Discover Framing

"In a family business, everybody works, " Robyn Pocker announced when I first met her. She went on to tell me that her first job as a little girl was making paperclip chains in her family's framing establishment. Over the years, she was promoted through the ranks, learning to wrap packages with bakery string, how to please customers, and simply to absorb advice from her parents, until she became a full employee, fresh out of college. Robyn went on to say that she feels "very rooted on 63rd Street. " Asking her to transport me back in time, as I knew that the Pocker's had been in this area for generations, Robyn spoke of when the Lexington Avenue subway was being constructed and the city wanted to get rid of the building where her grandparents had begun their business. Many important clients, however, including Mrs. Rockefeller, wrote to City Hall declaring that they should not drive J. Pocker out of its home. Although they did have to move just around the corner onto the side street, the company has been able to remain on the Upper East Side since 1929. Not only that, but the business has expanded, opening multiple locations in Connecticut and Westchester County, including a 10, 000 square foot factory in Mamaroneck. Robyn proudly stated that despite the expansion, J. Pocker is still the "friendly neighborhood framer. " When I asked Robyn where she pulls her inspiration for the variety of frames that they construct, she spoke of her travels abroad and told me that they send scouts to museums to take pictures of certain historic styles so that they can be replicated. Robyn has also been known to wander into the antique stores in London to find unique pieces to mimic. Along with period framing, using classic Spanish, Dutch, and tortoise-shell frames, the company effortlessly steps forward in time and has framed flat-screen TVs and a photograph of an eighty foot whale. One of the main reasons why Robyn believes J. Pocker has successfully remained in business through the years is that they treat every item to be framed like a priceless piece of art, and every client with the same care and precision.

There aren't too many shops that can boast having been on West 14th Street for as long as this frame shop. They opened their doors in 1978 and have had a loyal following ever since. Congratulations.

New York is famous for its blistering pace of life. In a city where everyone and everything moves quickly, One Hour Framing Shop fits in perfectly. Normally, a frame shop can take several weeks to frame items, but Waseem - the manager of the store - and his team can finish nearly every item in under a day. “Only in a place like New York is our work possible. That’s the beauty of New York. That’s what makes us an iconic store, ” Waseem said. The shop first opened in 1983 and has been a staple on 40th Street ever since. In speaking with Waseem, Manhattan Sideways team member Jon learned that he has been here since the beginning. Working at a framing shop has its perks, Waseem explained. As the go-to shop for producers of New York-based movies and television shows, he hears about the latest in entertainment well before everyone else. Almost every store on the street has changed since it first opened, but Waseem believes that One Hour Framing has been able to thrive by cultivating plenty of relationships with the businesses surrounding it in Midtown. He rattled off a list of more than a dozen large companies that utilize their services. Waseem knows all of his customers personally and has become friendly with many of them. When Jon stopped in, the president of a top investment firm, a regular customer, came by and started chatting with Waseem. It immediately became evident to Jon why people keep coming back; Waseem makes sure to remember personal details about his customers, and will always deliver what they want when they want it. As a testament to just how loyal his customers are, he revealed that many drop off gifts for him during the holiday season. “I’ve met a whole range of people. While some of them are really rotten, I’ve gotten to meet a lot of good, lovely people. ”

Although only on 12th Street for a short time, Dryden Gallery has been in Manhattan providing custom framework for over thirty years.