Rasta Enterprise

Crossroads Trading Company now has almost thirty locations around the United States, but even in Manhattan they keep their original relaxed Bay Area vibe. The company began in Berkeley in 1991 and has since become a hub for recycling both men and women's clothing with the goal of helping the environment and working to eliminate waste. Locals are welcome to come in and sell their gently used garments for cash or credit... and while there, hopefully browse for something

Whenever Rebecca, a member of the Manhattan Sideways team, asked her glamorous college roommate from Arizona where she had bought whatever fabulous item of clothing she was wearing, the answer was always the same... Buffalo Exchange. Founded in 1974 by Kerstin Block in Arizona, it was one of the first used clothing shops to open in the country. The store offers its patrons a place to buy, sell, or trade second-hand garments so that they can find a new life in someone else's wardrobe. Today, Kerstin continues to run her company with the help of her daughter, Rebecca, and they have expanded to forty-seven stores nationwide. The company has maintained its funky, fun vibe and reasonable prices even as it has grown so large.

Deborah Koenigsberger had no plans to start a non-profit. As the owner of Noir et Blanc, an upscale, French-themed, women’s clothing boutique on West 23rd Street, she had enough on her plate. On her way to work every day, she would cross Madison Square Park and encounter the same young homeless woman and her three-year-old daughter sleeping there. Deb learned that the woman had faced abuse in the shelter system and had decided to “take her chances outside. ” Over time, she would bring them food, until suddenly, they were gone. Deb was so impacted by the experience, combined with the words of a Stevie Wonder song, “Take the Time Out, ” that she felt compelled to “help homeless mothers and their children reimagine their lives. ” Even though that young woman physically left, Deb says, “She motivates me every day to keep going. ” Thus, Hearts of Gold (HoG) was born with a mission of enabling homeless mothers and their children to “reclaim their lives, transition out of the shelter system, and become self-sufficient. ” In 2010, Deb opened the thrifty HoG on West 25th Street. A year later, she moved Noir et Blanc to a retail space a few doors down. The beautifully curated resale shop sells vintage, new, and gently used clothing for men and women, as well as small decor items, bric-a-brac, and home goods that are “consignment quality at thrift prices. ” In Deb’s words, “If I wouldn’t buy it and wear it, I’m not selling it. ”The mothers in need who work at the thrifty HoG earn a living wage, acquire job skills, and undergo training through HoG’s Earn As You Learn Program. All net proceeds from sales at the shop pay the moms and fund programs and services that support the women and children. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while everyone was sheltering at home, Deb never stopped. She worked every day to fundraise, purchase, and deliver essential health supplies, food, and other necessities to the moms and kids in the shelters. Over the course of 2020, Deb distributed more than 2, 000 meals and emergency care packages, proving her dedication to her non-profit’s overarching goal: “HoG exists to make these women’s and children’s lives the best they can be and to help them retake control over their own stories. ”

When we walked into Noir et Blanc, we were lucky enough to meet its wonderful and charismatic store owner, Deborah Koenigsberger. In 1989, at the age of twenty-nine, after working as a model and stylist, Deborah opened her first storefront on 23rd street. Now on 25th, Noir et Blanc caters to the stylish woman. Repeat customers grace her presence everyday, therefore allowing Deborah to get to know them well. In addition to dressing women to feel confident, Deborah has also dedicated herself to helping homeless mothers and children. In 1996, she founded the organization Hearts of Gold. Her next door thrift store, The Thrifty HoG supports this effort, by acting as a hub for selling clothes whose proceeds go to the organization, and also as a job-training site for struggling women.

“By accident, ” answered Olga Blanco when I asked her how she got her start in the printing business. Her husband started Nobel Printing in 1979, and Olga took over a short while later when he became ill. “I learned and I kept going, ” she smiled, remembering a time when the business was new to her. She, in turn, has taught her son, who works for a printing company in Florida. Olga shared with me that when her son's business decided to use the traditional printing press in an effort to distinguish themselves from others, his knowledge of the machine lead to a promotion. “No one else knows how to use these, ” she gushed, “so they increased his pay. ”Originally from Columbia, Olga journeyed to the States in 1969 at the age of seventeen. Since living here, she has seen a lot of changes, many of which have had an negative impact on her custom printing company. “Everything is digital these days, ” she rationalized, "And everyone thinks they are a designer. ” With so many people in possession of a computer and the means to make their own digital copies, her fears are not unwarranted. Topped off with rising rents, Olga is not sure her business will operate for longer than a few more years. Indeed, she has seen many others pushed out of the neighborhood for similar reasons. “The real estate business is hungry for money, ” she said, shaking her head. Despite the obstacles, Olga remains quite confident in the product, itself. She happily deals solely in custom printing, taking on any job no matter the size and “creating something beautiful. ” When I visited in the summer of 2016, Olga was working on a wedding order of 2000 invites and could not conceal her passion for the project. She showed me her early drafts, pulling out the quality card stock and brushing her fingertips over a soft design that depicted a tree just in bloom. There is no replacement for “that human touch. ”

Co-founded in 1994 by former number one middleweight boxer, Michael Olajide, and Leila Fazel, a former ballerina, Aerospace claims to offer “a revolutionary new fitness that engages body, mind, and spirit. ” Leila explained that the Aerospace workout is “revolutionary” in two ways: first, it does not involve any machines, and second, it has its foundation in athlete-level boxing to engage cardio, muscle endurance, and core strength. The company has its own boxing ring and jump rope line. We had the pleasure of seeing Michael, who lost vision in one of his eyes in the early 1990s, guide a student through some boxing combinations as part of the Aerospace workout. Although Michael and Leila intend to maintain the “authenticity of boxing” in their program, Aerospace is open to everyone, with or without boxing experience. While some learn to hit bags on the second floor, others in a more advanced program spar in the boxing ring on the first floor. Leila also runs a workout that combines shadow boxing with ballet.

