A Place for Everything

One of the things that makes NYC NYC is what you can buy there and where you buy it. Need a floral arrangement shaped like a native American headpiece? Head on over to the flower district. Need trimming for a Sacajawea costume? Next stop, the trimming district. Broke the foot on your sewing machine applying said native American-type trimming? Sashay on over to the sewing machine parts district. (It does does so exist!)

Truthfully much of NYC has undergone a mall-ification and there are fewer and fewer specialty districts and more and more - - well, banks, but also - - Claire's Accessories. But this past weekend when I headed down to Orchard Street I was thrilled to find the old leather jacket district I remembered. Stores up and down the street are crammed with literally thousands and thousands of every style of leather jacket and coat you could ever want, and of course many you would not want. No ambiance. No brand names. But every jacket was $90! So much luckier than buying some brand at some department store for four times that price. And the salesperson even knew exactly what I was talking about ("You mean you want a jacket like Shaft wore?"). It was so hard to choose, but in the end I bought this glazed leather jacket. And when the weather actually cools enough to warrant a jacket, I am planning to go back for a $90, fully lined, leather coat, ala Shaft. Because I am a bad mother. Just ask my kids.