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During the two-week stretch where people traditionally tend to slack off on their duties, our own Evan Silver was hard at work trudging through two feet of snow to make it to our offices during the city’s sixth largest snowstorm to date.

Below is photographic proof of Silver’s heroics in braving the unforgiving blizzard of 2010 (Although he is not actually in the picture, he has assured us that he was the one who took it).

Somehow, Evan also managed to squeeze in a starring role in Taco Bell’s newest commercial for the Beefy Crunch Burrito loaded with flamin’ hot Fritos chips.

Check it:

Evan Silver, a true American hero.

[Disclaimer: Please disregard the uncanny resemblance, the actor pictured above is not actually Evan Silver]

Just a few days ago under the cover of night, Polish-born artist and exhibitionist Olek decided to give a makeover to the famed Wall Street Bull by means of crochet  during an impromptu art-expo, pictured above.

Obviously this playful act of “vandalism” set the internet on fire, and the media-coverage ensued, eventually catching the eyes of the folks here at Besen Retail.

Which got us thinking…

A few months ago we posted a few pictures of the interior of the retail space for lease at Tapestry, in East Harlem.  At the time, the vacant space was occupied by No Longer Empty, a cultural organization that arranges and executes artistic exhibits within vacated storefronts all over New York City.

The exhibit, aptly titled Weaving in and Out, consisted of a few familiar living-room fixtures outfitted completely with crocheted yarn, and was created by none other than Olek, the crocheter.

Check out the picture:

Small world, eh?

The complete works of crocheting artist Olek can be found at her website, here.

And here’s a nice article from crushable.com profiling the enigmatic Olek.

-Jerry

It automatically records the distance between it, and anything lying within its line of fire, maxing out at around 130 feet.

It has officially replaced our standard 50 foot retractable tape measure for recording the size of our spaces, and turned this task from a two-man, pain-in-the-neck operation, to one that can be completed in a matter of  seconds.

With the time I saved in taking measurements at one of our newly constructed spaces for lease (Tapestry, at 124th St and 2nd Ave in East Harlem), I was able to sit down and write this blog post.

Bottom line:  it’s  awesome, and at Besen Retail we like awesome.

-Jerry

We just finalized the lease agreement for one of our Inwood spaces for lease, at 4865 Broadway. The new tenant is Rosado Fabrics, moving into the newly renovated 744 SF store from their previous location, right across the street.

We wish Rosado Fabrics the best of luck, and will be sure to visit once they’re up and running.

-Jerry

Why? you ask.

Well there are two ways to look at a food truck from the business perspective of a real estate firm:

1. They don’t pay rent.
2. They don’t pay rent, yet.

In order for a food truck to legally operate on the streets of this great city, they must first register with the NYC Department of Health which has absolutely nothing to do with us.

However, if said food truck would like to expand their establishment beyond the confines of a tool-shed on wheels, we have the know-how to help bring their business into the brick and mortar world.

So we love food trucks!

No matter which way you look at it, it’s nearly impossible to deny a good cupcake when it rolls up right in front of your office:

The PB&J, from the Cupcake Crew on 26th and Park

If you own or operate a food truck and would like to know more information about opening up a retail shop, let us know!

-Jerry

[Stay updated on the location of the Cupcake Crew via twitter - twitter.com/cupcakecrewnyc]

We were able to take some time out of our busy holiday schedule to see what all the fuss was about, and were definitely pleased with the outcome.

The walls were covered with floor-to-ceiling displays of the immortal Chuck Taylors, along with a nice selection of clothing inspired by the impossibly casual demeanor of classic American style.

So take a walk down to SoHo and pay respect to the definitive sneaker of the past century, even if you already own a pair.

The Converse Wall of Fame

A pop-up street vendor pushing vintage snap-back caps nearby, just because.

Check the link for more info on Converse SoHo: http://play.converse.com/play/blog/?p=6276

[Photo credit:  Executive Director Matthew R. Mager, taken at the corner of 84th & 3rd]

I nominated myself to play guinea pig, and decided to go with an order of their trademark dish,  Edamame filled vegetable dumplings.

As expected, the dumplings were light and tasty, especially with a side of their tangy lemon- sansho dip.

So what’s the lesson to be learned from this?

It’s common knowledge in the food industry that a person eats with their eyes, and then with their mouths. So sometimes it’s OK to go with your initial  impression and judge a book by its cover!The only way to find out if you don’t like something is to TRY IT!

You can track the whereabouts of the Rickshaw Dumpling Bar by checking their website, or by following @rickshawtruck on Twitter.

Enjoy!

-Jerry

Executive Director Matt Mager put it best when he said, “Putting something in a pretty package doesn’t change what’s in the package. It’s still McDonald’s!”    

Either way, it may be worth checking out.

-Jerry