By Laura Shanahan

 We welcome feedback!” Ooh, don’t you love it when a store manager talks that way?

Today we’re at the brand-spanking-new Fox’s, at the southeast corner of Broadway and 80th – the long-shuttered site of the late, great Filene’s Basement/SYMS Tailored & Tux, now shuttered no longer. We’re chatting up a manager at this women’s off-price designer label emporium (yes, much like its predecessor), and he’s totally impressing me with his eagerness to serve the neighborhood – he didn’t know I was a reporter disguised as a mild-mannered shopper, so he wasn’t best behavior’ing me.

When I noted the neighborhood – indeed all of Manhattan – is a late-night kind of place, he nodded in agreement, pointing out that this outpost of Fox’s, the first and only one in Manhattan, is open until 9 p.m. (Monday through Saturday, until 7 p.m. on Sunday), contrasted with the much earlier closing time of other branches. (Fox’s is in Brooklyn and Queens in the metro area, plus more outlying areas/states.)

If you like to sparkle plenty, you’ll love this place, with its preponderance of embellished fashions. Find lots of sequins, studs, silver stitch-work, faceted beads and other frills and furbelows glamming up the goods. Like bold in-your-face baubles? As the old Prego commercials (sorta) went, they’re all in there.  Jazzed-up jeans? Check.

But there are also classic tailored pieces, even genteel ones, among the glitz. Consider the soft, like “buttah,” wool-with-a-touch-of-cashmere-and-nylon fitted blazers by Louben in a gentle sky blue, camel or chartreuse. Featuring a neat notched lapel, side slash-pockets and a single button closure, the garment’s body-conscious fit follows the contours of the waist and hips. Perfect for a mild spring day, the silky-lined lightweight jacket is $99.99 (“compare at $348″ invites the tag).

It’s still glove weather, however, and if you can use an extra pair, check out the your-choice-$19 selection by International Leather Industries. I’d say the gloves’ leather is glove soft, but that would be dopey, right? Let’s put it this way: These aren’t the ugly bulky kind you wear on frigid days; they’re more chic and dressy accessories that at least cut the chill. Choices include a clean-lined style with no cluttering detail in mid-gray; a tomato red pair with a bow-centered gathering at the wrist; a glossy black-patent-leather pair with a thin plush lining; and mittens in chocolate or tomato with a thicker plush lining. Yeah, real leather mittens; go figure.

Nicely transitional is the Elie Tahari pearl-gray knit cardigan in a creamy silk-and-cashmere blend with a graduated hemline – long in back, tapering upward in front. A spill of detailed-stitch-work ruffle accents one side of the softly draping shawl collar; $59, please.

Skipping back to the spring stuff – the season kicks off in less than two weeks (wheee!) – there are diaphanous organdy Swiss-dotted sleeveless shirts by Double Zero. The see-through pale aqua fabric is made more demure by chest pockets, but it’s the kind of thing you’ll almost certainly wear over a camisole or tank – please, there are children on the street; $24.

Now this screams better-days-are-coming: the P. Luca Milano skinny stretch jeans in sunshine yellow splashed with posies predominantly in pinky peach, brown, gold and white; $29. They’ll really see you walking down Broadway in these – so practice your strut and your smile.

By Hillary Chura

There is only so much choice my mommy brain can handle—especially when it comes to shopping—which is why I’d always avoided Century 21, that mecca of merchandise mess.

It’s partly because we don’t live near the department store, but also because my first exposure was during the torture that is Christmas shopping. Whatever the reason, I was never ever ever going back. Hearing friends’ tales of smashing deals at Century 21 did not sway my conviction. Nor did seeing shoppers trying to wedge their bulging Century 21 bags onto crowded subway cars (another kind of hell altogether—for everyone involved).

Visit newyorkfamily.com to read the full article.

