the work of under-represented artists. After over 150 submissions to their latest exhibition, their curated works will be displayed along Bleecker Street, Christopher Street and Hudson Street, creating what Barbara calls the West Village wander Through organization like Art on the Ave and collaborations with initiatives like Back The Neighborhood, we can reimagine what a neighborhood is, and build common-unity Links Website Instagram  Twitter 

Emily Bogner Fireplace 409 co-founder and partners Alex Adams and Duncan Figurski opened Fireplace 409 late in 2020. These three local entrepreneurs are reimagining fashion retail in a post-covid city, supporting local designers, artists and artisans, remaining conscious of sustainability, while also building a community event hub. Anyone seeking inspiration as to what the future of local retail might look like, Fireplace is a beacon boutique, rekindling the past character of Bleecker Street and infusing it with creativity, design and technology. In this interview Emily Bogner describes the journey to opening Fireplace 409, the importance of supporting local designers, cultivating community through the creative use of their space, and their ambitions to scale the business. Emily and her partners are just one example of how a new generation of entrepreneurs are opening businesses grounded with solid ethical foundations, that cultivate a local business network, are considerate to the symbiotic relationship between themselves and their community, resolute in the view that the future will be better than the past. Apologies that I had some issues with my mic and some static that we have done our best to remove. Now over to Emily. FIREPLACE409 is a post-Covid gift/retail concept store built to engage and inspire your sense of discovery through revolving experiences.  We partner with the brands and communities shaping our future; independent artists and exciting brands to create a stage for immersive storytelling and unlock new offline channels for growth. Being a post-Covid business, we take measures to safely promote artistic expression in our community, providing new opportunities for entertainment that comply 100% to our new social strictures for wellness. Fireplace is located at 409 Bleecker, New York, NY 10014, in the heart of the West Village's iconic collector's market. Fireplace On Instagram 

We sat down with Matthew Neele from Wallsé Next Door, the West Village Bakery & Cafe that serves the best apple strudel this side of Vienna. We discussed the challenges all restaurants have faced in the last year, what needs to change at a city or state policy level, and the opportunities for innovation ahead.

Overview We recently interviewed a candidate for Manhattan City Council in District 3, Erik Bottcher. Today we welcome competing candidate Leslie Boghosian Murphy as we discuss her platform priorities and how we can build back resilient neighborhoods. This was recorded in Fireplace, a new retailer in the West Village Links  https://www.lesliefornyc.com/ https://fireplace409.com/ https://shopin.nyc

Last week we met Steven Taffel. He was generous with his time and talked to us about the challenges Leffot has faced over the last 12 months. Steven discusses his backstory in retail and what led him to open Leffot. He explains how his business has survived the pandemic’s impact on business. We ask Steven about changing customer behavior, the shift to online purchasing, city and state governments’ support, and his connectivity to other local businesses. If you need new shoes in 2021, we strongly recommend supporting this marvelous local business, Leffot.