From our February 2015 print magazine, new arrivals on the Lower East Side:
East Coast MMA Fight Shop (131 Orchard St.) A mixed martial arts retailer joined the Orchard Street shopping scene in December. East Coast MMA was established in Rockville Center, Long Island, in 2011. The New York City store, relocated from Brooklyn, offers a full selection of fight gear (gloves, shoes, headgear, etc.), clothing for men and women and accessories. It also sells wrestling gear.
Manon Jewelry (113 Division St.) The German actress and model Manon von Gerkan has opened a jewelry shop on an increasingly happening stretch of Division Street, near Orchard Street. In a sleek, renovated space featuring exposed brick walls and polished wood floors, she’s showcasing her stylish designs, including sterling silver and gold hoop earrings, moon pendants and body chains.
Avant Garde Vape Lounge + Art Gallery This new business in the so-called Pink Building on Grand Street is riding the e-cigarette wave, but there’s a twist. The vaping lounge doubles as an art gallery. Pull up a stool at a 25-foot bar, where the tanks and liquids are sold. You can check out the flavors – such as orange cream, litchi and key-lime cheesecake – for free.
Causey Contemporary (29 Orchard St.) Tracy Causey-Jeffery recently moved her long-established Williamsburg gallery to lower Orchard Street. She took over a space previously occupied by the Stephan Stoyanov Gallery. Causey has a core roster of 13 artists and showcases the work of other noteworthy contemporary artists in special exhibitions.
City Bird Gallery (191 Henry St.) Sarah Wang and Shaina Yang, two artists with close ties to Ludlow Street’s Con Artist Collective, opened up this new space as 2014 drew to a close. In addition to regular art exhibitions, the early programming has included musical performances and special pop-ups.
Algus Gallery (132 Delancey St.) Mitchell Algus of the Algus Greenspon gallery in the West Village opened a new space on the second level of 132 Delancey, above Solid Gold, the discount jewelry store. The debut show featured paintings and works on paper by Agustin Fernandez. It remains open until March 8.