By John Friia

Best place to shop with bros
Brooks Brothers Flatiron Shop, 901 Broadway at 20th Street, 212-228-3580
If you’ve got your boyfriend, brother or any male-type person in tow, bring them to this specialty Brooks Brothers locale, where they’ve got a “man cave” with a photo booth and a foosball table. They can keep themselves occupied and also give suggestions for the men on your shopping list. For Black Friday and Saturday, any purchases made between 9 a.m. and noon are 20 percent off with a MasterCard, 15 percent off with any other payment method.

Best place to find gifts for your eclectic relatives
Kisan Concept Store, 125 Greene St. near Prince Street, kisanstore.com
Kisan offers high-end women’s apparel, children’s clothing, toys and more with a chic and feminine urban twist. Owners Thorunn Anspach and Olivier Bremond have traveled the world to bring their Parisian sensibility to New York through the products they feature. This Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., items including shoes and accessories for women, children and men will be discounted up to 90 percent, so you can find a quirky European hat for Aunt Mindy without breaking the bank.

Best place to go with a gaggle of ladies
Haute Hippie, 9 Prince St. near Bowery,
212-431-0101
Bring your posse of gals to peruse clothing that’s been described as “a little bit bohemian and a lot of rock and roll” while sipping on complimentary mimosas and chomping down cupcakes all day on Friday. The shop runs the gamut from luxe gowns to their more low-key Haute Hoodie collection, so it’s a great one-stop shop for gifts. Plus, in keeping with the shop’s cheeky nature, everything black will be 25 percent off on Black Friday.

Best place to chill the heck out
eBay and Bliss Spas, 568 Broadway at Prince Street
Everyone knows that shopping on Black Friday can be a stressful experience, what with all the energy expended to grab the last faux fur vest on sale. This year, eBay has collaborated with Bliss Spas to offer free mini-manicures, pedicures and foot massages on Black Friday. While relaxing, you can browse eBay on their mobile app and take advantage of their Holiday Collective. The online company has teamed up with big-name designers to offer holiday gifts all under $100; some of the participating designers include Jonathan Adler, Fallon and Tibi.

Best place to shop for gadget lovers
AC Gears, 69 E. Eighth St. near Broadway, acgears.com
AC Gears is basically a toy store for adults, running the gamut from serious technology (did someone say 3-D printer?) to delightful gizmos you didn’t know you needed. They’ve got functionally brilliant iPhone cases, camera equipment, a plethora of timepieces and tons of options under $50. On Black Friday, they will be offering up to 50 percent off on never-discounted electronics, headphones, watches, toys and more.

Best place to buy your way into the hearts of children–and their parents
Dinosaur Hill, 306 E. Ninth St. near
First Avenue, dinosaurhill.com
This independently owned East Village shop stocks unique, intellectually stimulating (but still cool!) games and toys for kids. We’re not in Toys ‘R’ Us anymore, Toto. They also sell handmade children’s clothing, limited-edition stuffed animals, musical instruments, and newborn and toddler clothing. The best part is that on Black Friday, customers who sing “Row Row Row Your Boat” get a 15 percent discount. Warm up those pipes.

For Curious Adventurers

Skip the museum and creep up your day at The Evolution Store, where those with a taste for adventure can get a glimpse of prehistoric specimens and exotic insects. Channel the likes of Indiana Jones and Allan Quatermain as you trek through this enthralling treasure trove of obscurities; no need for spelunking when you can head straight for their wide array of minerals—crystal, agate, and more. Take home a mammoth hair sample or a scorpion lollipop—or fall in love with a taxidermied friend. Surely not for the faint of heart, this shop is full of curiosities that will incite “oohs” and “aahs” galore, and may introduce you to creatures and artifacts you never knew existed. Adventure awaits at this truly astonishing SoHo store.
120 Spring Street, theevolutionstore.com

To read the full list, please visit newyorkfamily.com.

