New York’s Small Businesses
Lower Manhattan, New York, is known for being a hub of culture and business. Over 7,000 businesses in New York City have closed due to financial strain of the pandemic, and small businesses are most vulnerable. By the end of the pandemic it’s estimated one third of small businesses in New York City will close permanently. The personalities behind these small businesses are what give the city it’s charm, culture, and community. Small business owners have shown strength, resilience, and adaptation to ever changing times.
Downtown Yarns
Leti Ruiz, of California, is the new owner of Downtown Yarns, and she’s taking every precaution to keep her store safe and running. Only three customers are allowed inside at a time, and everyone must sanitize their hands before browsing. Buying yarn is a tactile experience. Ruiz says business has been steady after reopening. With an increase of people working, learning, and just generally staying home, people have more time to spend on creative projects.
The exterior of Downtown Yarns, at 45 Avenue A, New York, New York, on Nov. 14. The self proclaimed “female owned” small business has been in operation for over 10 years, selling a variety of natural fiber yarns, knitting and crocheting tools, and buttons.
Leti Ruiz, current owner, holds a bundle of yarn in front of a wall of shelves housing colorful yarns on Nov. 14. She loves “the color speckles in this yarn, the pink is like cotton candy.”
A variety of knitting needles sit in a cup on the counter.
Finished garments hang on the walls of the shop, most are for sale, and all are for inspiration. Ruiz says her coworker “Irina is the fastest knitter, so she makes most of the clothes.”
Bundles of colorful yarn for sale on Nov. 16.
Leti Ruiz cranks a yarn swift to turn yarn skeins into more manageable balls of yarn on Nov 16. "We've been busy this week, and especially last week!" Ruiz says.
Buttons for sale on display.
The Sock Man
The Sock Man is both a name of the store and nickname of owner, Marty. The specialty store has been a destination for almost 40 years, but has never seen anything quite like the shutdowns and curfews of the COVID pandemic. The Sock Man offers a wide variety of socks including Happy Socks, Socksmith, house brand, The Sock Man, and many more. Marty says he wears “socks all year round, unless I’m in the shower or going swimming … My favorite socks are wool, people think wool is warm, but it’s actually really moisture wicking and great for stinky feet!”
Marty checks out a customer's sock purchases. “Ever since COVID, when we reopened in June, the summertime is my slowest time of the year, so we opened up for my slowest time ... We’ve all been hurt but I’m a fighter. I’m not giving up, the only thing is it’s contingent. Restaurants close at 10 o ‘clock at night now, the street is so slow. It’s a major hit"
A paper taped to the door requires customers to wear masks. The patchy printer ink has been drawn over in pen.
The Sock Man storefront, at 99 Saint Marks Place, New York, New York. The store opened in 1983, by New York local, Marty, also known as the sockman.
Dr. Dave Ores
Dr. Dave Ores, known simply as Dr. Dave, is a general practitioner in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He runs his own practice on East 2nd Street, and works for himself, so he “can be more of a public or civil servant and serve the people instead of a boss.” His appearance isn’t that of a conventional doctor, and neither is his practice. He can often be found in patched jeans and a leather jacket, but when it comes time to see patients he dons green scrubs and a white lab coat.
He makes healthcare incredibly accessible by providing care to those under the poverty line and those without insurance. He does “Pay What You Can Wednesdays” where patients pay what they can afford, but this kindness often runs over into the rest of the week. In his usual practice Ores does house calls, immigration health exams, hypertension prevention for first responders, reimbursement of flu shots for restaurant workers, and general medical care. Currently, Ores offers two types of saliva COVID testing.
Dr. Dave Ores holds open the door of his practice at 189 E 2nd St. New York, New York, on Nov. 20. His office has been open for over 25 years, and he owns and operates it all himself. Ores has been open through the pandemic, but his “revenue has dropped by 80%,” with less patients willing to “see a doctor for $50 or $60 if they can avoid it.”
Framed certificates and images hang on the wall of Ores’s office. Ores says his interest in medicine was fostered as “both of my parents were physicians.”
Dr. Dave Ores, of New York, holds vials of blood collected from patients receiving immigration exams on Nov. 18. He has his own centrifuge and will use it to separate blood from plasma. Ores believes “if you wanted people to have healthcare you would have a healthcare system, we don’t have that, we have private companies. Ores believes "The system isn’t broken, it’s just designed to make a few old white men incredibly wealthy, and it does that flawlessly. This health mess we have is designed to screw over everyone, make as much money as possible and spend as little money as possible.”
A drawing of the human digestive tract on exam table paper. Ores drew the diagram to show a patient who may have an ulcer what that means. Ores makes healthcare simple, understandable, and accessible.
The Evolution Store
The Evolution Store has been on Broadway for 27 years, created and owned by Bill Stevens, and passed on to his daughter Julianna in 2015. The store has their own fabrication studio for creating taxidermies, preserving and articulating animals in upstate New York, and is able to fill custom orders. The store requires customers to call and sign in with their name before entering the store. Sensor activated hand sanitizers are placed throughout the store.
The storefront of The Evolution Store, at 687 Broadway, New York, New York on Nov 16. The store was founded in 1993 in SoHo, by Bill Stevens. His daughter, Julianna, took ownership in 2015.
Preserved and framed butterflies for sale. These butterflies were 50% off, in an effort to increase sales during the pandemic.
A touch free hand sanitizer, one of many placed throughout the store, for customers to use before and after touching inventory. Sam Smith, of Ohio, uses the sanitizer.
A large amethyst crystal and taxidermied coyote on display in the front window of The Evolution Store.
Orange tipped Lady Amherst pheasant feathers for sale, next to a domed display of miniature 3D paper puzzles.
La Sirena
La Sirena was started by Dina Leor, New York native. Leor usually travels to Mexico to buy folk art from vendors, but hasn’t recently. Her store is entirely covered in colorful painted, beaded, embroidered, and sculpted art, and occasionally fresh hot corn tamales are sold on the sidewalk.
Dina Leor sits for a portrait dressed in Mexican embroidered shirt and mask on Nov. 28. She has owned the store for over 20 years and has “been recovering after closing in March.”
Mexican folk art is displayed in the storefront window of La Sirena (The Mermaid), an art store at 27 East 3rd Street, New York, New York, owned by Dina Leor of New York. She has started a GoFundMe page to raise funds to pay bills, rent, and Mexican artists.
A flyer hangs in the window of SOS Chefs, a spice store, located at 104 Avenue B, New York, New York, on Nov. 14. The store opened in 1996 and offers a variety of herbs, spices, teas, dried fruits and mushrooms, and much more.
A wide variety of jarred herbs and spices are visible through the window of SOS Chefs.
Papers posted on the door of the store state hours and information for a GoFundMe fundraising page. Closure due to COVID has put a heavy financial strain on the store.
The closed storefront of Mercer Street Books & Records on 206 Mercer St., New York, New York on the evening of Nov. 16. Mercer Street Books opened in 1990. It closed in March of this year, and reopened in June.
The closed storefront of Fragrance Shop New York at 65 East 4th Street, New York, New York, is lit by a neon sign on Nov. 24. The shop has been providing premade and custom fragrances for over 25 years.
The closed storefront of Rivington Guitars, at 73 East 4th Street, New York, New York, is lit by a neon sign on Nov. 24. The store opened in 1998, and is owned by Howie Statland. The store has sold and repaired vintage guitars for musicians including Courtney Love, Green Day, and the Smashing Pumpkins.