Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble is the biggest bookstore chain in the US, with billions in annual revenue. It started out in the East Village in 1886, as a single shop inside Cooper Union. Arthur Hinds and Company was the original name, until an early-hire clerk named Gilbert Clifford Noble joined. The Hinds & Noble name changed again when William Barnes came on. The company is still headquartered in Manhattan today.
The Co-Op Apartment
Given the complexities of finding a place to live in New York City it makes sense the city pioneered the co-op apartment. Designed to lower the cost of living, with a shared staff and ice and coal bought at bulk rates, the concept was a success and soon migrated around the globe. The world’s first example was at 152 West 57th Street, a building called The Rembrandt.
Macy’s
Rowland Hussey Macy founded Macy’s on the corner of 14th Street and Sixth Avenue in 1851. The brand peaked at 850 locations and along the way added some retail innovations that are everywhere today, including the concept of a department store, cash transactions, set prices instead of haggling, tailoring services, in-shop Santa visits, and holiday windows.
Source: “Made In NYC,” by Ethan Wolff, March 2024, City Guide New York
Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann
Stay tuned for more . . .