It’s peppy and preppy, it’s white and bright, it’s cute and candy-colored—it’s the brand-spanking-new C. Wonder flagship store at Columbus Circle’s Time Warner Center! Listen, anytime you walk into a shop and are greeted by a commanding life-size figure of a zebra striped with all the hues of the rainbow, you know you’re off the beaten path.

What total fun this store is. Lots of upbeat women’s wear and sparkly gewgaws (sorry, no men’s or kids’ stuff here)—plus a nicely edited selection of home goods and even a teeny section for pets. Ah, animals, my soft spot and passion—let’s begin with them, shall we?

In addition to doggy food bowls, there are fuchsia-pink-and-green-striped collars—just the thing for the preppy pooch; $16. If the color combo’s a bit too estrogenic for your Fido, consider the red-navy-and-yellow-striped versions. As with so much of the human clothing and accessories here, these come emblazoned with the fanciful C. Wonder logo.

For your human family, there is a smattering of serve ware, tabletop clocks, thermoses and other light goods along those lines. And then—out of nowhere—there are roller skates. Sized for women, the white-leather skates (emblazoned with the store’s logo in vibrant green) come equipped with blazingly bright fuchsia and green wheels; $75, please.

In more quotidian footwear, there’s the cheetah-print ballet flat with a neat little leathery bow at the vamp fastened with a tiny gold-metal “C” logo; $128. I was glad to see the often only seasonally available rubbery flip-flops here—perhaps, like me, you find them great for padding around the apartment year-round. These come in black, royal or peach, with the slender thong the same color as the sole, which is embossed on top with the store’s … you guessed it. The ’flops are $18. Since I just got raspberry and parrot-green-soled versions with matching “jelly” thongs at Jack’s 99 Cent Store for … you guessed it again, I think I’ll pass on these. Reminds me: We will finish up with the pen I recently alluded to getting at Jack’s along with a few other kibbles ’n’ bits very soon—probably next week.

Back to the present: If you love animal prints and pops of color, including jolting neons, you will love the clothing here. An excellent addition for any wardrobe, preppy or otherwise, is the leopard-print cardigan in a creamy blend of cotton and nylon with a touch of angora. This fine-gauge garment, highlighted by shiny gold-tone buttons, can be worn solo or over a light top; $88.

Skinny-jeans fans will love the stretchy cotton versions here in bright solids, including an especially juicy tangerine, plus bold patterns and more animal prints; $88. Surprisingly, while seemingly every other brand plasters its logo on jeans, the only one I can find on these is discreetly embroidered inside the waistband. Well done!

You undoubtedly use a hangar-size tote for your everyday needs, but for a dinner out or perhaps a holiday office party, you might want to opt for something that, while still roomy, is really elegant and lovely. I refer to the fuchsia suede fold-over clutch that sports a lushly fringed zipper-pull tassel. Measuring approximately 12 inches square in its unfolded state, the clutch is tagged at $128.

By the way, there’s a $10 charge to have anything that is indeed monogrammable monogrammed here. You can save a fortune, of course, if your name happens to be C. Wonder.

Compiled by Rebecca Temerario

Halloween City
1555 Third Ave. at 87th Street 302-932-9109
Come for the cheap prices, leave with all your party decorations and a costume. Costumes can be purchased for less than $20. With a handful of locations on the Upper East Side and plenty more all over the City, Halloween City is crammed with bloodthirsty cups, decorative spiderwebs and Halloween CDs.

Screaming Mimi’s
382 Lafayette St. near East Fourth Street, 212-677-6464
Laura Wills, owner of Lafayette Street’s Screaming Mimi’s, loves Halloween. At the beginning of October, her vintage boutique is transformed into a Fright Night mecca, complete with an elaborate window display. If you can’t wait for Macy’s Christmas windows, head over to Screaming Mimi’s, where you can try on an array of vintage costumes. They offer everything from Tudor-style gowns to cute sailor dresses.

