It's been a month of balance between hustle and calmness. As a local village gal, I spend 99.9% of my time below 14th street. Retail and restaurants in the west/east village are suffering badly, as are most are no matter where or what style if biz. Frustrating times for all. I had so many plans, and like us all, felt disarrayed this year.
As per usual, staying COVID conscious. Painting, running, cooking, and e-commerce management was in overdrive this month. Days flew by with obsessive work, then a few days of strolling the streets solo, just absorbing. Safely visited my fav spots like Village Revival Records and Native Leather. Oh, and Bleecker Street Pizza, but that's s purely selfish reason. Hard to not function/go places, so when I am out, I stay as productive, aware, and masked as can be. But the little village moments have brought such comfort. Honestly, successful trips to my cobbler (Andrade Shoe Repair) on Bleecker Street and Balla's African Clothing on 7th are highlights of the month. Paid a little extra attention to neighborhood places like Casa Magazine and La Bonbonniere on 8th Ave as they are sacred to the streets. Guess this stream of consciousness about places I dig showcases my love for the heart of Greenwich Village. And that is a huge inspiration for me to carry into 2021.
An anecdote from this month: My friend Marcelle, brilliant artist and gallery director at Morrison Hotel Gallery, was walking to work with her dog Ozzy, and noticed by a seemingly lost, tag-less kitten. She called me to come catch the kitty and take the little babe to the vet. So I was off on a mission (toys, food, and cat bag in hand,) little to acquire the cat on the street, notice a very close local bodega, and quickly discover his home. Hahah, bodega owners are rogue as hell with their bodega cats. Just put an damn address tag on the kitten! I know when Velvet worked at our store, she rarely stepped foot outside. And when she tip-toed out momentarily, she was wearing a dress so it was a bit of a giveaway.
Anyway, so much work and mental strength was accomplished and gained this month. So, here's a bit of my iPhone camera roll to catch the vibe.