Unlike our dear sweet Peter, who unequivocally hearts it, I wrestle with New York.

I’m no country bumpkin, but still, the place overwhelms me. The people, the concrete, the noise, the haste. I don’t hate it, but it does make me weak in the knees, and not in a love way. More of a swaying-side-to-side-with-dizziness-as-the-world-swirls-around-me sort of way.

This is why it’s good to have friends.

Especially friends I can email with such random requests as, “Hey, do you know anyone in New York who could help me build a Christmas-tree-ish window display out of bike parts?” And who can write me back in less than a day with not only a,“Yes, totally,” but also a, “While you’re out there, do you think you’ll need a bike to ride?”

Which is how I met the crew at NYC Velo. Charged with the mission to pull together a new window display for here/nau/nyc that touched on alternative ways to move through the city, I arrived in NY with the name and number of one lone bike-enthused guy: Mike.

Mike introduced me to Andrew, owner of NYC Velo, and Andrew introduced me to Justin, one of his employees who held a special affinity for installing bikes in unorthodox, gravity-defying ways. Collectively these guys evolved my zoo-bomb inspired vision of a holiday heap of bikes into a much more elegant display using their own, personal frames (Surly’s, IF’s, and Civia’s among them), all swirling around our front window like a band of wild horses.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the crew at NYC Velo also turned me on to my two new favorite things to do in their fair city: 1) ride a Kona humuhumunukunukuapua with monster knobby tires through the narrow streets and sprawling boulevards, fearlessly dominating the cobblestone of Soho and the potholes of everywhere else, and 2) riding straight to the best americano the city has to offer, at the hole-in-the-wall café in the East Village, Abraço Espresso.

Thanks to my friends, and my friends of friends with bikes, I’ve seen New York in an entirely new light. Less about its world swirling around a static me, and more about me – on a bike – swirling around it. It’s fun. You should try it.

And if you’re in New York, you can see NYC Velo’s fine work in our window ‘til December 13^th. You’ll also find more pics of the display here.

(photo courtesy NYC Velo)

Har Mar Superstar played at an event in our SoHo store on Tuesday. Wednesday morning the emails and photo’s started pouring in from the crew in NYC about the party from the night before.  He played again last night and  I’m hoping he kept it PG-13 for our customers sake. Check this guy out:

I HEART NYC.

The day starts and you look to the window and determine what type of outfit you will need for the day, and what after work activities you are going to blend into once that time clock is shut off.

I have one outfit to protect me from the elements and keep me comfortable on my subway commute, and make me feel confidant, and  stylish after the work day comes to a halt.  Whilst in NY the temperature was unseasonably warm (mid to high 60’s ) and on and off rain.

I chose my outfit as follows; Mens Riding jacket,
M-2  stripe crew, organic cotton tee as an underlayer, Italian wool 2 tone scarf,  Slim  caviar wash denim and my leather side zip low boots. The perfect setup to conquer my NY day into night and protect me from the elements.

Did I mention I HEART NYC?

Now I go and conquer the new snow load distributed on Mt Hood.  Did I mention I HEART PDX!

As big as any so far…we’re officially opening our doors to New York City for 50 days of interaction, experience and education.

At Tuesday night’s private media opening, it was hard to tell which impressed the crowd more: the store aesthetic, the energetic vibe, or the Nau product itself.  The one thing that was clear – beyond the genuine enthusiasm of what we created and what was about to unfold in the coming 50 days – was that no one believed the space had been built in only 10 days, and that it was intended to be a temporary installation.

My favorite comment from the night: “You have to stay”.

Even our musical guests, Zee Avi and Will Dailey, had to outfit their bands in Nau for their upcoming tours before leaving, and they’ll now be making a stop to play Lizard Lounge the next time they pass through Portland.

Today we unveil our project to the public.  With the help of Secret Machines on stage tonight, the photography of our Grantees for Change Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele, and the support of a tremendous number of partners here in NYC and back in Portland, here/nau/nyc finally (officially) arrives.  We won’t be staying this time around, so make sure you come see us during the next two months if you find yourself within striking distance of 69 Mercer Street in Soho. Keep a close watch on the ever evolving calendar of events as we weave through the beauty, performance and sustainability themes with a dynamic list of community events, activities and charitable partnerships.

We look forward to seeing you there, and staying connected through Facebook and Twitter. And, whichever way you visit, we’d love to know what you think.