During the month of October, Screaming Mimi’s showcases a daily “Costume Countdown” on their blog. Wills clearly adores Halloween; Target even approached her for Halloween styling assistance. If Halloween is your favorite holiday, look no further than Screaming Mimi’s, where the staff is wild about the Witching Hour.

Spirit Halloween
766 Sixth Ave. near West 25th Street, 845-397-0915
Be an Angry Bird ($34.99), Spider-Man ($49.99) or your favorite videogame character this Halloween ($34.99). With several NYC locations, Spirit Halloween offers a wide variety of costumes for everyone’s inner ghoul. “Little Monster” costumes are available for babies and toddlers ($9.97 – $69.99). Older customers can enjoy sporting Halloween-themed contact lenses ($29), the Barack Obama or Sarah Palin masks ($19.99) or fake braces ($9.99).

New York Costumes
104 Fourth Ave. near 11th Street, 212-673-4546

Spanning an entire city block, New York Costumes is an extensive costume warehouse complete with Mitt Romney masks ($8.99), strobe lights ($14.99-$19.99) and aviator caps ($24.99). No matter how off the beaten path your intended costume is, you’ll find it at New York Costumes. The store is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and offers extended hours during October, often closing between 10 and midnight. New York Costumes has one of the largest collection of masks, props and wigs, and carries costumes for all ages, as well as for four-legged friends. The company also offers an extensive online inventory for customers who know what they want before they shop.

Frankie Steinz Costumes
580 Broadway, Suite 309, near Prince Street, 212-925-1373
Costume designer Frankie Steinz operates her Tribeca design studio by appointment only. She accepts customized, one-of-a-kind orders and rents an array of professional-quality costumes at her upscale boutique. She has even outfitted the likes of Kate Moss and Jack Nicholson. Fittingly, Steinz was born on Halloween.

Less Less is gone gone. Cheese ’n’ crackers! I’d long been meaning to scope out the West 24th Street Less Less, ever since I heard it was a family-type operation with service and ambiance well beyond what one may typically associate with a discount novelties/staples store. I finally dusted off my MetroCard, and after a quick online search that strongly suggested LL was still a viable business, I sallied forth—only to be met with a storefront whose darkened interior was clearly stripped of stock.

Gaaah! “When did this place close?” I demanded of a passing dog-walker who seemed a trifle scared of my intensity. “Maybe a month ago,” he said. Well, better that I made the trip a month too late than too early, when I may’ve reported about a store that you would then find shuttered.

Besides—here’s good news—it turned out I didn’t make the trip for nothing. The dog walker, throwing me a bone (ho-ho!), perhaps to appease me lest I begin wailing and rending his garments, suggested a great 99-cent store nearby.

Indeed, 99 Cent Creation, at 244 W. 23rd St., is one of the premier shops of its ilk. Top o’ the pyramid, I’d have to say, is Jack’s on West 32nd Street (we really should do an update on it and the upper level Jack’s World). At the bottom of the hierarchy are the smaller, drearier versions with the predictable stock. But the indie 99 Cent Creation is darn near top of the food chain, with a large, surprise-filled cornucopia of goods.

Sure, virtually every such discounter has plastic flatware; here you can pick up actual metal spoons and forks tagged at 3/99 cents. Where else do you see that? While you can find many of your fave national brands here—Scott (89 cents a roll), Tide, Campbell’s and so forth—there’s also the thrill of more, um, exotic labels. Consider the three-packs of spiffy patterned men’s boxers by Xuehuaging for $5.99 (c’mon, you can’t hold them to 99 cents for that), and the three-packs of Dalan Golden Tropics soap for $1.29.

Ah, the soaps. What an exotic collection awaits clean freaks like me—and you? Consider Dettol, whose labeling is written in every conceivable language—except English. No matter; the color-coded bars indeed do give a single descriptor that requires no translation: Pink is “skincare,” blue is “active,” lighter blue is “cool,” and so forth. (I didn’t say the descriptors would always make that much sense—but who doesn’t like to unwrap a mystery—especially at only $1.09 per?)

