Leo Mavrovitis has been a fixture in the neighborhood since 1974 when he was the first business to open in this residential building and remains the only commercial tenant after so many decades. When I walked into this dark, cool grotto of antiques just steps from Lincoln Center, I met the warm and friendly owner. It became clear to me quickly that Leo is a master in his field. "This is all I have ever done and I love what I do," Leo expressed to me. Although his parents wanted him to do "something practical," Leo chose to get a degree in fine arts from Columbia University, and a masters from New York University. Having always been fascinated by antiques, he followed his passion, and purchased an existing business around the corner on Columbus Avenue, before moving to 64th five years later.
In this treasure trove of goods, I admired the vintage jewelry, pill boxes, a chest of mother of pearl silver, crystal stemware, coins, china, and paperweights, but it was the beautiful chandeliers that continued to capture my attention as I wandered around looking up. Leo shared that some of these 1940s fixtures are his favorites, too. Scattered throughout the small space, Leo pointed out a Paul Evans ultra-modern piece from 1969 alongside Indian art and rare Asian pieces from the seventeenth century.
Over the years, Leo has traveled throughout Europe and attended antique shows in an effort to amass his impressive collection of items. Today, however, he said that he enjoys going to the Miami, Baltimore and New York shows equally as much. He has formed a "brotherhood" with fellow dealers and they look forward to seeing one another each year. "We are a traveling circus," Leo stated, and smiled with approval. It is at these shows that he is able to buy and sell his wares, but it is when he is home in Manhattan that he is best known for his unusual array of items. He tries to sell pieces that are rare and affordable. "I like the unusual," Leo told me, "I am not interested in having what everyone else collects."
And, as for his customers, Leo noted that he is continuously invited into people's homes who are interested in selling personal items, or have inherited pieces. Each time he develops a remarkable rapport with them that is long lasting. He told me that he knows most of the people that enter his shop by name and is quite friendly with his local regulars. Not only that, but he strikes up conversations with those who simply pass by the store on a daily basis, making him a true neighborhood character.
