I had to go into NYC's Manhattan today for the holiday dinner of the company I work for.
Even though the dinner was to start at 3:30PM I took a train that got me into the city about 12:15PM.
I then proceeded to walk down Broadway toward the restaurant where the dinner was being held.
I hustled and bustled through the holiday crowds and tourists and even worked my way through a union demonstration at city hall, while walking south.
Along the way I came to Paragon Sports, 3 floors of shiny, showy, outdoor gear all displayed very nicely and with sales people at every turn who were asking if I needed help with anything. All the name brands were there. What really caught my eye was the prices. They seemed high, but we are talking Manhattan, so it didn't surprise me. Farther down town, and a block west of Broadway I went to Tents and Trails. It's a much smaller store and you can't hardly see the walls or floor for all the gear and clothing they have packed into the 2 floors. Again the staff was working hard to be helpful and hopeful of a sale. What really impressed me was not the store and it's displays but the amount of stuff they had organized into a small space and prices seemed lower than at the first store. That they had a rack full of Western Mountaineering sleeping bags, all different models, was a real eye opener. I looked around and found a small item I could use. During check out I got into an interesting conversation with a manager, or maybe owner. I'm glad I went in. Then it was time to finish my walk and went over to the restaurant where the company dinner was taking place. I'm glad I went into the city with time to spare and walked downtown instead of taking the subway.
I don't like the crowds of NY city so I probably won't be going back to either of these stores, but I'm glad I gave them a look see.
Even though the dinner was to start at 3:30PM I took a train that got me into the city about 12:15PM.
I then proceeded to walk down Broadway toward the restaurant where the dinner was being held.
I hustled and bustled through the holiday crowds and tourists and even worked my way through a union demonstration at city hall, while walking south.
Along the way I came to Paragon Sports, 3 floors of shiny, showy, outdoor gear all displayed very nicely and with sales people at every turn who were asking if I needed help with anything. All the name brands were there. What really caught my eye was the prices. They seemed high, but we are talking Manhattan, so it didn't surprise me. Farther down town, and a block west of Broadway I went to Tents and Trails. It's a much smaller store and you can't hardly see the walls or floor for all the gear and clothing they have packed into the 2 floors. Again the staff was working hard to be helpful and hopeful of a sale. What really impressed me was not the store and it's displays but the amount of stuff they had organized into a small space and prices seemed lower than at the first store. That they had a rack full of Western Mountaineering sleeping bags, all different models, was a real eye opener. I looked around and found a small item I could use. During check out I got into an interesting conversation with a manager, or maybe owner. I'm glad I went in. Then it was time to finish my walk and went over to the restaurant where the company dinner was taking place. I'm glad I went into the city with time to spare and walked downtown instead of taking the subway.
I don't like the crowds of NY city so I probably won't be going back to either of these stores, but I'm glad I gave them a look see.