Zounds, here is Zote! This is a traditional Mexican brick of laundry soap, weighing in at a hefty 14.1 ounces. If you’re wondering how you can wash clothing with solid soap, picture the corrugated washboards of yore, or simply a board-free hand wash. “Zote is a high quality soap and can be confidently used for washing your family’s clothes,” the wrapper states. What about washing non-family member clothes? Hmmm, doesn’t say. However, consider: Zote fans have posted that the product can also be used for baiting catfish—could I make that up?—so it seems one way or the other, folks get their money’s worth; just $1.49.

Is it a skin tonic, cologne or linen refresher? Florida Water, a distinctive mix of orange, cinnamon and floral extracts introduced in the early 1800s, is all of the above and more.
This hard-to-find classic sits here in its fancifully labeled elegant bottle, variously sized, awaiting your selection; $1.29-$1.99.

“It’s a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I’d be a drag queen.” Where do you think I’m reading from? A tattoo? A tweet? A T-shirt?

Good guesses all, but—bzzzzz!—none of the above is correct. The statement is typewritten on a slim scrap of paper that is part of a wonderful multimedia mélange that makes up the Holly Suzanne framed artwork at Stoopher & Boots (385 Amsterdam Ave., ’twixt West 78th and West 79th).

“That’s a quote from Dolly Parton,” Stephanie Goldstein, Stoopher’s owner—and one of the local artisans represented in this charming one-of-a-kind shop—offered up. (Would you have guessed Parton was the author of said quote? I was going to multiple-choice you, but my typing fingers got ahead of my brain.)

Well, no matter; onward now to describing the rest of Holly Suzanne’s enchantingly offbeat vision. Measuring approximately 13 by 9 inches, her artwork features a vintage rendering of a rapturous ballerina. The dancer and her dusky background are accented with a generous pour of pink, green and silver glitter so fine that only the detail-oriented will appreciate that some of it is actually star-shaped. What does the thoroughly modern Parton quote have to do with a vintage, glitter-spangled ballerina? Perhaps nothing on the face of it—to the literalist—but together they create a thrillingly edgy juxtaposition, which is the whole (forgive me) “pointe.”

Sealing in all the components is a clear coating of resin. A black-painted wooden frame—which is actually a tray—allows the piece to either be displayed standing up or hung via the large openings on two opposing ends of the tray; $148 for this singular sensation.

By the way, if you prefer the Mae West quote “I used to be Snow White, but I drifted,” Holly Suzanne uses that in another glittery rendition of an old-timey ballerina, this one standing en pointe, with a dreamy expression; also $148.

I actually had not intended to wind up at Stoopher today, but I wanted to peek into the just-opened Sugar and Plumm on the same block; in fact, S&P takes up about half the entire block, filling the space of five previous establishments. (So, uh, yeah; it’s huge. Lotsa kids running around in a sugar wonderland—I noted half-pound bags of chocolate bark for $16—but there’s also sit-down dining.) Figured I’d poke my head into Stoopher to visit Scout, Stephanie’s resident—and neighborhood-beloved—King Charles spaniel, when I saw all the new stock beckoning.

While the Holly Suzanne pieces are spectacular, there are loads of tiny-priced treasures, for adults and kids (many of whom pop in to visit and play with Scout). Standouts include Auntie Di’s soy-blend jelly jar candles in such compelling scents as “clean cotton,” $18; and the Red Leaf soap & shave cubes, in such evocative fragrances as English coast, fresh clover and beach, $6. For kids and pen enthusiasts of all ages, there are skinny ballpoints topped with what looks exactly like (but isn’t) a swirled-color lollipop, authentic down to its cellophane wrapping, gold twist-tie and satin-ribbon bow; $3.

Spiffy tot-size T-shirts designed by Stephanie, sparkly bangles, washable tats in the form of bracelets and rings, and so much more are draws at this friendly neighborhood gathering place.