Jon Eisen is not only one of the partners of Between the Bread and its director of strategic growth, but he is also heir to one of the pioneers of the venture, which has delivered sandwiches to office workers since 1979. Ricky Eisen, Jon’s mother and the company’s president - who was born on the outskirts of Tel Aviv - decided to use large-scale catering to bring healthy meals to her clients in a more efficient way. Jon claims that the result was the first catering company in New York City. Ricky’s idea to use only healthy and local ingredients proved to be a pivotal moment in the way catering to corporate clients is done today. In 2013, Ricky put her son in charge of the retail and café side of the business, which up until that point had been secondary to catering. Recognizing the recent popular trend of eating healthy and local, Jon quickly began streamlining the production process, including installing digital cash registers to track customer orders. This lead to a doubling of revenue. His success prompted Ricky to name him partner in 2015. Despite these changes, the core of the business is still the same: using organic, fresh, and seasonal to serve “high quality meals. ” And to hear it from Jon and the head of brand strategy, Victoria Rolandelli, this core seems to resonate well with customers. Between the Bread opened two more locations in October 2015 and has plans to have a total of twelve locations throughout the city. Located in the Chelsea Terminal Warehouse, the 27th Street Between the Bread is in a massive space that was previously an unloading station for trains. In the not-too-distant future, once Hudson Yards is complete, it is Jon's hope that they will become the "new Chelsea Market. "

Originally constructed in 1905, this building became the home of the beloved Gershwin Hotel in 1992. In 2014, Triumph Hotels took over the space and invested a good deal in renovations, renaming it The Evelyn. As an homage to building’s artful and musical past, the guest rooms feature music note-tiled bathrooms, trombone-shaped chandeliers, and decorations inspired by the Art Nouveau style of the 1900s.

Crossroads Trading Company now has almost thirty locations around the United States, but even in Manhattan they keep their original relaxed Bay Area vibe. The company began in Berkeley in 1991 and has since become a hub for recycling both men and women's clothing with the goal of helping the environment and working to eliminate waste. Locals are welcome to come in and sell their gently used garments for cash or credit... and while there, hopefully browse for something

Deborah Koenigsberger had no plans to start a non-profit. As the owner of Noir et Blanc, an upscale, French-themed, women’s clothing boutique on West 23rd Street, she had enough on her plate. On her way to work every day, she would cross Madison Square Park and encounter the same young homeless woman and her three-year-old daughter sleeping there. Deb learned that the woman had faced abuse in the shelter system and had decided to “take her chances outside. ” Over time, she would bring them food, until suddenly, they were gone. Deb was so impacted by the experience, combined with the words of a Stevie Wonder song, “Take the Time Out, ” that she felt compelled to “help homeless mothers and their children reimagine their lives. ” Even though that young woman physically left, Deb says, “She motivates me every day to keep going. ” Thus, Hearts of Gold (HoG) was born with a mission of enabling homeless mothers and their children to “reclaim their lives, transition out of the shelter system, and become self-sufficient. ” In 2010, Deb opened the thrifty HoG on West 25th Street. A year later, she moved Noir et Blanc to a retail space a few doors down. The beautifully curated resale shop sells vintage, new, and gently used clothing for men and women, as well as small decor items, bric-a-brac, and home goods that are “consignment quality at thrift prices. ” In Deb’s words, “If I wouldn’t buy it and wear it, I’m not selling it. ”The mothers in need who work at the thrifty HoG earn a living wage, acquire job skills, and undergo training through HoG’s Earn As You Learn Program. All net proceeds from sales at the shop pay the moms and fund programs and services that support the women and children. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while everyone was sheltering at home, Deb never stopped. She worked every day to fundraise, purchase, and deliver essential health supplies, food, and other necessities to the moms and kids in the shelters. Over the course of 2020, Deb distributed more than 2, 000 meals and emergency care packages, proving her dedication to her non-profit’s overarching goal: “HoG exists to make these women’s and children’s lives the best they can be and to help them retake control over their own stories. ”

Arriving from South Africa, Albertus Swanepoel attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, which led him to an apprenticeship and ultimately his own glove-making business. The appeal of gloves, however, was “incredibly limited, ” as most people wear them only seasonally. So, renaissance man that he is, Albertus switched gears and slid seamlessly into the world of hats. Now he is firmly entrenched in his new niche, and has been producing haute couture headwear since the 1990s. Grounding his practice in old-fashioned millinery traditions, but using techniques from multiple fashion disciplines, he is able to approach hats creatively and expertly. This is a must for a bold garment that can fall flat if not done stylishly. “I try to make things that people wear everyday and look cool but not nostalgic, ” Swanepoel explained. And New Yorkers are wearing his high-end hats across the city. Albertus has a very optimistic take on his environment: “I think that’s the great thing about Manhattan. There are so many people living here that you can almost do anything and people will want it. ”