Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé…
J.Crew’s first menswear-only boutique takes the place of the former Liquor Store Bar, a longtime Tribeca favorite. Andy Spade, fresh off parting ways with Jack Spade, and partner Anthony Sperduti consulted on the store. You’ll also find an extremely approachable, well-curated selection of J.Crew limited editions (suits, cashmeres), outside collaborations (Mackintosh coats, Thomas Mason shirting), best-in-breed gear (Alden shoes, Baracuta jackets) and vintage finds (tie bars, old Rolexes) that will help you tie together the classic American Steve McQueen look you’ve been cultivating.
Taking a page from the John Varvatos/CBGB store conversion, the apparel here is displayed elegantly, almost unobtrusively, among the made-to-look-original décor, with cashmere cardigans and Thomas Mason button-downs draped over Globetrotter trunks and vests, and Merino sweaters arranged beside records from The Smiths and James White and the Blacks. Accessories are suitably dapper, with Alden wingtips, Doria hats, and jewel-tone ties rolled into lowball glasses. But although the bar remains—and is even stocked with bottles and dishes of nuts—you’ll have better luck requesting a fedora than a stiff drink.
The brand preserved both the name and authentic sensibility with help from Andy Spade. Liquor Store breaks away from the standard mall-like J.Crew setup with dark paneling and antique displays, plush leather chairs, and art-directed knickknacks strewn about: a model ship, a miniature airplane built from Tecate beer cans, and cloudy liquor bottles long since tapped. The den’s dim lighting, oriental rugs, and bookshelf stacked with masculine Strand-issued classics—Kerouac, Hemingway, and Cheever among them—lure nearby office workers on lunch break.
235 West Broadway
(N. Moore and White Sts.)
212-226-5476
Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé Nast Traveler.