So sashay on in—and ask Steph if you can give Scout a “skritch” behind the ears for me.

By Leonora Desar

With a steady influx of chain stores setting up stakes Downtown, mom-and-pops and unusual boutiques have become particularly prized below 14th Street. From occult and toy shops to designer boutiques, we give you an inside look at the most eclectic stores Downtown.

The Evolution Store
120 Spring St. (betw. Greene & Mercer Sts.), theevolutionstore.com
Get ready to travel to another dimension.

Inside The Evolution Store, stuffed taxidermy seems to watch from the walls as customers browse through an array of eclectic treasures. Fetal sharks, coiling diamondback rattlesnakes, a real lion skull and a two-headed human skeleton replica are just a few of the unusual items waiting to be discovered.

“The store, in a lot of ways, is kind of like the old cabinet of curiosities,” said assistant store manager Amanda Lechner. “Things from all over the world and from nature are all put together in one location.”
For the perfect gag gift, head for the raccoon penis bones or bug lollipops. If you’re in the market for a two-headed snake, the one on the second floor is small but not disappointing.

There are butterflies from all around the world with vivid, iridescent wings. The store also boasts catlike dragon masks and real human fetal skeletons.

Without leaving Soho, this quirky shop will make you feel like you’ve just visited a natural history museum…in the Twilight Zone, that is.

Miss Hoe
2 Prince St. (betw. Bowery & Elizabeth St.), misshoe.com
Curiouser and curiouser, you may find yourself thinking after stepping inside this wonderland of whimsy.
Miss Hoe looks more like an enchanted boudoir than a typical Soho clothing and jewelry shop. A pink chandelier hangs from an upside-down table attached to the ceiling, button-eyed toys repose in ornate gold frames and grinning Cheshire Cat earrings dangle from the racks.

The boutique’s vision is that of owner and designer Abby S.F. Hoe, who brings her passions for Japanese cartoons and pop, surrealist art to her clothing line and décor.

“I wanted the first boutique to be more than just racks in a minimalist store,” said Hoe. “It is a little playground—not only for myself and my interior aesthetic, but hopefully for my customers to have fun being there.”

Hairpins made from doll’s eyes, printed giraffe leggings, pistol-shaped cologne bottles, vintage rotary phones, UFO earrings and polka-dotted bloomers make the shopping experience anything but ordinary.

“Abby doesn’t like her designs to be that cookie-cutter style, where you go in and everything is the same,” said employee Shurika Kikuchi while holding up a tulle ballerina slip dress. “She really likes to have each piece be its own.”

Enchantments
424 E. 9th St. (betw. 1st Ave. & Avenue A), enchantmentsincnyc.com
Enchantments will bewitch you, whether you believe in magic or not.

On a typical day, a black cat named Medea weaves across the glitter-covered floor past customers browsing for books on alternative spirituality and the occult. In the back of the store, glass jars filled with herbs like Devil’s Shoestring and Queen of the Meadow attract those seeking to bring money and love into their lives. The scent of oils and incense permeates the air.

But don’t be fooled by appearances. Enchantments’ approach is far less dramatic than what you would see in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch or Harry Potter.

“It’s not a big production to create change in your life using spiritual and nontraditional means,” said employee Kathy Latham. “The ability to construct a good spell just takes practice and learning.”

Enchantments is known for its custom-made candles, which are designed with personalized spells to attract things like passion, success and healing. The customer is instructed to project their energy into the candle and visualize the desired outcome.

For New Yorkers short on space, it’s a magical solution in more ways than just one.

“You don’t have lots of open fields here where you can do big crazy rituals and light lots of things on fire,” said Latham with a smile. “In an apartment, a tool like a candle tends to work nicely.”

Fragrance Shop New York
65 E. 4th St. (betw. Bowery & Second Ave.), fragranceshopnewyork.com

Welcome to your own personalized slice of scented heaven.

