City4 min read
Open late: the Lower East Side after midnight
Where to eat, drink coffee and stand around once the flagship closes. A short, biased guide from the people who work there.
TsWords by The shop floor
Our flagship on Ludlow Row closes at midnight on weekends. Nobody who works there goes straight home. This is where they go instead.
12:15 — Noodles at Low Tide
A counter with nine stools and one thing on the menu after midnight: cold sesame noodles with too much chilli oil. Cash only. The chef wears one of our caps, which we did not ask him to do.
12:45 — The coffee hatch
Yes, ours. The hatch on the side of the flagship keeps serving until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Flat whites, cold brew, and a rotating pastry from the bakery next door that is usually gone by 12:50.
1:30 — Records at Half Speed
A basement shop that opens at 10pm and closes “when it feels right”. Mostly dub, house and Brazilian pressings. Jun, who helped us design the Crosstown Sling, plays there on the last Thursday of the month.
2:30 — The bridge
Walk east and up onto the pedestrian path. Halfway across you get the whole skyline, the river and almost no people. This is where we shot most of the Drop 07 lookbook, and where we test anything reflective.
The city is a different place at three. Quieter, and funnier.
3:47 — Diner
There is always a diner. Ours has green booths, bottomless coffee and a waiter called Sal who has opinions about your order. The clock on the Drop 07 graphic tee is stopped at 3:47 because that is when Mara and Dee first sat down there together.
What to wear
Layers. It is warm inside everything and cold between everything. A coach jacket over a hoodie covers most of the year.
