Meet the East Village's Newest Thrift Store: It's "An Experience."
Words and image by Bruce Gregg
Nick Norman is the owner of Thrift NYC located on 14th street in Manhattan. He’s a man of many personas. An average day for him consists of eating four eggs, working out, and posing for a photoshoot. By 11 am he rips open clothing shipments and bargains prices with customers at his vintage clothing store. Nick barely has time to blink, but he managed to find time for an Interview.
The store’s name was spray painted onto a wooden desk, done by Nick himself. When asked “How would you describe this place to somebody who just got out of the womb 30 minutes ago?” We were interrupted before Nick could answer the question by a customer itching to buy a sweater. Nick described the store as “An experience.”
Any pedestrian is immediately drawn into the store by either the vintage jackets displayed on the window or perhaps the pirate flag draped across the storefront. As you enter, an overload of classic rock is blaring from the speakers. The infamous smell of vintage clothing and antiques that are now familiar to many New Yorkers fills the air. The racks are full of the coolest grails in fashion found at unbelievable prices. Nick added the shop doubles as a “Place to meet some of the coolest people from the wildest walks of life.” The way he talked about the store is what separates it from the rest.
Thrift NYC is a hub for young individuals to discuss their opinions on the current state of fashion and youth culture. The shop allows people to find artistic-minded individuals to collaborate with, and to meet people who traveled all the way from Europe and found themselves in the depths of Nick’s clothing racks. Nick’s shop is more than just a vintage clothing shop, it’s the epitome of what it means to be cool in the East Village.
The way skater kids and model girls dress is something that's forever evolving. At the moment, Adidas Sambas and the baggiest pants of mankind are what’s in, but that could change from one post by @HIDDEN.NY a popular, fashion-based Instagram account. Nick has capitalized both financially and culturally by putting himself directly into the heart of it all. “I’ve never felt more connected to a community, let alone this community,” Nick states in regard to the East Village and his customers.
Nick is now known by other store owners on the block and has many regular customers who he greets with a “dap” each time they walk through the sticker-covered doorway before they rush to find the best-fitting pants. Nick is single-handedly developing his own sub-community of kids interested in fashion and the arts – who he’s gotten the opportunity to meet, collaborate with, and even help them find the right clothing.
Nick was attending Colorado State University before the pandemic which led him to take a gap semester. He explained that the semester turned into a gap year, and he never went back. He got involved with modeling after getting scouted, which he juggled between two bartending jobs in order to stay afloat. His work in the modeling industry only increased his interest in fashion, developing a collection of pieces and an overall appreciation for vintage items.
Eventually, after stumbling into the original Thrift NYC store on the Upper East Side, Nick became a regular at the store. He befriended the owner and pitched the idea to open a second shop downtown. They built the store and opened this past Spring. The foot traffic being right on 14th Street has been phenomenal with no signs of slowing down. Nick is taking what was once a simple, vintage thrift and antique store and developing it into a company with his business partner. His plan is to continue expanding and branding themselves. The store’s traction and development are only going up from here.
Nick showing off his pearly whites as he sifts through clothes.
Nick himself works every day, from 11 am to 7 pm, staying up until midnight. Some nights working on the store's interior or a side project with his business partner. This business has required almost all of Nick’s time, but after seeing his enthusiasm for the shop it’s obvious his passion for the shop keeps him more than motivated.
For Nick waking up before the city is up, working out, and eating four eggs with pancakes--which he considers a “light” breakfast--shows that the man is a machine with a drive like nobody else.
The East Village is not ready for what Nick does next with the future of Thrift NYC.