Owner Lalita Kumut creates individualized fragrances for both men and women that she says can give confidence, attract love and express one’s true, essential self. For her, creating scents is about intuiting the client’s energy. The process is more art than science.
“It’s like music,” said Kumut. “You make notes—low, medium, high. When you finish making the scent, it has to be settled and balanced.”

The store evokes an older era, before chain stores and department store perfume displays. Dream catchers and beaded wind chimes rustle as customers open the door and step into a heady cloud of scent. Crystal peacock and fairy perfume bottles sparkle in gold-plated glass trays, reflecting the light.

Behind the counter are dozens of jewel-colored oils to choose from. Bottles with esoteric labels like Leather, Chaka and Fantasy mingle with fragrances developed for each astrological sign.

When a new customer arrived on a recent afternoon, Kumut sprang into action.

“Tell me more about your mood,” she asked before smoothing different oils on the client’s outstretched arm.

Arriving at the final blended product can take as long as 30 minutes in some cases.

“Being rushed and hungry makes it so that the body does not react well to the oils,” Kumut said. “You have to be relaxed.”

When I went there, though, my prescriptions were not ready—even after I’d been assured by phone beforehand that they would be filled. I will never get back the hours I spent standing around waiting for the men in white coats to get their work done.
Currently, I get my prescriptions filled by Frank at Duane Reade.

If bigger is not necessarily better, well, neither is smaller. This is something I’ve been thinking about as the Bloomberg administration and West Side Council Member Gale A. Brewer are working with many others to save small businesses. Proposed regulations would limit the scope of some storefronts, to encourage fewer banks and more independent shops. Just last week, Bloomberg went further and unveiled plans for a new office to help businesses, especially smaller ones, “navigate city bureaucracy,” as the Wall Street Journal put it.
I’m backing both proposals. But I stopped believing that every mom-and-pop store deserves to succeed around the time I noticed that mom and pop were treating me like crap.

Sometimes, small places screw up. My spouse and I go through dry cleaners the way the Octomom goes through Pampers. Some of our clothes recently played a dramatic game of lost and found. We go back and forth between the expensive cleaner who keeps calling to say he forgot to charge for one of the shirts or the woman with the ecofascist lecture promoting a special clothing case—one we would have to pay for—so as not to use up plastic dry-cleaning bags. In a city with so many dry cleaners, why are all the annoying ones in my neighborhood?

I’m not alone in my mixed feelings about the occasional small business. “I was overcharged,” a harried-looking woman told a merchant in front of a little city market on Broadway in April. “At this point, I’m not coming back.”

“Why are you not coming back?” the fellow said, evidently having missed the part about her being overcharged.
“Because I don’t like this,” the woman said.

I don’t like it either. Yesterday when the three men at the diner counter in lower Manhattan chatted with each other and ignored me, I didn’t like it. I walked out. Whenever someone takes a phone call instead of dealing with me, when I took the time to show up in person, I don’t like it. The young waiter at the unsurprisingly now-defunct Italian eatery who was texting instead of taking orders? The gentlemen at the pricey restaurant uptown who take away plates before we’re finished eating them? I don’t like any of it.

When I was growing up, my parents owned an independent bookstore. The place had nearly a three-decade run. When it was over, I zipped into Barnes & Noble and bought a membership card. I was exhausted from all the years of fighting the good fight, being on the side of the little guy. Now it turns out that Barnes & Noble, after killing bookstores across the nation, is the little guy in the battle against Amazon. Talk about what goes around, comes around.

Let’s do what we can to create a fair playing field for small businesses. Then, within those establishments, let’s set up rules on how to treat customers better. Surely, fine service must be central to what smaller businesses offer their communities.
What I want in a store or restaurant, big or small, is to be noticed, appreciated and treated well.

Christopher Moore is a writer living in Manhattan. He’s available by email at ccmnj
@aol.com and on Twitter @cmoorenyc.