5 December 14

My Favorite Boutique, Cool Glasses and a Quick Bite
Kisan, Warby Parker and Olive’s

You can spend a lot of time — and money — in Soho! Great shops and cool brands line up next to each other on every block, but there is one that I visit every time I’m in the neighborhood: Kisan on Greene Street. It’s owned by an Icelandic/French couple so it could be my Nordic genes that attract me to that store, or my memories of Paris, which I miss dearly as don’t visit as often since moving to New York. Or it could be the very sweet and personal staff. The shop is for grown-ups and younger kids. 

Warby Parker glasses is next door to Kisan on Greene Street. The brand Warby Parker is quite new but has already revolutionized the glasses industry. As is the case with many stories of entrepreneurs, the idea for Warby Parker arose out of the founder’s need. As a young student, he lost his glasses and didn’t have the money to purchase new ones. He actually needed to wait and save up the money for glasses to see properly. Wondering why glasses are so expensive, he felt that affordable glasses — affordable cool glasses — should be a right. What makes it even more cool is that for all the glasses they sell they donate glasses to people in need, so the brand has a positive impact on the world.  

Very often when I’m running around Soho I need a quick lunch or snack; my go-to place for this is  Olive’s on Prince Street, conveniently located in a very centralized spot. Everything is homemade, fresh and the quality is always high. I especially love their soups in the wintertime; finding a spot in the winter sun and enjoying a warm cup of soup is a nice break. In the summer, a sandwich or salad is great to eat while sitting on one of the many iron staircases watching people pass by. 

Kisan, 125 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
kisanstore.com

Warby Parker, 121 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
warbyparker.com

Olive’s, 120 Prince Street, New York, 10012
olivesnyc.com